Abstract
The relaxation spectrum of a stratified viscoelastic mantle with phase transitions contains a class of extremely long decaying modes with relaxation times 0 (106 yr), exceeding the characteristic time scale of an individual glacial cycle. Consequently, the net motion of the rotation pole produced by the cyclic loading and unloading of ice sheets would display a nonequilibrium behaviour in the initial stages of an ice age epoch. We present here calculations of the net polar speed as a function of time for the late Cenozoic ice ages. These results show an initial transient net velocity of 0 (1° Myr−1) which, after a few million years, decays to a steady value of 0(0.1° Myr−1). We propose that the length of a typical ice age period around 0(107 yr), is controlled by the time scale required for the steady-state polar wander to drift sufficiently far such that the necessary conditions for the Milankovitch mechanism to operate can no longer be maintained.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Sabadini, R., Yuen, D. A. & Boschi, E. V. J. geophys. Res. 87, 2885–2903 (1982).
Sabadini, R., Yuen, D. A. & Boschi, E. Nature 296, 338–341 (1982).
Anderson, D. L. Nature 297, 391–393 (1982).
Morgan, W. J. in The Sea Vol. 7 (ed. Emiliani, C.) 443–487 (Wiley, New York, 1982).
Jurdy, D. M. Tectonophysics 74, 1–16 (1981).
Gordon, R. G. & Cape, C. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 55, 37–47 (1981).
Gordon, R. G. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 70, 129–140 (1982).
Gold, T. Nature 175, 526–529 (1955).
Goldreich, P. & Toomre, A. J. geophys. Res. 74, 2555–2567 (1969).
Turekian, K. K. (ed.) The Late Cenozoic Glacial Ages (Yale University Press, New Haven, 1971).
Berger, A. Nature 268, 44–45 (1977).
Imbrie, J. Icarus 50, 408–422 (1982).
Olson, P. & Yuen, D. A. J. geophys. Res. 87, 3993–4002 (1982).
Yuen, D. A., Sabadini, R. & Boschi, E. V. J. geophys. Res. 87, 10745–10762 (1982).
Wu, P. & Peltier, W. R. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 70, 435–485 (1982).
Dziewonski, A. M. & Anderson, D. L. Phys. Earth planet. Inter. 25, 297–356 (1981).
Pollard, D. Nature 272, 233–235 (1978).
Källen, E., Crafoord, C. & Ghil, M. J. atmos. Sci. 36, 2292–2303 (1979).
Ghil, M. & Le Treut, H. J. geophys. Res. 86, 5262–5270 (1981).
Imbrie, J. & Imbrie, J. Z. Science 207, 943–953 (1980).
Yuen, D. A., Sabadini, R. & Boschi, E. Phys. Earth planet. Inter (in the press).
Dragoni, M., Yuen, D. A. & Boschi, E. V. J. geophys. Res. 88, 2240–2250 (1983).
Hays, J. D., Imbrie, J. & Shackleton, N. J. Science 94, 1121–1132 (1976).
Shackleton, N. J. & Opdyke, N. D. Nature 270, 216–219 (1977).
Sammis, C. G., Smith, J. C., Schubert, G. & Yuen, D. A. J. geophys. Res. 82, 3747–3761 (1977).
Cathles, L. M. III The Viscosity of the Earth's Mantle (Princeton University Press, 1975).
Dickman, S. R. Geophys. J. R. astr. Soc. 51, 229–244 (1977).
Dickman, S. R. J. geophys. Res. 86, 4904–4912 (1981).
McElhinny, M. W. Paleomagnetism and Plate Tectonics (Cambridge University Press, 1973).
Frakes, L. A. Climates Throughout Geologic Time (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1979).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sabadini, R., Yuen, D. & Boschi, E. Dynamic effects from mantle phase transitions on true polar wander during ice ages. Nature 303, 694–696 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/303694a0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/303694a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
