(ESH) Holocene Climate Variability

With the successful completion of deep drilling at Summit Greenland there is now a well-dated, high resolution, multi-parameter record of climate change (response and forcing) for the Northern Hemisphere that covers the last glacial cycle. This record reveals evidence of rapid and dramatic change in climate. Recent examination of the Holocene portion (last 11,500 years) of the Greenland record has demonstrated that, while relatively stable by comparison with glacial age climate, the Holocene does contain subdued versions of glacial age millennial scale and rapid climate change events. The Holocene is also characterized by significant annual to centennial scale variability plus significant and complex climate forcing and response histories. Understanding Holocene climate is essential to the differentiation of natural versus anthropogenic climate response and forcing and to any prediction of future climate