Antarctic Cold Reversal

The Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR) was a climatic event of intense atmospheric and oceanic cooling across the southern hemisphere (>40°S) between 14,700 and 13,000 years before present (BP) that interrupted the most recent deglacial climate warming (c. 18,000-11,500 years BP).^[1][2] This cooling event was initially well noted in Antarctic ice core records.^[2][3][4][5] Soon after, evidence from sediment cores and glacial advances from land masses (southern South America,^{[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]} New Zealand,^{[13][14][15][16]} Tasmania,^[17][18] among others^[19]) and Oceanic sectors^[20] south of 40°S expanded the region of this climate cooling event. The ACR illustrates the complexity of the climate changes at the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene Epochs.^[1]

In general, climate models show a 1.5-2 °C^[1] drop in Antarctica and other temperate regions where glacial readvances^[7][12][13] are typically evident. Climate continued to warm after 13,000 years BP and glaciers showed signs of abrupt withdrawal from their respective ACR aged moraines. The mechanisms behind the atmospheric and oceanic reorganization are still debated, although strengthening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturnig Circulation is alluded to in general.^[1][5]