White paper: History and Dynamics of the Last Interglacial Period from Ice Cores

As concern about future climate change due to anthropogenic activities grows, it is increasingly important to have a long-term perspective on Earth system feedbacks operating during past warm (interglacial) climate periods. In the ice core record, the last interglacial period, identified in marine sediment records as marine isotope stage 5E, and in northwest Europe pollen records as the Eemian, is the most accessible interglacial period prior to the well-documented current interglacial, the Holocene. It is also marked by global mean sea level six m (or possibly more) above today’s level, reflecting warmer conditions and partial deglaciation of Greenland and Antarctica, providing a benchmark period to assess the response of polar ice sheets to warm climates.