ABSTRACT
The previous chapter described the paleoclimatic records available from ice cores in the Antarctic Peninsula region. This paper synthesizes the records available for the East and West Antarctica Ice Sheets (Figure 29.1). The histories summarized in this chapter come from different areas which are characterized by a broad spectrum of net balances, mean annual temperatures, surface climatologies and ice flow regimes. Section 29.1.2 focuses upon the different ice cores and discusses the strengths and limitations of each record for the synthesis of environmental conditions since A.D. 1500. The following section provides an overview of the dating of ice core records which is the first, critical step in paleoclimatic reconstruction.
