Sea-level rise in Southwest Greenland as a contributor to Viking abandonment

Borreggine, M. J.; Latychev, Konstantin; Coulson, Sophie; Powell, Evelyn; Mitrovica, J. X.; Milne, Glenn A.; Alley, Richard B.

doi:10.1073/pnas.2209615120

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…The RSL simulation we have adopted is taken from ref. 40 . A total of 30 sample sites were randomly selected along the west coast of Madagascar for the assessment.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The rise of baobab trees in Madagascar

Wan,

Wang,

Leitch

et al. 2024

Nature

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The baobab trees (genus Adansonia) have attracted tremendous attention because of their striking shape and distinctive relationships with fauna1. These spectacular trees have also influenced human culture, inspiring innumerable arts, folklore and traditions. Here we sequenced genomes of all eight extant baobab species and argue that Madagascar should be considered the centre of origin for the extant lineages, a key issue in their evolutionary history2,3. Integrated genomic and ecological analyses revealed the reticulate evolution of baobabs, which eventually led to the species diversity seen today. Past population dynamics of Malagasy baobabs may have been influenced by both interspecific competition and the geological history of the island, especially changes in local sea levels. We propose that further attention should be paid to the conservation status of Malagasy baobabs, especially of Adansoniasuarezensis and Adansoniagrandidieri, and that intensive monitoring of populations of Adansoniaza is required, given its propensity for negatively impacting the critically endangered Adansoniaperrieri.

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“…The RSL simulation we have adopted is taken from ref. 40 . A total of 30 sample sites were randomly selected along the west coast of Madagascar for the assessment.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given that past local sea levels were also influenced by the Earth’s viscoelastic structure and global ice sheet history 39 , the relative sea level (RSL) changes along the west coast of Madagascar from 0.12 Ma to the present were predicted, adopting from ref. 40 (Supplementary Fig. 12 ).…”

Section: Influences Of Geology and The Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The rise of baobab trees in Madagascar

Wan,

Wang,

Leitch

et al. 2024

Nature

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Playing to Survive: Children and Innovation During the Little Ice Age in Greenland

Meyer,

Riede

2024

Eur. j. archaeol

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Greenland is the world's largest island, but only a narrow strip of land between the Inland Ice and the sea is inhabitable. Yet, the Norse chose to settle here around ad 986. During the eleventh century ad, precontact Inuit people moved into Greenland from northern Alaska via Canada. Although the two cultures faced the same climatic changes during the Little Ice Age, the Inuit thrived, while the Norse did not, for multiple causes. The authors focus on one of these causes, the hitherto overlooked contribution of young children's learning strategies to societal adaptation. The detailed analysis of a large corpus of play objects reveals striking differences between the children's material culture in the two cultures: rich and diverse in the precontact Inuit material and more limited and normative in the Norse. Drawing on insights from developmental psychology, the authors discuss possible effects of play objects on children's future adaptability in variable climatic conditions.

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Sea-level rise in Southwest Greenland as a contributor to Viking abandonment

Borreggine

Latychev

Coulson

et al. 2023

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The first records of Greenland Vikings date to 985 CE. Archaeological evidence yields insight into how Vikings lived, yet drivers of their disappearance in the 15th century remain enigmatic. Research suggests a combination of environmental and socioeconomic factors, and the climatic shift from the Medieval Warm Period (~900 to 1250 CE) to the Little Ice Age (~1250 to 1900 CE) may have forced them to abandon Greenland. Glacial geomorphology and paleoclimate research suggest that the Southern Greenland Ice Sheet readvanced during Viking occupation, peaking in the Little Ice Age. Counterintuitively, the readvance caused sea-level rise near the ice margin due to increased gravitational attraction toward the ice sheet and crustal subsidence. We estimate ice growth in Southwestern Greenland using geomorphological indicators and lake core data from previous literature. We calculate the effect of ice growth on regional sea level by applying our ice history to a geophysical model of sea level with a resolution of ~1 km across Southwestern Greenland and compare the results to archaeological evidence. The results indicate that sea level rose up to ~3.3 m outside the glaciation zone during Viking settlement, producing shoreline retreat of hundreds of meters. Sea-level rise was progressive and encompassed the entire Eastern Settlement. Moreover, pervasive flooding would have forced abandonment of many coastal sites. These processes likely contributed to the suite of vulnerabilities that led to Viking abandonment of Greenland. Sea-level change thus represents an integral, missing element of the Viking story.

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Sea-level rise in Southwest Greenland as a contributor to Viking abandonment

Cited by 5 publications

References 49 publications

The rise of baobab trees in Madagascar

The rise of baobab trees in Madagascar

Playing to Survive: Children and Innovation During the Little Ice Age in Greenland

Sea-level rise in Southwest Greenland as a contributor to Viking abandonment

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