Towards Reconstructing Ice-Dynamical Holocene Glacier Fluctuations

Paleoclimatic evidence suggests that during the Holocene Climatic Optimum , glacier extent in many regions was substantially reduced or absent despite temperature conditions comparable to those observed today. This apparent discrepancy raises questions about the controls on glacier persistence over centennial to millennial timescales and the role of climate history, variability, and transient adjustment processes.  

In this work, we take first steps into investigating the evolution of glacier ice masses across the Holocene using a thermo-mechanical ice flow modelling framework. By exploring glacier response across key Holocene climate intervals, including periods of warming and cooling, we aim to examine how prior climate states, rates of change, and long-term disequilibrium may influence glacier extent under similar mean conditions. This approach provides a long-term context for present-day glacier evolution and offers insight into why modern glaciers may differ from their earlier Holocene counterparts under comparable climatic forcing.