Earth System Dynamics
Earth System Dynamics
ESD
Articles | Volume 15, issue 2
Articles | Volume 15, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-15-215-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-15-215-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 15, issue 2
Research article
 | 
15 Mar 2024
Research article |  | 15 Mar 2024

Sea-ice thermodynamics can determine waterbelt scenarios for Snowball Earth

Johannes Hörner and Aiko Voigt

Viewed

Total article views: 4,256 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total BibTeX EndNote
3,108 957 191 4,256 202 293
  • HTML: 3,108
  • PDF: 957
  • XML: 191
  • Total: 4,256
  • BibTeX: 202
  • EndNote: 293
Views and downloads (calculated since 04 Oct 2023)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 04 Oct 2023)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 4,256 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 4,223 with geography defined and 33 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 

Cited

Saved (final revised paper)

Latest update: 10 Aug 2026
Download
Short summary
Snowball Earth refers to a climate in the deep past of the Earth where the whole planet was covered in ice. Waterbelt states, where a narrow region of open water remains at the Equator, have been discussed as an alternative scenario, which might explain how life was able to survive these periods. Here, we demonstrate how waterbelt states are influenced by the thermodynamical sea-ice model used. The sea-ice model modulates snow on ice, ice albedo and ultimately the stability of waterbelt states.
Read more
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint