Articles | Volume 14, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2647-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2647-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
20 Aug 2020
Research article |
| 20 Aug 2020
| 20 Aug 2020
A 14.5-million-year record of East Antarctic Ice Sheet fluctuations from the central Transantarctic Mountains, constrained with cosmogenic 3He, 10Be, 21Ne, and 26Al
Allie Balter-Kennedy
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Maine, Orono,
Maine, USA
Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
previously published under the name Allie Balter
Gordon Bromley
Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
Geography, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
Greg Balco
Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, California, USA
Holly Thomas
School of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Maine, Orono,
Maine, USA
Margaret S. Jackson
Geography, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
Related authors
Jacob T. H. Anderson, Nicolás E. Young, Allie Balter-Kennedy, Karlee K. Prince, Caleb K. Walcott-George, Brandon L. Graham, Joanna Charton, Jason P. Briner, and Joerg M. Schaefer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2780, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2780, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Climate of the Past (CP).
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated retreat of the Greenland Ice Sheet during the last deglaciation by dating glacial deposits exposed as the ice margin retreated. Our results from eastern and northeastern Greenland reveal ice margin retreat rates of 43 m/yr and 28 m/yr at two marine-terminating outlet glaciers. These retreat rates are consistent with late glacial and Holocene estimates across East Greenland, and are comparable to modern retreat rates observed in northeastern and northwestern Greenland.
Caleb K. Walcott-George, Allie Balter-Kennedy, Jason P. Briner, Joerg M. Schaefer, and Nicolás E. Young
The Cryosphere, 19, 2067–2086, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2067-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2067-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding the history and drivers of Greenland Ice Sheet change is important for forecasting future ice sheet retreat. We combined geologic mapping and cosmogenic nuclide measurements to investigate how the Greenland Ice Sheet formed the landscape of Inglefield Land, northwestern Greenland. We found that Inglefield Land was covered by warm- and cold-based ice during multiple glacial cycles and that much of Inglefield Land is an ancient landscape.
Gordon R. M. Bromley, Greg Balco, Margaret S. Jackson, Allie Balter-Kennedy, and Holly Thomas
Clim. Past, 21, 145–160, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-145-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-145-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We constructed a geologic record of East Antarctic Ice Sheet thickness from deposits at Otway Massif to directly assess how Earth's largest ice sheet responds to warmer-than-present climate. Our record confirms the long-term dominance of a cold polar climate but lacks a clear ice sheet response to the mid-Pliocene Warm Period, a common analogue for the future. Instead, an absence of moraines from the late Miocene–early Pliocene suggests the ice sheet was less extensive than present at that time.
Allie Balter-Kennedy, Joerg M. Schaefer, Greg Balco, Meredith A. Kelly, Michael R. Kaplan, Roseanne Schwartz, Bryan Oakley, Nicolás E. Young, Jean Hanley, and Arianna M. Varuolo-Clarke
Clim. Past, 20, 2167–2190, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-2167-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-2167-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We date sedimentary deposits showing that the southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet was at or near its southernmost extent from ~ 26 000 to 21 000 years ago, when sea levels were at their lowest, with climate records indicating glacial conditions. Slow deglaciation began ~ 22 000 years ago, shown by a rise in modeled local summer temperatures, but significant deglaciation in the region did not begin until ~ 18 000 years ago, when atmospheric CO2 began to rise, marking the end of the last ice age.
Benjamin A. Keisling, Joerg M. Schaefer, Robert M. DeConto, Jason P. Briner, Nicolás E. Young, Caleb K. Walcott, Gisela Winckler, Allie Balter-Kennedy, and Sridhar Anandakrishnan
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2427, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2427, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how much the Greenland ice sheet melted in response to past warmth helps better predicting future sea-level change. Here we present a framework for using numerical ice-sheet model simulations to provide constraints on how much mass the ice sheet loses before different areas become ice-free. As observations from subglacial archives become more abundant, this framework can guide subglacial sampling efforts to gain the most robust information about past ice-sheet geometries.
Brandon L. Graham, Jason P. Briner, Nicolás E. Young, Allie Balter-Kennedy, Michele Koppes, Joerg M. Schaefer, Kristin Poinar, and Elizabeth K. Thomas
The Cryosphere, 17, 4535–4547, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4535-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4535-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Glacial erosion is a fundamental process operating on Earth's surface. Two processes of glacial erosion, abrasion and plucking, are poorly understood. We reconstructed rates of abrasion and quarrying in Greenland. We derive a total glacial erosion rate of 0.26 ± 0.16 mm per year. We also learned that erosion via these two processes is about equal. Because the site is similar to many other areas covered by continental ice sheets, these results may be applied to many places on Earth.
Allie Balter-Kennedy, Joerg M. Schaefer, Roseanne Schwartz, Jennifer L. Lamp, Laura Penrose, Jennifer Middleton, Jean Hanley, Bouchaïb Tibari, Pierre-Henri Blard, Gisela Winckler, Alan J. Hidy, and Greg Balco
Geochronology, 5, 301–321, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-301-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-301-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclides like 10Be are rare isotopes created in rocks exposed at the Earth’s surface and can be used to understand glacier histories and landscape evolution. 10Be is usually measured in the mineral quartz. Here, we show that 10Be can be reliably measured in the mineral pyroxene. We use the measurements to determine exposure ages and understand landscape processes in rocks from Antarctica that do not have quartz, expanding the use of this method to new rock types.
Nicolás E. Young, Alia J. Lesnek, Josh K. Cuzzone, Jason P. Briner, Jessica A. Badgeley, Alexandra Balter-Kennedy, Brandon L. Graham, Allison Cluett, Jennifer L. Lamp, Roseanne Schwartz, Thibaut Tuna, Edouard Bard, Marc W. Caffee, Susan R. H. Zimmerman, and Joerg M. Schaefer
Clim. Past, 17, 419–450, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-419-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-419-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Retreat of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) margin is exposing a bedrock landscape that holds clues regarding the timing and extent of past ice-sheet minima. We present cosmogenic nuclide measurements from recently deglaciated bedrock surfaces (the last few decades), combined with a refined chronology of southwestern Greenland deglaciation and model simulations of GrIS change. Results suggest that inland retreat of the southwestern GrIS margin was likely minimal in the middle to late Holocene.
Jacob T. H. Anderson, Nicolás E. Young, Allie Balter-Kennedy, Karlee K. Prince, Caleb K. Walcott-George, Brandon L. Graham, Joanna Charton, Jason P. Briner, and Joerg M. Schaefer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2780, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2780, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Climate of the Past (CP).
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated retreat of the Greenland Ice Sheet during the last deglaciation by dating glacial deposits exposed as the ice margin retreated. Our results from eastern and northeastern Greenland reveal ice margin retreat rates of 43 m/yr and 28 m/yr at two marine-terminating outlet glaciers. These retreat rates are consistent with late glacial and Holocene estimates across East Greenland, and are comparable to modern retreat rates observed in northeastern and northwestern Greenland.
Caleb K. Walcott-George, Allie Balter-Kennedy, Jason P. Briner, Joerg M. Schaefer, and Nicolás E. Young
The Cryosphere, 19, 2067–2086, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2067-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2067-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding the history and drivers of Greenland Ice Sheet change is important for forecasting future ice sheet retreat. We combined geologic mapping and cosmogenic nuclide measurements to investigate how the Greenland Ice Sheet formed the landscape of Inglefield Land, northwestern Greenland. We found that Inglefield Land was covered by warm- and cold-based ice during multiple glacial cycles and that much of Inglefield Land is an ancient landscape.
Anna Ruth W. Halberstadt and Greg Balco
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2008, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2008, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
We developed a new framework for testing how well computer models of the Antarctic ice sheet match geological measurements of past ice thinning. By using more data and higher-spatial-resolution modeling, we improve how well models capture complex regions. Our approach also makes it easier to include new data as they become available. We describe multiple metrics for comparing models and data. This can help scientists better understand how the ice sheet changed in the past.
Marie Bergelin, Andrew Gorin, Greg Balco, and William Cassata
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-928, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-928, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Helium gas accumulates over time in minerals, but loss can occur depending on temperature. If partially retained, its loss can potentially be used for determining past surface temperatures. This study uses a model that accounts for complex gas loss to analyze helium retention in two minerals commonly found on the surface of Antarctica. We find one of the minerals retains helium while the other loses nearly all of the gas within hundred years, making it unsuitable as a climate reconstruction.
Greg Balco
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-149, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-149, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This paper describes measurements of cosmogenic neon-21 concentrations in a widely distributed mineral standard material that is routinely used for quality control and interlaboratory comparison for measurements of other cosmic-ray-produced nuclides useful for various geochronology applications. Broadly, this facilitates improvement of precision and accuracy of these measurements and their applications in geochronology.
Joanne S. Johnson, John Woodward, Ian Nesbitt, Kate Winter, Seth Campbell, Keir A. Nichols, Ryan A. Venturelli, Scott Braddock, Brent M. Goehring, Brenda Hall, Dylan H. Rood, and Greg Balco
The Cryosphere, 19, 303–324, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-303-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-303-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Determining where and when the Antarctic ice sheet was smaller than present requires recovery and exposure dating of subglacial bedrock. Here we use ice sheet model outputs and field data (geological and glaciological observations, bedrock samples, and ground-penetrating radar) to assess the suitability for subglacial drilling of sites in the Hudson Mountains, West Antarctica. We find that no sites are perfect, but two are feasible, with the most suitable being Winkie Nunatak (74.86°S, 99.77°W).
Gordon R. M. Bromley, Greg Balco, Margaret S. Jackson, Allie Balter-Kennedy, and Holly Thomas
Clim. Past, 21, 145–160, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-145-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-145-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We constructed a geologic record of East Antarctic Ice Sheet thickness from deposits at Otway Massif to directly assess how Earth's largest ice sheet responds to warmer-than-present climate. Our record confirms the long-term dominance of a cold polar climate but lacks a clear ice sheet response to the mid-Pliocene Warm Period, a common analogue for the future. Instead, an absence of moraines from the late Miocene–early Pliocene suggests the ice sheet was less extensive than present at that time.
Joseph P. Tulenko, Greg Balco, Michael A. Clynne, and L. J. Patrick Muffler
Geochronology, 6, 639–652, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-639-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-639-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating is an exceptional tool for reconstructing glacier histories, but reconstructions based on common target nuclides (e.g., 10Be) can be costly and time-consuming to generate. Here, we present a cost-effective proof-of-concept 21Ne exposure age chronology from Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA, USA, that broadly agrees with nearby 10Be chronologies but at lower precision.
Greg Balco, Andrew J. Conant, Dallas D. Reilly, Dallin Barton, Chelsea D. Willett, and Brett H. Isselhardt
Geochronology, 6, 571–584, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-571-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-571-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This paper describes how krypton isotopes produced by nuclear fission can be used to determine the age of microscopic particles of used nuclear fuel. This is potentially useful for international safeguard applications aimed at tracking and identifying nuclear materials, as well as geoscience applications involving dating post-1950s sediments or understanding environmental transport of nuclear materials.
Allie Balter-Kennedy, Joerg M. Schaefer, Greg Balco, Meredith A. Kelly, Michael R. Kaplan, Roseanne Schwartz, Bryan Oakley, Nicolás E. Young, Jean Hanley, and Arianna M. Varuolo-Clarke
Clim. Past, 20, 2167–2190, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-2167-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-2167-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We date sedimentary deposits showing that the southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet was at or near its southernmost extent from ~ 26 000 to 21 000 years ago, when sea levels were at their lowest, with climate records indicating glacial conditions. Slow deglaciation began ~ 22 000 years ago, shown by a rise in modeled local summer temperatures, but significant deglaciation in the region did not begin until ~ 18 000 years ago, when atmospheric CO2 began to rise, marking the end of the last ice age.
Marie Bergelin, Greg Balco, Lee B. Corbett, and Paul R. Bierman
Geochronology, 6, 491–502, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-491-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-491-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclides, such as 10Be, are rare isotopes produced in rocks when exposed at Earth's surface and are valuable for understanding surface processes and landscape evolution. However, 10Be is usually measured in quartz minerals. Here we present advances in efficiently extracting and measuring 10Be in the pyroxene mineral. These measurements expand the use of 10Be as a dating tool for new rock types and provide opportunities to understand landscape processes in areas that lack quartz.
Benjamin A. Keisling, Joerg M. Schaefer, Robert M. DeConto, Jason P. Briner, Nicolás E. Young, Caleb K. Walcott, Gisela Winckler, Allie Balter-Kennedy, and Sridhar Anandakrishnan
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2427, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2427, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how much the Greenland ice sheet melted in response to past warmth helps better predicting future sea-level change. Here we present a framework for using numerical ice-sheet model simulations to provide constraints on how much mass the ice sheet loses before different areas become ice-free. As observations from subglacial archives become more abundant, this framework can guide subglacial sampling efforts to gain the most robust information about past ice-sheet geometries.
Greg Balco, Alan J. Hidy, William T. Struble, and Joshua J. Roering
Geochronology, 6, 71–76, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-71-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-71-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We describe a new method of reconstructing the long-term, pre-observational frequency and/or intensity of wildfires in forested landscapes using trace concentrations of the noble gases helium and neon that are formed in soil mineral grains by cosmic-ray bombardment of the Earth's surface.
Brandon L. Graham, Jason P. Briner, Nicolás E. Young, Allie Balter-Kennedy, Michele Koppes, Joerg M. Schaefer, Kristin Poinar, and Elizabeth K. Thomas
The Cryosphere, 17, 4535–4547, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4535-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4535-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Glacial erosion is a fundamental process operating on Earth's surface. Two processes of glacial erosion, abrasion and plucking, are poorly understood. We reconstructed rates of abrasion and quarrying in Greenland. We derive a total glacial erosion rate of 0.26 ± 0.16 mm per year. We also learned that erosion via these two processes is about equal. Because the site is similar to many other areas covered by continental ice sheets, these results may be applied to many places on Earth.
Benoit S. Lecavalier, Lev Tarasov, Greg Balco, Perry Spector, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Christo Buizert, Catherine Ritz, Marion Leduc-Leballeur, Robert Mulvaney, Pippa L. Whitehouse, Michael J. Bentley, and Jonathan Bamber
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 3573–3596, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3573-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3573-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The Antarctic Ice Sheet Evolution constraint database version 2 (AntICE2) consists of a large variety of observations that constrain the evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet over the last glacial cycle. This includes observations of past ice sheet extent, past ice thickness, past relative sea level, borehole temperature profiles, and present-day bedrock displacement rates. The database is intended to improve our understanding of past Antarctic changes and for ice sheet model calibrations.
Allie Balter-Kennedy, Joerg M. Schaefer, Roseanne Schwartz, Jennifer L. Lamp, Laura Penrose, Jennifer Middleton, Jean Hanley, Bouchaïb Tibari, Pierre-Henri Blard, Gisela Winckler, Alan J. Hidy, and Greg Balco
Geochronology, 5, 301–321, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-301-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-301-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclides like 10Be are rare isotopes created in rocks exposed at the Earth’s surface and can be used to understand glacier histories and landscape evolution. 10Be is usually measured in the mineral quartz. Here, we show that 10Be can be reliably measured in the mineral pyroxene. We use the measurements to determine exposure ages and understand landscape processes in rocks from Antarctica that do not have quartz, expanding the use of this method to new rock types.
Greg Balco, Nathan Brown, Keir Nichols, Ryan A. Venturelli, Jonathan Adams, Scott Braddock, Seth Campbell, Brent Goehring, Joanne S. Johnson, Dylan H. Rood, Klaus Wilcken, Brenda Hall, and John Woodward
The Cryosphere, 17, 1787–1801, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1787-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1787-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Samples of bedrock recovered from below the West Antarctic Ice Sheet show that part of the ice sheet was thinner several thousand years ago than it is now and subsequently thickened. This is important because of concern that present ice thinning in this region may lead to rapid, irreversible sea level rise. The past episode of thinning at this site that took place in a similar, although not identical, climate was not irreversible; however, reversal required at least 3000 years to complete.
Anna Ruth W. Halberstadt, Greg Balco, Hannah Buchband, and Perry Spector
The Cryosphere, 17, 1623–1643, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1623-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1623-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This paper explores the use of multimillion-year exposure ages from Antarctic bedrock outcrops to benchmark ice sheet model predictions and thereby infer ice sheet sensitivity to warm climates. We describe a new approach for model–data comparison, highlight an example where observational data are used to distinguish end-member models, and provide guidance for targeted sampling around Antarctica that can improve understanding of ice sheet response to climate warming in the past and future.
Jonathan R. Adams, Joanne S. Johnson, Stephen J. Roberts, Philippa J. Mason, Keir A. Nichols, Ryan A. Venturelli, Klaus Wilcken, Greg Balco, Brent Goehring, Brenda Hall, John Woodward, and Dylan H. Rood
The Cryosphere, 16, 4887–4905, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4887-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4887-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Glaciers in West Antarctica are experiencing significant ice loss. Geological data provide historical context for ongoing ice loss in West Antarctica, including constraints on likely future ice sheet behaviour in response to climatic warming. We present evidence from rare isotopes measured in rocks collected from an outcrop next to Pope Glacier. These data suggest that Pope Glacier thinned faster and sooner after the last ice age than previously thought.
Natacha Gribenski, Marissa M. Tremblay, Pierre G. Valla, Greg Balco, Benny Guralnik, and David L. Shuster
Geochronology, 4, 641–663, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-641-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-641-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We apply quartz 3He paleothermometry along two deglaciation profiles in the European Alps to reconstruct temperature evolution since the Last Glacial Maximum. We observe a 3He thermal signal clearly colder than today in all bedrock surface samples exposed prior the Holocene. Current uncertainties in 3He diffusion kinetics do not permit distinguishing if this signal results from Late Pleistocene ambient temperature changes or from recent ground temperature variation due to permafrost degradation.
Marie Bergelin, Jaakko Putkonen, Greg Balco, Daniel Morgan, Lee B. Corbett, and Paul R. Bierman
The Cryosphere, 16, 2793–2817, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2793-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2793-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Glacier ice contains information on past climate and can help us understand how the world changes through time. We have found and sampled a buried ice mass in Antarctica that is much older than most ice on Earth and difficult to date. Therefore, we developed a new dating application which showed the ice to be 3 million years old. Our new dating solution will potentially help to date other ancient ice masses since such old glacial ice could yield data on past environmental conditions on Earth.
Mae Kate Campbell, Paul R. Bierman, Amanda H. Schmidt, Rita Sibello Hernández, Alejandro García-Moya, Lee B. Corbett, Alan J. Hidy, Héctor Cartas Águila, Aniel Guillén Arruebarrena, Greg Balco, David Dethier, and Marc Caffee
Geochronology, 4, 435–453, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-435-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-435-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We used cosmogenic radionuclides in detrital river sediment to measure erosion rates of watersheds in central Cuba; erosion rates are lower than rock dissolution rates in lowland watersheds. Data from two different cosmogenic nuclides suggest that some basins may have a mixed layer deeper than is typically modeled and could have experienced significant burial after or during exposure. We conclude that significant mass loss may occur at depth through chemical weathering processes.
Dakota E. Holmes, Tali L. Babila, Ulysses Ninnemann, Gordon Bromley, Shane Tyrrell, Greig A. Paterson, Michelle J. Curran, and Audrey Morley
Clim. Past, 18, 989–1009, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-989-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-989-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Our proxy-based observations of the glacial inception following MIS 11 advance our mechanistic understanding of (and elucidates antecedent conditions that can lead to) high-magnitude climate instability during low- and intermediate-ice boundary conditions. We find that irrespective of the magnitude of climate variability or boundary conditions, the reorganization between Polar Water and Atlantic Water at subpolar latitudes appears to influence deep-water flow in the Nordic Seas.
Joanne S. Johnson, Ryan A. Venturelli, Greg Balco, Claire S. Allen, Scott Braddock, Seth Campbell, Brent M. Goehring, Brenda L. Hall, Peter D. Neff, Keir A. Nichols, Dylan H. Rood, Elizabeth R. Thomas, and John Woodward
The Cryosphere, 16, 1543–1562, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1543-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1543-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Recent studies have suggested that some portions of the Antarctic Ice Sheet were less extensive than present in the last few thousand years. We discuss how past ice loss and regrowth during this time would leave its mark on geological and glaciological records and suggest ways in which future studies could detect such changes. Determining timing of ice loss and gain around Antarctica and conditions under which they occurred is critical for preparing for future climate-warming-induced changes.
Jamey Stutz, Andrew Mackintosh, Kevin Norton, Ross Whitmore, Carlo Baroni, Stewart S. R. Jamieson, Richard S. Jones, Greg Balco, Maria Cristina Salvatore, Stefano Casale, Jae Il Lee, Yeong Bae Seong, Robert McKay, Lauren J. Vargo, Daniel Lowry, Perry Spector, Marcus Christl, Susan Ivy Ochs, Luigia Di Nicola, Maria Iarossi, Finlay Stuart, and Tom Woodruff
The Cryosphere, 15, 5447–5471, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding the long-term behaviour of ice sheets is essential to projecting future changes due to climate change. In this study, we use rocks deposited along the margin of the David Glacier, one of the largest glacier systems in the world, to reveal a rapid thinning event initiated over 7000 years ago and endured for ~ 2000 years. Using physical models, we show that subglacial topography and ocean heat are important drivers for change along this sector of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Nicolás E. Young, Alia J. Lesnek, Josh K. Cuzzone, Jason P. Briner, Jessica A. Badgeley, Alexandra Balter-Kennedy, Brandon L. Graham, Allison Cluett, Jennifer L. Lamp, Roseanne Schwartz, Thibaut Tuna, Edouard Bard, Marc W. Caffee, Susan R. H. Zimmerman, and Joerg M. Schaefer
Clim. Past, 17, 419–450, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-419-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-419-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Retreat of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) margin is exposing a bedrock landscape that holds clues regarding the timing and extent of past ice-sheet minima. We present cosmogenic nuclide measurements from recently deglaciated bedrock surfaces (the last few decades), combined with a refined chronology of southwestern Greenland deglaciation and model simulations of GrIS change. Results suggest that inland retreat of the southwestern GrIS margin was likely minimal in the middle to late Holocene.
Greg Balco, Benjamin D. DeJong, John C. Ridge, Paul R. Bierman, and Dylan H. Rood
Geochronology, 3, 1–33, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-1-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-1-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The North American Varve Chronology (NAVC) is a sequence of 5659 annual sedimentary layers that were deposited in proglacial lakes adjacent to the retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet ca. 12 500–18 200 years ago. We attempt to synchronize this record with Greenland ice core and other climate records that cover the same time period by detecting variations in global fallout of atmospherically produced beryllium-10 in NAVC sediments.
Greg Balco
Geochronology, 2, 169–175, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-169-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-169-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Geologic dating methods generally do not directly measure ages. Instead, interpreting a geochemical measurement as an age requires a middle layer of calculations and supporting data, and the fact that this layer continually improves is an obstacle to synoptic analysis of geochronological data. This paper describes a prototype data management and analysis system that addresses this obstacle by making the middle-layer calculations transparent and dynamic to the user.
Margaret S. Jackson, Meredith A. Kelly, James M. Russell, Alice M. Doughty, Jennifer A. Howley, Susan R. H. Zimmerman, and Bob Nakileza
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2020-61, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2020-61, 2020
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Michal Ben-Israel, Ari Matmon, Alan J. Hidy, Yoav Avni, and Greg Balco
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 289–301, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-289-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-289-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Early-to-mid Miocene erosion rates were inferred using cosmogenic 21Ne measured in chert pebbles transported by the Miocene Hazeva River (~ 18 Ma). Miocene erosion rates are faster compared to Quaternary rates in the region. Faster Miocene erosion rates could be due to a response to topographic changes brought on by tectonic uplift, wetter climate in the region during the Miocene, or a combination of both.
Keir A. Nichols, Brent M. Goehring, Greg Balco, Joanne S. Johnson, Andrew S. Hein, and Claire Todd
The Cryosphere, 13, 2935–2951, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2935-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2935-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We studied the history of ice masses at three locations in the Weddell Sea Embayment, Antarctica. We measured rare isotopes in material sourced from mountains overlooking the Slessor Glacier, Foundation Ice Stream, and smaller glaciers on the Lassiter Coast. We show that ice masses were between 385 and 800 m thicker during the last glacial cycle than they are at present. The ice masses were both hundreds of metres thicker and remained thicker closer to the present than was previously thought.
Greg Balco, Kimberly Blisniuk, and Alan Hidy
Geochronology, 1, 1–16, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-1-1-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-1-1-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This article applies a new geochemical dating method to determine the age of sedimentary deposits useful in reconstructing slip rates on a major fault system.
Related subject area
Discipline: Ice sheets | Subject: Antarctic
Bathymetry-constrained warm-mode melt estimates derived from analysing oceanic gateways in Antarctica
Satellite data reveal details of glacial isostatic adjustment in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica
Review article: Feature tracing in radio-echo sounding products of terrestrial ice sheets and planetary bodies
Viscoelastic mechanics of tidally induced lake drainage in the grounding zone
A facet-based numerical model to retrieve ice sheet topography from Sentinel-3 altimetry
Current reversal leads to regime change in the Amery Ice Shelf cavity in the 21st century
Speed-up, slowdown, and redirection of ice flow on neighbouring ice streams in the Pope, Smith, and Kohler region of West Antarctica
Changes in Antarctic surface conditions and potential for ice shelf hydrofracturing from 1850 to 2200
A reconstruction of the ice thickness of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet north of 70° S
Bathymetry-constrained impact of relative sea-level change on basal melting in Antarctica
Age–depth distribution in western Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica, and Antarctic-wide comparisons of internal reflection horizons
Assessing the sensitivity of the Vanderford Glacier, East Antarctica, to basal melt and calving
A history-matching analysis of the Antarctic Ice Sheet since the Last Interglacial – Part 1: Ice sheet evolution
Gravity-derived Antarctic bathymetry using the Tomofast-x open-source code: a case study of Vincennes Bay
ISMIP6-based Antarctic projections to 2100: simulations with the BISICLES ice sheet model
Assessing the suitability of sites near Pine Island Glacier for subglacial bedrock drilling aimed at detecting Holocene retreat–readvance
Modelling GNSS-observed seasonal velocity changes of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, using the Ice-sheet and Sea-level System Model (ISSM)
The surface mass balance and near-surface climate of the Antarctic ice sheet in RACMO2.4p1
A fast and simplified subglacial hydrological model for the Antarctic Ice Sheet and outlet glaciers
The impact of regional-scale upper mantle heterogeneity on glacial isostatic adjustment in West Antarctica
Thwaites Glacier thins and retreats fastest where ice-shelf channels intersect its grounding zone
Melt sensitivity of irreversible retreat of Pine Island Glacier
A model framework for atmosphere–snow water vapor exchange and the associated isotope effects at Dome Argus, Antarctica – Part 1: The diurnal changes
Review Article: Antarctica’s internal architecture: Towards a radiostratigraphically-informed age–depth model of the Antarctic ice sheets
A thicker, rather than thinner, East Antarctic Ice Sheet plateau during the Last Glacial Maximum
The long-term sea-level commitment from Antarctica
The influence of present-day regional surface mass balance uncertainties on the future evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet
How well can satellite altimetry and firn models resolve Antarctic firn thickness variations?
Brief Communication: Sensitivity of Antarctic ice-shelf melting to ocean warming across basal melt models
Feedback mechanisms controlling Antarctic glacial-cycle dynamics simulated with a coupled ice sheet–solid Earth model
The effect of ice shelf rheology on shelf edge bending
Hysteresis of idealized, instability-prone outlet glaciers in response to pinning-point buttressing variation
A physics-based Antarctic melt detection technique: combining Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2, radiative-transfer modeling, and firn modeling
Brief communication: Precision measurement of the index of refraction of deep glacial ice at radio frequencies at Summit Station, Greenland
Widespread increase in discharge from west Antarctic Peninsula glaciers since 2018
Surface dynamics and history of the calving cycle of Astrolabe Glacier (Adélie Coast, Antarctica) derived from satellite imagery
Weak relationship between remotely detected crevasses and inferred ice rheological parameters on Antarctic ice shelves
Extensive palaeo-surfaces beneath the Evans–Rutford region of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet control modern and past ice flow
Towards the systematic reconnaissance of seismic signals from glaciers and ice sheets – Part 1: Event detection for cryoseismology
Towards the systematic reconnaissance of seismic signals from glaciers and ice sheets – Part 2: Unsupervised learning for source process characterization
Geometric amplification and suppression of ice-shelf basal melt in West Antarctica
Alpine topography of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, Antarctica, mapped from ice sheet surface morphology
Impact of boundary conditions on the modeled thermal regime of the Antarctic ice sheet
Deep learning based automatic grounding line delineation in DInSAR interferograms
The staggered retreat of grounded ice in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)
The effect of landfast sea ice buttressing on ice dynamic speedup in the Larsen B embayment, Antarctica
Meteoric water and glacial melt in the southeastern Amundsen Sea: a time series from 1994 to 2020
Evaporative controls on Antarctic precipitation: an ECHAM6 model study using innovative water tracer diagnostics
Disentangling the drivers of future Antarctic ice loss with a historically calibrated ice-sheet model
Insights into the vulnerability of Antarctic glaciers from the ISMIP6 ice sheet model ensemble and associated uncertainty
Lena Nicola, Ronja Reese, Moritz Kreuzer, Torsten Albrecht, and Ricarda Winkelmann
The Cryosphere, 19, 2263–2287, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2263-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2263-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We identify potential oceanic gateways to Antarctic grounding lines based on high-resolution bathymetry data and examine the effect of access depths on ice-shelf melt rates. These gateways manifest the deepest topographic features that could channel warm water masses to the base of the ice sheet. We identify oceanic gateways in several Antarctic regions and estimate an upper bound of melt rate changes in case all warm water masses gain access to the cavities.
Matthias O. Willen, Bert Wouters, Taco Broerse, Eric Buchta, and Veit Helm
The Cryosphere, 19, 2213–2227, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2213-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2213-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Amundsen Sea Embayment is likely in the near future. Vertical uplift of bedrock due to glacial isostatic adjustment stabilizes the ice sheet and may delay its collapse. So far, only spatially and temporally sparse GPS measurements have been able to observe this bedrock motion. We have combined satellite data and quantified a region-wide bedrock motion that independently matches GPS measurements. This can improve ice sheet predictions.
Hameed Moqadam and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 19, 2159–2196, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2159-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2159-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This is an overview of methodologies that have been applied to map the internal reflection horizons, or ice-layer boundaries, of ice sheets on Earth and other planets. We briefly explain radar applications in glaciology and the methods which have been used and published. There are summaries of the published work of the last 2 decades. Finally, we conclude by introducing the gaps and opportunities for further advancement in this field, and we present possible future directions.
Hanwen Zhang, Richard F. Katz, and Laura A. Stevens
The Cryosphere, 19, 2087–2103, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2087-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2087-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In Antarctica, supraglacial lakes often form near grounding lines due to surface melting. We model viscoelastic tidal flexure in these regions to assess its contribution to lake drainage via hydrofracturing. Results show that tidal flexure and lake-water pressure jointly control drainage near unconfined grounding lines. Sensitivity analysis indicates the importance of the Maxwell time of ice in modulating the tidal response.
Jérémie Aublanc, François Boy, Franck Borde, and Pierre Féménias
The Cryosphere, 19, 1937–1954, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1937-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1937-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In this study we developed a novel processing chain to derive the ice sheet topography from Sentinel-3 altimetry measurements (named "AMPLI"). The major innovation lies in the use of numerical simulations to geolocate the radar impact point on the ground. The performance improvement is substantial compared to ground segment processing. Furthermore, with AMPLI we show that Sentinel-3 estimates the surface elevation change of the Antarctic ice sheet with a high level of agreement with ICESat-2.
Jing Jin, Antony J. Payne, and Christopher Y. S. Bull
The Cryosphere, 19, 1873–1896, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1873-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1873-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Amery Ice Shelf cavity is one of the largest cold cavities filled by relatively cold Dense Shelf Water. However, in this study, we show that warm intrusion of modified Circumpolar Deep Water flushes the Amery cavity, which changes it from a cold cavity to a warm cavity and leads to an abrupt increase in the basal melt rate in the 2060s. The shift to a warm cavity is attributed to a freshening-driven current reversal in front of the ice shelf.
Heather L. Selley, Anna E. Hogg, Benjamin J. Davison, Pierre Dutrieux, and Thomas Slater
The Cryosphere, 19, 1725–1738, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1725-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1725-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We used satellite observations to measure recent changes in ice speed and flow direction in the Pope, Smith, and Kohler region of West Antarctica (2005–2022). We found substantial speed-up on seven ice streams of up to 87 %. However, Kohler West Glacier has slowed by 10 %, due to the redirection of ice flow into its rapidly thinning neighbour. This process of “ice piracy” has not previously been directly observed on this rapid timescale and may influence future ice shelf and sheet mass changes.
Nicolas C. Jourdain, Charles Amory, Christoph Kittel, and Gaël Durand
The Cryosphere, 19, 1641–1674, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1641-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1641-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
A mixed statistical–physical approach is used to reproduce the behaviour of a regional climate model. From that, we estimate the contribution of snowfall and melting at the surface of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to changes in global mean sea level. We also investigate the impact of surface melting in a warmer climate on the stability of the Antarctic ice shelves that provide back stress on the ice flow to the ocean.
Kaian Shahateet, Johannes J. Fürst, Francisco Navarro, Thorsten Seehaus, Daniel Farinotti, and Matthias Braun
The Cryosphere, 19, 1577–1597, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1577-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1577-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In the present work, we provide a new ice thickness reconstruction of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet north of 70º S using inversion modeling. This model consists of two steps: the first uses basic assumptions of the rheology of the glacier, and the second uses mass conservation to improve the reconstruction where the assumptions made previously are expected to fail. Validation with independent data showed that our reconstruction improved compared to other reconstructions that are available.
Moritz Kreuzer, Torsten Albrecht, Lena Nicola, Ronja Reese, and Ricarda Winkelmann
The Cryosphere, 19, 1181–1203, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1181-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1181-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The study investigates how changing sea levels around Antarctica can potentially affect the melting of floating ice shelves. It utilizes numerical models for both the Antarctic Ice Sheet and the solid Earth, investigating features like troughs and sills that control the flow of ocean water onto the continental shelf. The research finds that compared to climatic changes, the effect of relative sea level on ice-shelf melting is small.
Steven Franke, Daniel Steinhage, Veit Helm, Alexandra M. Zuhr, Julien A. Bodart, Olaf Eisen, and Paul Bons
The Cryosphere, 19, 1153–1180, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1153-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1153-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The study presents internal reflection horizons (IRHs) over an area of 450 000 km² from western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, spanning 4.8–91 ka. Using radar and ice core data, nine IRHs were dated and correlated with volcanic events. The data enhance our understanding of the ice sheet's age–depth architecture, accumulation, and dynamics. The findings inform ice flow models and contribute to Antarctic-wide comparisons of IRHs, supporting efforts toward a 3D age–depth ice sheet model.
Lawrence A. Bird, Felicity S. McCormack, Johanna Beckmann, Richard S. Jones, and Andrew N. Mackintosh
The Cryosphere, 19, 955–973, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-955-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-955-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Vanderford Glacier is the fastest-retreating glacier in East Antarctica and may have important implications for future ice loss from the Aurora Subglacial Basin. Our ice sheet model simulations suggest that grounding line retreat is driven by sub-ice-shelf basal melting, in which warm ocean waters melt ice close to the grounding line. We show that current estimates of basal melt are likely too low, highlighting the need for improved estimates and direct measurements of basal melt in the region.
Benoit S. Lecavalier and Lev Tarasov
The Cryosphere, 19, 919–953, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-919-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-919-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We present the evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) over the last 200 kyr by means of a history-matching analysis where an updated observational database constrained ~ 10 000 model simulations. During peak glaciation at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the best-fitting sub-ensemble of AIS simulations reached an excess grounded ice volume relative to the present of 9.2 to 26.5 m equivalent sea level relative to the present. The LGM AIS volume can help resolve the LGM missing-ice problem.
Lawrence A. Bird, Vitaliy Ogarko, Laurent Ailleres, Lachlan Grose, Jeremie Giraud, Felicity S. McCormack, David E. Gwyther, Jason L. Roberts, Richard S. Jones, and Andrew N. Mackintosh
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-211, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-211, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The terrain of the seafloor has important controls on the access of warm water to below floating ice shelves around Antarctica. Here, we present an open-source method to infer what the seafloor looks like around the Antarctic continent, and within these ice shelf cavities, using measurements of the Earth’s gravitational field. We present an improved seafloor map for the Vincennes Bay region in East Antarctica and assess its impact on ice melt rates.
James F. O'Neill, Tamsin L. Edwards, Daniel F. Martin, Courtney Shafer, Stephen L. Cornford, Hélène L. Seroussi, Sophie Nowicki, Mira Adhikari, and Lauren J. Gregoire
The Cryosphere, 19, 541–563, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-541-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-541-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We use an ice sheet model to simulate the Antarctic contribution to sea level over the 21st century under a range of future climates and varying how sensitive the ice sheet is to different processes. We find that ocean temperatures increase and more snow falls on the ice sheet under stronger warming scenarios. When the ice sheet is sensitive to ocean warming, ocean melt-driven loss exceeds snowfall-driven gains, meaning that the sea level contribution is greater with more climate warming.
Joanne S. Johnson, John Woodward, Ian Nesbitt, Kate Winter, Seth Campbell, Keir A. Nichols, Ryan A. Venturelli, Scott Braddock, Brent M. Goehring, Brenda Hall, Dylan H. Rood, and Greg Balco
The Cryosphere, 19, 303–324, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-303-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-303-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Determining where and when the Antarctic ice sheet was smaller than present requires recovery and exposure dating of subglacial bedrock. Here we use ice sheet model outputs and field data (geological and glaciological observations, bedrock samples, and ground-penetrating radar) to assess the suitability for subglacial drilling of sites in the Hudson Mountains, West Antarctica. We find that no sites are perfect, but two are feasible, with the most suitable being Winkie Nunatak (74.86°S, 99.77°W).
Francesca Baldacchino, Nicholas R. Golledge, Mathieu Morlighem, Huw Horgan, Alanna V. Alevropoulos-Borrill, Alena Malyarenko, Alexandra Gossart, Daniel P. Lowry, and Laurine van Haastrecht
The Cryosphere, 19, 107–127, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-107-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-107-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how the Ross Ice Shelf flow is changing in a warming world is important for predicting ice sheet change. Field measurements show clear intra-annual variations in ice flow; however, it is unclear what mechanisms drive this variability. We show that local perturbations in basal melt can have a significant impact on ice flow speed, but a combination of forcings is likely driving the observed variability in ice flow.
Christiaan T. van Dalum, Willem Jan van de Berg, Michiel R. van den Broeke, and Maurice van Tiggelen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3728, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3728, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we present a new surface mass balance (SMB) and near-surface climate product for Antarctica with the regional climate model RACMO2.4p1. We assess the impact of major model updates on the climate of Antarctica. Locally, the SMB has changed substantially, but also agrees well with observations. In addition, we show that the SMB components, surface energy budget, albedo, pressure, temperature and wind speed compare well with in-situ and remote sensing observations.
Elise Kazmierczak, Thomas Gregov, Violaine Coulon, and Frank Pattyn
The Cryosphere, 18, 5887–5911, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5887-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5887-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We introduce a new fast model for water flow beneath the ice sheet capable of handling various hydrological and bed conditions in a unified way. Applying this model to Thwaites Glacier, we show that accounting for this water flow in ice sheet model projections has the potential to greatly increase the contribution to future sea level rise. We also demonstrate that the sensitivity of the ice sheet in response to external changes depends on the efficiency of the drainage and the bed type.
Erica Margaret Lucas, Natalya Gomez, and Terry Wilson
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2957, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2957, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the effects of incorporating regional-scale lateral variability (~50–100 km) in upper mantle structure into models of Earth deformation and sea level change associated with ice mass changes in West Antarctica. Regional-scale variability in upper mantle structure is found to impact relative sea level and crustal rate predictions for modern (last ~25–125 years) and projected (next ~300 years) ice mass changes, especially in coastal regions that undergo rapid ice mass loss.
Allison M. Chartrand, Ian M. Howat, Ian R. Joughin, and Benjamin E. Smith
The Cryosphere, 18, 4971–4992, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4971-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4971-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study uses high-resolution remote-sensing data to show that shrinking of the West Antarctic Thwaites Glacier’s ice shelf (floating extension) is exacerbated by several sub-ice-shelf meltwater channels that form as the glacier transitions from full contact with the seafloor to fully floating. In mapping these channels, the position of the transition zone, and thinning rates of the Thwaites Glacier, this work elucidates important processes driving its rapid contribution to sea level rise.
Brad Reed, J. A. Mattias Green, Adrian Jenkins, and G. Hilmar Gudmundsson
The Cryosphere, 18, 4567–4587, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4567-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4567-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We use a numerical ice-flow model to simulate the response of a 1940s Pine Island Glacier to changes in melting beneath its ice shelf. A decadal period of warm forcing is sufficient to push the glacier into an unstable, irreversible retreat from its long-term position on a subglacial ridge to an upstream ice plain. This retreat can only be stopped when unrealistic cold forcing is applied. These results show that short warm anomalies can lead to quick and substantial increases in ice flux.
Tianming Ma, Zhuang Jiang, Minghu Ding, Pengzhen He, Yuansheng Li, Wenqian Zhang, and Lei Geng
The Cryosphere, 18, 4547–4565, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4547-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4547-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We constructed a box model to evaluate the isotope effects of atmosphere–snow water vapor exchange at Dome A, Antarctica. The results show clear and invisible diurnal changes in surface snow isotopes under summer and winter conditions, respectively. The model also predicts that the annual net effects of atmosphere–snow water vapor exchange would be overall enrichments in snow isotopes since the effects in summer appear to be greater than those in winter at the study site.
Robert G. Bingham, Julien A. Bodart, Marie G. P. Cavitte, Ailsa Chung, Rebecca J. Sanderson, Johannes C. R. Sutter, Olaf Eisen, Nanna B. Karlsson, Joseph A. MacGregor, Neil Ross, Duncan A. Young, David W. Ashmore, Andreas Born, Winnie Chu, Xiangbin Cui, Reinhard Drews, Steven Franke, Vikram Goel, John W. Goodge, A. Clara J. Henry, Antoine Hermant, Benjamin H. Hills, Nicholas Holschuh, Michelle R. Koutnik, Gwendolyn J.-M. C. Leysinger Vieli, Emma J. Mackie, Elisa Mantelli, Carlos Martín, Felix S. L. Ng, Falk M. Oraschewski, Felipe Napoleoni, Frédéric Parrenin, Sergey V. Popov, Therese Rieckh, Rebecca Schlegel, Dustin M. Schroeder, Martin J. Siegert, Xueyuan Tang, Thomas O. Teisberg, Kate Winter, Shuai Yan, Harry Davis, Christine F. Dow, Tyler J. Fudge, Tom A. Jordan, Bernd Kulessa, Kenichi Matsuoka, Clara J. Nyqvist, Maryam Rahnemoonfar, Matthew R. Siegfried, Shivangini Singh, Verjan Višnjević, Rodrigo Zamora, and Alexandra Zuhr
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2593, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2593, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The ice sheets covering Antarctica have built up over millenia through successive snowfall events which become buried and preserved as internal surfaces of equal age detectable with ice-penetrating radar. This paper describes an international initiative to work together on this archival data to build a comprehensive 3-D picture of how old the ice is everywhere across Antarctica, and how this will be used to reconstruct past and predict future ice and climate behaviour.
Cari Rand, Richard S. Jones, Andrew N. Mackintosh, Brent Goehring, and Kat Lilly
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2674, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2674, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we determine how recently samples from a mountain in East Antarctica were last covered by the East Antarctic ice sheet. By examining concentrations of carbon-14 in rock samples, we determined that all but the summit of the mountain was buried under glacial ice within the last 15 thousand years. Other methods of estimating past ice thicknesses are not sensitive enough to capture ice cover this recent, so we were previously unaware that ice at this site was thicker at this time.
Ann Kristin Klose, Violaine Coulon, Frank Pattyn, and Ricarda Winkelmann
The Cryosphere, 18, 4463–4492, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4463-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4463-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We systematically assess the long-term sea-level response from Antarctica to warming projected over the next centuries, using two ice-sheet models. We show that this committed Antarctic sea-level contribution is substantially higher than the transient sea-level change projected for the coming decades. A low-emission scenario already poses considerable risk of multi-meter sea-level increase over the next millennia, while additional East Antarctic ice loss unfolds under the high-emission pathway.
Christian Wirths, Thomas F. Stocker, and Johannes C. R. Sutter
The Cryosphere, 18, 4435–4462, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4435-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4435-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated the influence of several regional climate models on the Antarctic Ice Sheet when applied as forcing for the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM). Our study shows that the choice of regional climate model forcing results in uncertainties of around a tenth of those in future sea level rise projections and also affects the extent of grounding line retreat in West Antarctica.
Maria T. Kappelsberger, Martin Horwath, Eric Buchta, Matthias O. Willen, Ludwig Schröder, Sanne B. M. Veldhuijsen, Peter Kuipers Munneke, and Michiel R. van den Broeke
The Cryosphere, 18, 4355–4378, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4355-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4355-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The interannual variations in the height of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) are mainly due to natural variations in snowfall. Precise knowledge of these variations is important for the detection of any long-term climatic trends in AIS surface elevation. We present a new product that spatially resolves these height variations over the period 1992–2017. The product combines the strengths of atmospheric modeling results and satellite altimetry measurements.
Erwin Lambert and Clara Burgard
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2358, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2358, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The effect of ocean warming on Antarctic ice sheet melting is a major source of uncertainty in estimates of future sea-level rise. We compare five melt models to show that ocean warming strongly increases melting. Despite their calibration on present-day melting, the models disagree on the amount of melt increase. In some important regions, the difference reaches a factor 100. We conclude that using various melt models is important to accurately estimate uncertainties in future sea-level rise.
Torsten Albrecht, Meike Bagge, and Volker Klemann
The Cryosphere, 18, 4233–4255, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4233-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4233-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We performed coupled ice sheet–solid Earth simulations and discovered a positive (forebulge) feedback mechanism for advancing grounding lines, supporting a larger West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum. During deglaciation we found that the stabilizing glacial isostatic adjustment feedback dominates grounding-line retreat in the Ross Sea, with a weak Earth structure. This may have consequences for present and future ice sheet stability and potential rates of sea-level rise.
W. Roger Buck
The Cryosphere, 18, 4165–4176, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4165-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4165-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Standard theory predicts that the edge of an ice shelf should bend downward. Satellite observations show that the edges of many ice shelves bend upward. A new theory for ice shelf bending is developed that, for the first time, includes the kind of vertical variations in ice flow properties expected for ice shelves. Upward bending of shelf edges is predicted as long as the ice surface is very cold and the ice flow properties depend strongly on temperature.
Johannes Feldmann, Anders Levermann, and Ricarda Winkelmann
The Cryosphere, 18, 4011–4028, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4011-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4011-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Here we show in simplified simulations that the (ir)reversibility of the retreat of instability-prone, Antarctica-type glaciers can strongly depend on the depth of the bed depression they rest on. If it is sufficiently deep, then the destabilized glacier does not recover from its collapsed state. Our results suggest that glaciers resting on a wide and deep bed depression, such as Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, are particularly susceptible to irreversible retreat.
Marissa E. Dattler, Brooke Medley, and C. Max Stevens
The Cryosphere, 18, 3613–3631, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3613-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3613-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We developed an algorithm based on combining models and satellite observations to identify the presence of surface melt on the Antarctic Ice Sheet. We find that this method works similarly to previous methods by assessing 13 sites and the Larsen C ice shelf. Unlike previous methods, this algorithm is based on physical parameters, and updates to this method could allow the meltwater present on the Antarctic Ice Sheet to be quantified instead of simply detected.
Christoph Welling and The RNO-G Collaboration
The Cryosphere, 18, 3433–3437, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3433-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3433-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We report on the measurement of the index of refraction in glacial ice at radio frequencies. We show that radio echoes from within the ice can be associated with specific features of the ice conductivity and use this to determine the wave velocity. This measurement is especially relevant for the Radio Neutrino Observatory Greenland (RNO-G), a neutrino detection experiment currently under construction at Summit Station, Greenland.
Benjamin J. Davison, Anna E. Hogg, Carlos Moffat, Michael P. Meredith, and Benjamin J. Wallis
The Cryosphere, 18, 3237–3251, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3237-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3237-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Using a new dataset of ice motion, we observed glacier acceleration on the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. The speed-up began around January 2021, but some glaciers sped up earlier or later. Using a combination of ship-based ocean temperature observations and climate models, we show that the speed-up coincided with a period of unusually warm air and ocean temperatures in the region.
Floriane Provost, Dimitri Zigone, Emmanuel Le Meur, Jean-Philippe Malet, and Clément Hibert
The Cryosphere, 18, 3067–3079, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3067-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3067-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The recent calving of Astrolabe Glacier in November 2021 presents an opportunity to better understand the processes leading to ice fracturing. Optical-satellite imagery is used to retrieve the calving cycle of the glacier ice tongue and to measure the ice velocity and strain rates in order to document fracture evolution. We observed that the presence of sea ice for consecutive years has favoured the glacier extension but failed to inhibit the growth of fractures that accelerated in June 2021.
Cristina Gerli, Sebastian Rosier, G. Hilmar Gudmundsson, and Sainan Sun
The Cryosphere, 18, 2677–2689, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2677-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2677-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Recent efforts have focused on using AI and satellite imagery to track crevasses for assessing ice shelf damage and informing ice flow models. Our study reveals a weak connection between these observed products and damage maps inferred from ice flow models. While there is some improvement in crevasse-dense regions, this association remains limited. Directly mapping ice damage from satellite observations may not significantly improve the representation of these processes within ice flow models.
Charlotte M. Carter, Michael J. Bentley, Stewart S. R. Jamieson, Guy J. G. Paxman, Tom A. Jordan, Julien A. Bodart, Neil Ross, and Felipe Napoleoni
The Cryosphere, 18, 2277–2296, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2277-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2277-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We use radio-echo sounding data to investigate the presence of flat surfaces beneath the Evans–Rutford region in West Antarctica. These surfaces may be what remains of laterally continuous surfaces, formed before the inception of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and we assess two hypotheses for their formation. Tectonic structures in the region may have also had a control on the growth of the ice sheet by focusing ice flow into troughs adjoining these surfaces.
Rebecca B. Latto, Ross J. Turner, Anya M. Reading, and J. Paul Winberry
The Cryosphere, 18, 2061–2079, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2061-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2061-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The study of icequakes allows for investigation of many glacier processes that are unseen by typical reconnaissance methods. However, detection of such seismic signals is challenging due to low signal-to-noise levels and diverse source mechanisms. Here we present a novel algorithm that is optimized to detect signals from a glacier environment. We apply the algorithm to seismic data recorded in the 2010–2011 austral summer from the Whillans Ice Stream and evaluate the resulting event catalogue.
Rebecca B. Latto, Ross J. Turner, Anya M. Reading, Sue Cook, Bernd Kulessa, and J. Paul Winberry
The Cryosphere, 18, 2081–2101, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2081-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2081-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Seismic catalogues are potentially rich sources of information on glacier processes. In a companion study, we constructed an event catalogue for seismic data from the Whillans Ice Stream. Here, we provide a semi-automated workflow for consistent catalogue analysis using an unsupervised cluster analysis. We discuss the defining characteristics of identified signal types found in this catalogue and possible mechanisms for the underlying glacier processes and noise sources.
Jan De Rydt and Kaitlin Naughten
The Cryosphere, 18, 1863–1888, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1863-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1863-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is losing ice at an accelerating pace. This is largely due to the presence of warm ocean water around the periphery of the Antarctic continent, which melts the ice. It is generally assumed that the strength of this process is controlled by the temperature of the ocean. However, in this study we show that an equally important role is played by the changing geometry of the ice sheet, which affects the strength of the ocean currents and thereby the melt rates.
Edmund J. Lea, Stewart S. R. Jamieson, and Michael J. Bentley
The Cryosphere, 18, 1733–1751, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1733-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1733-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We use the ice surface expression of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains in East Antarctica to map the horizontal pattern of valleys and ridges in finer detail than possible from previous methods. In upland areas, valleys are spaced much less than 5 km apart, with consequences for the distribution of melting at the bed and hence the likelihood of ancient ice being preserved. Automated mapping techniques were tested alongside manual approaches, with a hybrid approach recommended for future work.
In-Woo Park, Emilia Kyung Jin, Mathieu Morlighem, and Kang-Kun Lee
The Cryosphere, 18, 1139–1155, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1139-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1139-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study conducted 3D thermodynamic ice sheet model experiments, and modeled temperatures were compared with 15 observed borehole temperature profiles. We found that using incompressibility of ice without sliding agrees well with observed temperature profiles in slow-flow regions, while incorporating sliding in fast-flow regions captures observed temperature profiles. Also, the choice of vertical velocity scheme has a greater impact on the shape of the modeled temperature profile.
Sindhu Ramanath Tarekere, Lukas Krieger, Dana Floricioiu, and Konrad Heidler
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-223, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-223, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Grounding lines are geophysical features that divide ice masses on the bedrock and floating ice shelves. Their accurate location is required for calculating the mass balance of ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland. Human experts still manually detect them in satellite-based interferometric radar images, which is inefficient given the growing volume of data. We have developed an artificial intelligence-based automatic detection algorithm to generate Antarctic-wide grounding lines.
Matthew A. Danielson and Philip J. Bart
The Cryosphere, 18, 1125–1138, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1125-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1125-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Ross Sea was more significant than for any other Antarctic sector. Here we combined the available dates of retreat with new mapping of sediment deposited by the ice sheet during overall retreat. Our work shows that the post-LGM retreat through the Ross Sea was not uniform. This uneven retreat can cause instability in the present-day Antarctic ice sheet configuration and lead to future runaway retreat.
Trystan Surawy-Stepney, Anna E. Hogg, Stephen L. Cornford, Benjamin J. Wallis, Benjamin J. Davison, Heather L. Selley, Ross A. W. Slater, Elise K. Lie, Livia Jakob, Andrew Ridout, Noel Gourmelen, Bryony I. D. Freer, Sally F. Wilson, and Andrew Shepherd
The Cryosphere, 18, 977–993, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-977-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-977-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Here, we use satellite observations and an ice flow model to quantify the impact of sea ice buttressing on ice streams on the Antarctic Peninsula. The evacuation of 11-year-old landfast sea ice in the Larsen B embayment on the East Antarctic Peninsula in January 2022 was closely followed by major changes in the calving behaviour and acceleration (30 %) of the ocean-terminating glaciers. Our results show that sea ice buttressing had a negligible direct role in the observed dynamic changes.
Andrew N. Hennig, David A. Mucciarone, Stanley S. Jacobs, Richard A. Mortlock, and Robert B. Dunbar
The Cryosphere, 18, 791–818, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-791-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-791-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A total of 937 seawater paired oxygen isotope (δ18O)–salinity samples collected during seven cruises on the SE Amundsen Sea between 1994 and 2020 reveal a deep freshwater source with δ18O − 29.4±1.0‰, consistent with the signature of local ice shelf melt. Local mean meteoric water content – comprised primarily of glacial meltwater – increased between 1994 and 2020 but exhibited greater interannual variability than increasing trend.
Qinggang Gao, Louise C. Sime, Alison J. McLaren, Thomas J. Bracegirdle, Emilie Capron, Rachael H. Rhodes, Hans Christian Steen-Larsen, Xiaoxu Shi, and Martin Werner
The Cryosphere, 18, 683–703, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-683-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-683-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Antarctic precipitation is a crucial component of the climate system. Its spatio-temporal variability impacts sea level changes and the interpretation of water isotope measurements in ice cores. To better understand its climatic drivers, we developed water tracers in an atmospheric model to identify moisture source conditions from which precipitation originates. We find that mid-latitude surface winds exert an important control on moisture availability for Antarctic precipitation.
Violaine Coulon, Ann Kristin Klose, Christoph Kittel, Tamsin Edwards, Fiona Turner, Ricarda Winkelmann, and Frank Pattyn
The Cryosphere, 18, 653–681, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-653-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-653-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We present new projections of the evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet until the end of the millennium, calibrated with observations. We show that the ocean will be the main trigger of future ice loss. As temperatures continue to rise, the atmosphere's role may shift from mitigating to amplifying Antarctic mass loss already by the end of the century. For high-emission scenarios, this may lead to substantial sea-level rise. Adopting sustainable practices would however reduce the rate of ice loss.
Hélène Seroussi, Vincent Verjans, Sophie Nowicki, Antony J. Payne, Heiko Goelzer, William H. Lipscomb, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Cécile Agosta, Torsten Albrecht, Xylar Asay-Davis, Alice Barthel, Reinhard Calov, Richard Cullather, Christophe Dumas, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, Rupert Gladstone, Nicholas R. Golledge, Jonathan M. Gregory, Ralf Greve, Tore Hattermann, Matthew J. Hoffman, Angelika Humbert, Philippe Huybrechts, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Thomas Kleiner, Eric Larour, Gunter R. Leguy, Daniel P. Lowry, Chistopher M. Little, Mathieu Morlighem, Frank Pattyn, Tyler Pelle, Stephen F. Price, Aurélien Quiquet, Ronja Reese, Nicole-Jeanne Schlegel, Andrew Shepherd, Erika Simon, Robin S. Smith, Fiammetta Straneo, Sainan Sun, Luke D. Trusel, Jonas Van Breedam, Peter Van Katwyk, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, Ricarda Winkelmann, Chen Zhao, Tong Zhang, and Thomas Zwinger
The Cryosphere, 17, 5197–5217, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5197-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5197-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Mass loss from Antarctica is a key contributor to sea level rise over the 21st century, and the associated uncertainty dominates sea level projections. We highlight here the Antarctic glaciers showing the largest changes and quantify the main sources of uncertainty in their future evolution using an ensemble of ice flow models. We show that on top of Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers, Totten and Moscow University glaciers show rapid changes and a strong sensitivity to warmer ocean conditions.
Cited articles
Ackert, R. P.: Antarctic glacial chronology?: new constraints from surface
exposure dating, PhD thesis, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States of America, 213 pp.,
2000.
Ackert, R. P. and Kurz, M. D.: Age and uplift rates of Sirius Group
sediments in the Dominion Range, Antarctica, from surface exposure dating
and geomorphology, Global Planet. Change, 42, 207–225, 2004.
Atkins, C. B.: Geomorphological evidence of cold-based glacier activity in
South Victoria Land, Antarctica, Geol. Soc. London Spec. Publ., 381,
299–318, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP381.18, 2013.
Atkins, C. B., Barrett, P. J., and Hicock, S. R.: Cold glaciers erode and
deposit: Evidence from Allan Hills, Antarctica, Geology, 30, 659–662,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0659:CGEADE>2.0.CO;2,
2002.
Austermann, J., Pollard, D., Mitrovica, J. X., Moucha, R., Forte, A. M.,
DeConto, R. M., Rowley, D. B., and Raymo, M. E.: The impact of dynamic
topography change on Antarctic ice sheet stability during the mid-Pliocene
warm period, Geology, 43, 927–930, https://doi.org/10.1130/G36988.1, 2015.
Bader, N. A., Licht, K. J., Kaplan, M. R., and Kassab, C.: East Antarctic ice sheet
stability recorded in a high-elevation ice-cored moraine, Quaternary Sci. Rev.,
159, 88–102, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.12.005, 2017.
Balco, G.: Contributions and unrealized potential contributions of cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating to glacier chronology, 1990–2010, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 30, 3–27, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.11.003, 2011.
Balco, G.: The absence of evidence of absence of the East Antarctic Ice
Sheet, Geology, 43, 943–944, https://doi.org/10.1130/focus102015.1, 2015.
Balco, G.: Saturated Surfaces in Antarctica, available at:
http://www.cosmognosis.wordpress.com/2016/09/09/saturated-surfaces-in-antarctica/
(last access: 15 February 2020), 2016.
Balco, G.: ICE-D:Antarctica, available at: http://antarctica.ice-d.org, last access: 22 July 2020.
Balco, G. and Shuster, D. L.: Production rate of cosmogenic 21Ne in quartz
estimated from 10Be, 26Al, and 21Ne concentrations in slowly eroding
Antarctic bedrock surfaces, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 281, 48–58,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2009.02.006, 2009b.
Balco, G., Stone, J. O., Lifton, N. A. and Dunai, T. J.: A complete and
easily accessible means of calculating surface exposure ages or erosion
rates from 10Be and 26Al measurements, Quat. Geochronol., 3, 174–195,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2007.12.001, 2008.
Balco, G., Blard, P. H., Shuster, D. L., and Stone, J. O. H.: Cosmogenic and
nucleogenic 21Ne in quartz in a 28-meter sandstone core from the McMurdo Dry
Valleys, Antarctica, Quat. Geochronol., 52, 63–76, 2019.
Beerling, D. J., Fox, A., and Anderson, C. W.: Quantitative uncertainty
analyses of ancient atmospheric CO2 estimates from fossil leaves, Am. J.
Sci., 309, 775–787, https://doi.org/10.2475/09.2009.01, 2009.
Blard, P. H. and Farley, K. A.: The influence of radiogenic 4He on
cosmogenic 3He determinations in volcanic olivine and pyroxene, Earth
Planet. Sc. Lett., 276, 20–29, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.09.003, 2008.
Blard, P. H., Balco, G., Burnard, P. G., Farley, K. A., Fenton, C. R.,
Friedrich, R., Jull, A. J. T., Niedermann, S., Pik, R., Schaefer, J. M.,
Scott, E. M., Shuster, D. L., Stuart, F. M., Stute, M., Tibari, B.,
Winckler, G., and Zimmermann, L.: An inter-laboratory comparison of
cosmogenic 3He and radiogenic 4He in the CRONUS-P pyroxene standard, Quat.
Geochronol., 26, 11–19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2014.08.004, 2015.
Bockheim, J. G., Wilson, S. C., Denton, G. H., Andersen, B. G., and Stuiver, M.:
Late Quaternary ice-surface fluctuations of Hatherton Glacier,
Transantarctic Mountains, Quaternary Res., 31, 229–254, 1989.
Borchers, B., Marrero, S., Balco, G., Caffee, M., Goehring, B., Lifton, N.,
Nishiizumi, K., Phillips, F., Schaefer, J., and Stone, J.: Geological
calibration of spallation production rates in the CRONUS-Earth project,
Quat. Geochronol., 31, 188–198, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2015.01.009, 2016.
Breecker, D. O. and Retallack, G. J.: Refining the pedogenic carbonate
atmospheric CO2 proxy and application to Miocene CO2, Palaeogeogr.
Palaeocl., 406, 1–8, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.04.012,
2014.
Bromley, G. R., Hall, B. L., Stone, J. O.: and Conway, H.: Late
Pleistocene evolution of Scott Glacier, southern Transantarctic Mountains:
implications for the Antarctic contribution to deglacial sea level, Quaternary
Sci. Rev., 50, 1–13, 2012.
Bromley, G. R. M., Hall, B. L., Stone, J. O., Conway, H., and Todd, C. E.:
Late Cenozoic deposits at Reedy Glacier, Transantarctic Mountains:
implications for former thickness of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, Quaternary
Sci. Rev., 29, 384–398, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2009.07.001, 2010.
Bromley, G. R. M., Winckler, G., Schaefer, J. M., Kaplan, M. R., Licht, K.
J., and Hall, B. L.: Pyroxene separation by HF leaching and its impact on
helium surface-exposure dating, Quat. Geochronol., 23, 1–8,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2014.04.003, 2014.
Brook, E. J., Kurz, M. D., Ackert Jr., R. P., Denton, G. H., Brown, E. T.,
Raisbeck, G. M., and Yiou, F.: Chronology of Taylor Glacier Advances in Arena
Valley, Antarctica, Using in Situ Cosmogenic 3He and 10Be, Quaternary Res., 39,
11–23, 1993.
Brook, E. J., Brown, E. T., Kurz, M. D., Ackert, R. P., Raisbeck, G. M., and
Yiou, F.: Constraints on Age, Erosion, and Uplift of Neogene Glacial
Deposits in the Transantarctic-Mountains Determined From in-Situ Cosmogenic
Be-10 and Al-26, Geology, 23, 1063–1066,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1995)023<1063:COAEAU>2.3.CO;2, 1995.
Brown, E. T., Edmond, J. M., Raisbeck, G. M., Yiou, F., Kurz, M. D., and
Brook, E. J.: Examination of surface exposure ages of Antarctic moraines
using in situ produced 10Be and 26Al, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 55,
2269–2283, https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(91)90103-C, 1991.
Bruno, A. L., Baur, H., Graf, T., Schlkhter, C., Signer, P., and Wieler, R.:
Dating of Sirius Group tillites in the Antarctic Dry Valleys with cosmogenic
3He and 21Ne, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 147, 37–54,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00003-4, 1997.
Burke, K. D., Williams, J. W., Chandler, M. A., Haywood, A. M., Lunt, D. J.,
and Otto-Bliesner, B. L.: Pliocene and Eocene provide best analogs for
near-future climates, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 115,
13288–13293, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1809600115, 2018.
Burnard, P. G. and Farley, K. A.: Calibration of pressure-dependent
sensitivity and discrimination in Nier-type noble gas ion sources,
Geochem. Geophy. Geosy., 1, 2000GC000038, https://doi.org/10.1029/2000GC000038, 2000.
Da, J., Zhang, Y. G., Li, G., Meng, X., and Ji, J.: Low CO2 levels of the
entire Pleistocene epoch, Nat. Commun., 10, 1–9,
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12357-5, 2019.
Denton, G. H. and Hall, B. L.: Glacial and Paleoclimatic history of the
Ross Ice drainage system of Antarctica, Geogr. Ann., 87, 139–432, 2000.
Denton, G. H. and Sugden, D. E.: Meltwater features that suggest Miocene
ice-sheet overriding of the Transantarctic Mountains in Victoria Land,
Antarctica, Geogr. Ann., 87, 67–85, 2005.
Denton, G. H., Bockheim, J. G., Wilson, S. C., and Leide, J. E.: Late
Quaternary ice surface fluctuations of Beardmore Glacier, Transantarctic
Mountains, Quaternary Res., 31, 183–209, 1989.
Denton, G. H., Sugden, D. E., Marchant, D. R., Hall, B. L., and Thomas, I.:
East Antarctic Ice Sheet Sensitivity To Pliocene Climatic Change From a Dry
Valleys Perspective, Geogr. Ann., 75, 155–204, 1993.
De Vleeschouwer, D., Vahlenkamp, M., Crucifix, M., and Pälike, H.:
Alternating Southern and Northern Hemisphere climate response to
astronomical forcing during the past 35 m.y, Geology, 45, 375–378,
https://doi.org/10.1130/G38663.1, 2017.
Dutton, A., Carlson, A. E., Long, A. J., Milne, G. A., Clark, P. U., DeConto, R., Horton, B. P., Rahmstorf, S. and Raymo, M. E.: Sea-level rise due to polar ice-sheet mass loss during past warm periods, Science, 349, aaa4019, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaa4019, 2015.
Dyez, K. A., Hönisch, B., and Schmidt, G. A.: Early Pleistocene
Obliquity-Scale pCO2 Variability at ∼1.5 Million Years Ago,
Paleoceanogr. Paleoclim., 33, 1270–1291,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2018PA003349, 2018.
Fitzgerald, P. G.: Thermochronologic constraints on post-Paleozoic tectonic
evolution of the central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica, Tectonics,
13, 818–836, https://doi.org/10.1029/94TC00595, 1994.
Gasson, E., DeConto, R. M., Pollard, D., and Levy, R. H.: Dynamic Antarctic
ice sheet during the early to mid-Miocene, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA,
113, 3459–3464, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1516130113, 2016.
Gillespie, A. R. and Bierman, P. R.: Precision of terrestrial exposure ages
and erosion rates estimated from analysis of cosmogenic isotopes produced in
situ, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 24637–24649, https://doi.org/10.1029/95jb02911, 1995.
Goehring, B. M., Muzikar, P., and Lifton, N. A.: Establishing a Bayesian
approach to determining cosmogenic nuclide reference production rates using
He-3, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 481, 91–100,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.10.025, 2018.
Golledge, N. R., Marsh, O. J., Rack, W., Braaten, D., and Jones, R. S.: Basal
conditions of two Transantarctic Mountains outlet glaciers from
observation-constrained diagnostic modelling, J. Glaciol., 60,
855–866, https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG13J131, 2014.
Graly, J. A., Licht, K. J., Kassab, C. M., Bird, B. W., and Kaplan, M. R.: Warm-based
basal sediment entrainment and far-field Pleistocene origin evidenced in
central Transantarctic blue ice through stable isotopes and internal
structures, J. Glaciol, 64, 185–196, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2018.4, 2018.
Hambrey, M. J., Webb, P. N., Harwood, D. M., and Krissek, L. A.: Neogene glacial record from the Sirius Group of the Shackleton Glacier region, central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica, Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., 115, 994–1015, https://doi.org/10.1130/B25183.1, 2003.
Haywood, A. M., Hill, D. J., Dolan, A. M., Otto-Bliesner, B. L., Bragg, F., Chan, W.-L., Chandler, M. A., Contoux, C., Dowsett, H. J., Jost, A., Kamae, Y., Lohmann, G., Lunt, D. J., Abe-Ouchi, A., Pickering, S. J., Ramstein, G., Rosenbloom, N. A., Salzmann, U., Sohl, L., Stepanek, C., Ueda, H., Yan, Q., and Zhang, Z.: Large-scale features of Pliocene climate: results from the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project, Clim. Past, 9, 191–209, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-191-2013, 2013.
Herbert, T. D., Lawrence, K. T., Tzanova, A., Peterson, L. C.,
Caballero-Gill, R., and Kelly, C. S.: Late Miocene global cooling and the
rise of modern ecosystems, Nat. Geosci., 9, 843–847,
https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2813, 2016.
Holbourn, A., Kuhnt, W., Clemens, S., Prell, W., and Andersen, N.: Middle to
late Miocene stepwise climate cooling: Evidence from a high-resolution deep
water isotope curve spanning 8 million years, Paleoceanography, 28,
688–699, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013PA002538, 2013.
Huybrechts, P.: Glaciological Modelling of the Late Cenezoic East Antarctic
Ice Sheet: Stability or Dynamism, Geogr. Ann., 75, 221–238, 1993.
Ivy-Ochs, S., Schluchter, C., Kubik, P. W., Dittrich-Hannen, B., and Beer,
J.: Minimum 10Be exposure ages of early Pliocene for the Table Mountain
plateau and the Sirius Group at Mount Fleming, Dry Valleys, Antarctica,
Geology, 23, 1007–1010, https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1995)023<1007:MBEAOE>2.3.CO;2, 1995.
Ji, S., Nie, J., Lechler, A., Huntington, K. W., Heitmann, E. O., and
Breecker, D. O.: A symmetrical CO2 peak and asymmetrical climate change
during the middle Miocene, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 499, 134–144,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.07.011, 2018.
Jull, A. J. T., Scott, E. M., and Bierman, P.: The CRONUS-Earth
inter-comparison for cosmogenic isotope analysis, Quat. Geochronol., 26,
3–10, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2013.09.003, 2015.
Kaplan, M. R., Licht, K. J., Winckler, G., Schaefer, J. M., Bader, N.,
Mathieson, C., Roberts, M., Kassab, C. M., Schwartz, R., and Graly, J. A.:
Middle to Late Pleistocene stability of the central East Antarctic Ice Sheet
at the head of Law Glacier, Geology, 45, 963–966, https://doi.org/10.1130/G39189.1,
2017.
Kober, F., Alfimov, V., Ivy-Ochs, S., Kubik, P. W., and Wieler, R.: The
cosmogenic 21Ne production rate in quartz evaluated on a large set of
existing 21Ne-10Be data, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 302, 163–171,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.12.008, 2011.
Lal, D.: Cosmic ray labeling of erosion surfaces: in situ nuclide production
rates and erosion models, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 104, 424–439, 1991.
Lear, C. H., Coxall, H., Foster, G. L., Lunt, D. J., Mawbey, E. M.,
Rosenthal, Y., Sosdian, S. M., Thomas, E., and Wilson, P. A.: Neogene ice
volume and ocean temperatures: Insights from infaunal foraminiferal Mg/Ca
paleothermometry, Paleoceanography, 30, 1437–1454,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2015PA002833, 2015.
Levy, R., Harwood, D., Florindo, F., Sangiorgi, F., Tripati, R., von
Eynatten, H., Gasson, E., Kuhn, G., Tripati, A., Deconto, R., Fielding, C.,
Field, B., Golledge, N., McKay, R., Naish, T., Olney, M., Pollard, D.,
Schouten, S., Talarico, F., Warny, S., Willmott, V., Acton, G., Panter, K.,
Paulsen, T., Taviani, M., Askin, R., Atkins, C., Bassett, K., Beu, A.,
Blackstone, B., Browne, G., Ceregato, A., Cody, R., Cornamusini, G.,
Corrado, S., Del Carlo, P., Di Vincenzo, G., Dunbar, G., Falk, C., Frank,
T., Giorgetti, G., Grelle, T., Gui, Z., Handwerger, D., Hannah, M., Harwood,
D. M., Hauptvogel, D., Hayden, T., Henrys, S., Hoffmann, S., Iacoviello, F.,
Ishman, S., Jarrard, R., Johnson, K., Jovane, L., Judge, S., Kominz, M.,
Konfirst, M., Krissek, L., Lacy, L., Maffioli, P., Magens, D., Marcano, M.
C., Millan, C., Mohr, B., Montone, P., Mukasa, S., Niessen, F., Ohneiser,
C., Passchier, S., Patterson, M., Pekar, S., Pierdominici, S., Raine, I.,
Reed, J., Reichelt, L., Riesselman, C., Rocchi, S., Sagnotti, L., Sandroni,
S., Schmitt, D., Speece, M., Storey, B., Strada, E., Tuzzi, E., Verosub, K.,
Wilson, G., Wilson, T., Wonik, T., and Zattin, M.: Antarctic ice sheet
sensitivity to atmospheric CO2 variations in the early to mid-Miocene, P.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 113, 3453–3458, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1516030113,
2016.
Lewis, A. R., Marchant, D. R., Ashworth, A. C., Hedenas, L., Hemming, S. R.,
Johnson, J. V., Leng, M. J., Machlus, M. L., Newton, A. E., Raine, J. I.,
Willenbring, J. K., Williams, M., and Wolfe, A. P.: Mid-Miocene cooling and
the extinction of tundra in continental Antarctica, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA,
105, 10676–10680, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0802501105, 2008.
Lifton, N., Sato, T., and Dunai, T. J.: Scaling in situ cosmogenic nuclide
production rates using analytical approximations to atmospheric cosmic-ray
fluxes, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 386, 149–160,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.10.052, 2014.
Lisiecki, L. E. and Raymo, M. E.: A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57
globally distributed benthic d18O records, Paleoceanography, 20, 1–17,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2004PA001071, 2005.
Margerison, H. R., Phillips, W. M., Stuart, F. M., and Sugden, D. E.:
Cosmogenic 3He concentrations in ancient flood deposits from the Coombs
Hills, northern Dry Valleys, East Antarctica: Interpreting exposure ages and
erosion rates, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 230, 163–175,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2004.11.007, 2005.
Mayewski, P. A.: Glacial geology and late Cenozoic history of the
Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica, PhD Thesis, Institute of Polar
Studies, The Ohio State University, United States of America, 1975.
Mercer, J. H.: Glacial geology of the Reedy glacier area, Antarctica,
Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 79, 471–486, 1968.
Mercer, J. H.: Some observations on the glacial geology of the Beardmore
Glacier area, Antarct Geol. Geophys., 1972, 427–433, 1972.
Middleton, J. L., Ackert, R. P., and Mukhopadhyay, S.: Pothole and channel
system formation in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica: New insights from
cosmogenic nuclides, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 355–356, 341–350,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.08.017, 2012.
Miller, K. G., Kominz, M. A., Browning, J. V., Wright, J. D., Mountain, G.
S., Katz, M. E., Sugarman, P. J., Cramer, B. S., Christie-Blick, N., and
Pekar, S. F.: The phanerozoic record of global sea-level change, Science,
310, 1293–1298, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1116412, 2005.
Miller, S. R., Fitzgerald, P. G., and Baldwin, S. L.: Cenozoic range-front
faulting and development of the Transantarctic Mountains near Cape Surprise,
Antarctica: Thermochronologic and geomorphologic constraints, Tectonics,
29, 1–21, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009TC002457, 2010.
Nishiizumi, K.: Preparation of 26Al AMS standards, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. B, 223–224, 388–392,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2004.04.075, 2004.
Nishiizumi, K., Imamura, M., Caffee, M. W., Southon, J. R., Finkel, R. C.,
and McAninch, J.: Absolute calibration of 10Be AMS standards, Nucl.
Instrum. Meth. B,
258, 403–413, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2007.01.297, 2007.
Orombelli, G., Baroni, C., and Denton, G. H.: Late Cenozoic glacial history
of the Terra Nova Bay region, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica, Geografica
Fisica e Dinamica Quaternaria 13, 139–163, 1990.
Pagani, M., Liu, Z., Lariviere, J., and Ravelo, A. C.: High Earth-system
climate sensitivity determined from Pliocene carbon dioxide concentrations,
Nat. Geosci., 3, 27–30, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo724, 2010.
Phillips, F. M., Argento, D. C., Balco, G., Caffee, M. W., Clem, J., Dunai,
T. J., Finkel, R., Goehring, B., Gosse, J. C., Hudson, A. M., Jull, A. J.
T., Kelly, M. A., Kurz, M., Lal, D., Lifton, N., Marrero, S. M., Nishiizumi,
K., Reedy, R. C., Schaefer, J., Stone, J. O. H., Swanson, T., and Zreda, M.
G.: Quaternary Geochronology The CRONUS-Earth Project?: A synthesis, Quat.
Geochronol., 31, 119–154, 2016.
Pollard, D. and DeConto, R. M.: Contribution of Antarctica to past and
future sea-level rise, Nature, 531, 591–597, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature17145, 2016.
Pollard, D., DeConto, R. M., and Alley, R. B.: Potential Antarctic Ice Sheet
retreat driven by hydrofracturing and ice cliff failure, Earth Planet. Sc.
Lett., 412, 112–121, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2014.12.035, 2015.
Prentice, M. L., Denton, G. H., Lowell, T. V, Conway, H. C., and Heusser, L.
E.: Pre-late Quaternary glaciation of the Beardmore glacier region,
Antarctica, Antarct. J. US, 21, 95–98, 1986.
Railsback, L. B., Gibbard, P. L., Head, M. J., Voarintsoa, N. R. G., and
Toucanne, S.: An optimized scheme of lettered marine isotope substages for
the last 1.0 million years, and the climatostratigraphic nature of isotope
stages and substages, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 111, 94–106,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.01.012, 2015.
Rovere, A., Raymo, M. E., Mitrovica, J. X., Hearty, P. J., O'Leary, M. J.,
Inglis, J. D., Leary, M. J. O., and Inglis, J. D.: The Mid-Pliocene sea-level
conundrum: Glacial isostasy, eustasy and dynamic topography, Earth Planet.
Sc. Lett., 387, 27–33, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.10.030, 2014.
Scambos, T. A., Haran, T. M., Fahnestock, M. A., Painter, T. H., and
Bohlander, J.: MODIS-based Mosaic of Antarctica (MOA) data sets:
Continent-wide surface morphology and snow grain size, Remote Sens.
Environ., 111, 242–257, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2006.12.020, 2007.
Schaefer, J. M., Ivy-Ochs, S., Wieler, R., Leya, I., Baur, Denton, G. H., and
Schluchter, C.: Cosmogenic noble gas studies in the oldest landscape on
Earth: surface exposure age of the Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Earth Planet.
Sc. Lett., 167, 215–226, 1999.
Schaefer, J. M., Denton, G. H., Kaplan, M., Putnam, A., Finkel, R. C.,
Barrell, D. J. A., Andersen, B. G., Schwartz, R., Mackintosh, A., Chinn, T.,
and Schlüchter, C.: High-frequency Holocene glacier fluctuations in New
Zealand differ from the northern signature, Science, 324, 622–625,
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1169312, 2009.
Scherer, R. P., DeConto, R. M., Pollard, D., and Alley, R. B.: Windblown
Pliocene diatoms and East Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat, Nat. Commun., 7,
1–9, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12957, 2016.
Seki, O., Foster, G. L., Schmidt, D. N., Mackensen, A., Kawamura, K., and
Pancost, R. D.: Alkenone and boron-based Pliocene pCO2 records, Earth
Planet. Sc. Lett., 292, 201–211, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.01.037, 2010.
Shevenell, A. E., Kennett, J. P., and Lea, D. W.: Middle Miocene ice sheet
dynamics, deep-sea temperatures, and carbon cycling: A Southern Ocean
perspective, Geochem. Geophy. Geosy., 9, 2007GC001736, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GC001736, 2008.
Sosdian, S. M., Greenop, R., Hain, M. P., Foster, G. L., Pearson, P. N., and
Lear, C. H.: Constraining the evolution of Neogene ocean carbonate chemistry
using the boron isotope pH proxy, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 498, 362–376,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.06.017, 2018.
Spector, P., Stone, J., Cowdery, S. G., Hall, B., Conway, H., and Bromley,
G.: Rapid early-Holocene deglaciation in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, Geophys.
Res. Lett., 44, 7817–7825, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074216, 2017.
Stern, T. A. and ten Brink, U. S.: Flexural Uplift of the Transantarctic
Mountains, J. Geophys. Res., 94, 10315–10330, 1989.
Stern, T. A., Baxter, A. K., and Barrett, P. J.: Isostatic rebound due to
glacial erosion within the Transantarctic Mountains, Geology, 33,
221–224, https://doi.org/10.1130/G21068.1, 2005.
Stone, J. O.: Air pressure and cosmogenic isotope production, J. Geophys.
Res., 105, 23753–23759, 2000.
Stone, J. O., Balco, G., Sugden, D. E., Caffee, M. W., Sass, L. C. I.,
Cowdery, S. G., and Siddoway, C.: Holcene Deglaciation of Marie Byrd Land,
West Antarctica, Science, 299, 99–102, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1115233,
2003.
Strasky, S., Di Nicola, L., Baroni, C., Salvatore, M. C., Baur, H., Kubik,
P. W., Schlüchter, C., and Wieler, R.: Surface exposure ages imply
multiple low-amplitude Pleistocene variations in East Antarctic Ice Sheet,
Ricker Hills, Victoria Land, Antarct. Sci., 21, 59–69,
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102008001478, 2009.
Sugden, D. E., Summerfield, M. A., Denton, G. H., Wilch, T. I., McIntosh, W. C., Marchant, D. R., and Rutford, R. H.: Landscape development in the Royal Society Range, southern Victoria Land, Antarctica: stability since the mid-Miocene, Geomorphology, 28, 181–200, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-555X(98)00108-1, 1999.
Sugden, D. and Denton, G.: Cenozoic landscape evolution of the Convoy Range
to Mackay Glacier area, Transantartic Mountains: Onshore to offshore
synthesis, Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., 116, 840–857, https://doi.org/10.1130/B25356.1,
2004.
Sugden, D. E., Marchant, D. R., and Denton, G. H.: The Case for a
Stable East Antarctic Ice Sheet, Geogr. Ann. A, 75,
151–154, 1993.
Swanger, K. M., Marchant, D. R., Schaefer, J. M., Winckler, G., and Head, J.
W.: Elevated East Antarctic outlet glaciers during warmer-than-present
climates in southern Victoria Land, Global Planet. Change, 79, 61–72,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2011.07.012, 2011.
Todd, C., Stone, J., Conway, H., Hall, B., and Bromley, G.: Late Quaternary
evolution of Reedy Glacier, Antarctica, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 29,
1328–1341, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.02.001, 2010.
Van der Wateren, F. M., Dunai, T. J., Van Balen, R. T., Klas, W., Verbers,
A. L. L. M., Passchier, S., and Herpers, U.: Contrasting neogene denudation
histories of different structural regions in the transantarctic mountains
rift flank constrained by cosmogenic isotope measurements, Global Planet.
Change, 23, 145–172, 1999.
Vermeesch, P., Balco, G., Blard, P. H., Dunai, T. J., Kober, F., Niedermann,
S., Shuster, D. L., Strasky, S., Stuart, F. M., Wieler, R., and Zimmermann,
L.: Interlaboratory comparison of cosmogenic21Ne in quartz, Quat.
Geochronol., 26, 20–28, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2012.11.009, 2015.
Wang, Y., Momohara, A., Wang, L., Lebreton-Anberrée, J., and Zhou, Z.:
Evolutionary history of atmospheric CO2 during the late cenozoic from
fossilized metasequoia needles, PLoS One, 10, 1–15,
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130941, 2015.
Webb, P. N., Harwood, D. M., McKelvey, B. C., Mercer, J. H., and Stott, L.
D.: Cenozoic marine sedimentation and ice-volume variation on the East
Antarctic craton, Geology, 12, 287–291,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1984)12<287:CMSAIV>2.0.CO;2,
1984.
Wilch, T. I., Lux, D. R., Denton, G. H., and McIntosh, W. C.: Minimal
Pliocene-Pleistocene uplift of the dry valleys sector of the Transantarctic
Mountains: a key parameter in ice-sheet reconstructions, Geology, 21,
841–844, https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1993)021<0841:MPPUOT>2.3.CO;2, 1993.
Willeit, M., Ganopolski, A., Calov, R., and Brovkin, V.: Mid-Pleistocene
transition in glacial cycles explained by declining CO2 and regolith
removal, Sci. Adv., 5, 1–8, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aav7337, 2019.
Winnick, M. J. and Caves, J. K.: Oxygen isotope mass-balance constraints on
Pliocene sea level and East Antarctic Ice Sheet stability, Geology, 43,
879–882, https://doi.org/10.1130/G36999.1, 2015.
Zhang, Y. G., Pagani, M., Liu, Z., Bohaty, S. M., and DeConto,
R.: A 40-million-year history of atmospheric CO2, Philos. T. Roy. Soc. A,
371, 1–20, 2013.
Short summary
We describe new geologic evidence from Antarctica that demonstrates changes in East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) extent over the past ~ 15 million years. Our data show that the EAIS was a persistent feature in the Transantarctic Mountains for much of that time, including some (but not all) times when global temperature may have been warmer than today. Overall, our results comprise a long-term record of EAIS change and may provide useful constraints for ice sheet models and sea-level estimates.
We describe new geologic evidence from Antarctica that demonstrates changes in East Antarctic...
