Articles | Volume 14, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2883-2020
© 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-14-2883-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
09 Sep 2020
Research article |
| 09 Sep 2020
| 09 Sep 2020
Revealing the former bed of Thwaites Glacier using sea-floor bathymetry: implications for warm-water routing and bed controls on ice flow and buttressing
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council,
High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Robert D. Larter
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council,
High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Alastair G. C. Graham
College of
Marine Science, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
Robert Arthern
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council,
High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
James D. Kirkham
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council,
High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Lensfield
Road, Cambridge, CB2 1ER, UK
Rebecca L. Totten
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa,
AL 35487, USA
Tom A. Jordan
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council,
High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Rachel Clark
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston,
Houston, TX 77204, USA
Victoria Fitzgerald
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa,
AL 35487, USA
Anna K. Wåhlin
Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, 40530
Göteborg, Sweden
John B. Anderson
Department of Earth Science, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council,
High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Frank O. Nitsche
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New
York, NY, USA
Lauren Simkins
Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
James A. Smith
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council,
High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Karsten Gohl
Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz-Centre for Polar and Marine
Research, 27568 Bremerhaven, Germany
Jan Erik Arndt
Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz-Centre for Polar and Marine
Research, 27568 Bremerhaven, Germany
Jongkuk Hong
Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), Incheon 21990, Republic of
Korea
Julia Wellner
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston,
Houston, TX 77204, USA
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Cited
34 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Relative sea-level data preclude major late Holocene ice-mass change in Pine Island Bay S. Braddock et al. 10.1038/s41561-022-00961-y
- Model insights into bed control on retreat of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica E. Schwans et al. 10.1017/jog.2023.13
- Towards modelling of corrugation ridges at ice-sheet grounding lines K. Hogan et al. 10.5194/tc-17-2645-2023
- The seasonal evolution of subglacial drainage pathways beneath a soft-bedded glacier J. Hart et al. 10.1038/s43247-022-00484-9
- Strong Ocean Melting Feedback During the Recent Retreat of Thwaites Glacier P. Holland et al. 10.1029/2023GL103088
- Characterizing bed roughness on the Antarctic continental margin S. Munevar Garcia et al. 10.1017/jog.2023.88
- Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica A. Lepp et al. 10.3389/feart.2022.863200
- Ocean variability beneath Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf driven by the Pine Island Bay Gyre strength T. Dotto et al. 10.1038/s41467-022-35499-5
- Drivers of Change of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica, Between 1995 and 2015 T. dos Santos et al. 10.1029/2021GL093102
- Synchronous retreat of Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers in response to external forcings in the presatellite era R. Clark et al. 10.1073/pnas.2211711120
- Bed topography and marine ice-sheet stability O. Sergienko & D. Wingham 10.1017/jog.2021.79
- Seafloor geomorphology of the Wrigley Gulf shelf, Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, reveals two different phases of glaciation J. Lee et al. 10.1002/esp.5865
- Pathways and modification of warm water flowing beneath Thwaites Ice Shelf, West Antarctica A. Wåhlin et al. 10.1126/sciadv.abd7254
- Persistent, extensive channelized drainage modeled beneath Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica A. Hager et al. 10.5194/tc-16-3575-2022
- New gravity-derived bathymetry for the Thwaites, Crosson, and Dotson ice shelves revealing two ice shelf populations T. Jordan et al. 10.5194/tc-14-2869-2020
- Ice front retreat reconfigures meltwater-driven gyres modulating ocean heat delivery to an Antarctic ice shelf S. Yoon et al. 10.1038/s41467-022-27968-8
- Insights into glacial processes from micromorphology of silt-sized sediment A. Lepp et al. 10.5194/tc-18-2297-2024
- Rapid retreat of Thwaites Glacier in the pre-satellite era A. Graham et al. 10.1038/s41561-022-01019-9
- Feasibility of ice sheet conservation using seabed anchored curtains B. Keefer et al. 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad053
- Calculations of extreme sea level rise scenarios are strongly dependent on ice sheet model resolution C. Williams et al. 10.1038/s43247-025-02010-z
- Quantitative sub-ice and marine tracing of Antarctic sediment provenance (TASP v1.0) J. Marschalek et al. 10.5194/gmd-18-1673-2025
- Twenty-first century sea-level rise could exceed IPCC projections for strong-warming futures M. Siegert et al. 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.11.002
- British Antarctic Survey's aerogeophysical data: releasing 25 years of airborne gravity, magnetic, and radar datasets over Antarctica A. Frémand et al. 10.5194/essd-14-3379-2022
- Geological insights from the newly discovered granite of Sif Island between Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers J. Marschalek et al. 10.1017/S0954102023000287
- Recent benthic foraminifera communities offshore of Thwaites Glacier in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica: implications for interpretations of fossil assemblages A. Lehrmann et al. 10.5194/jm-44-79-2025
- Seafloor roughness reduces melting of East Antarctic ice shelves Y. Liu et al. 10.1038/s43247-024-01480-x
- Sedimentological reconstruction of Glan-y-môr Isaf, North Wales: A model for the formation of stratified subglacial till assemblages from glaciolacustrine deposits C. Powell & R. Oien 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109224
- The potential for stabilizing Amundsen Sea glaciers via underwater curtains M. Wolovick et al. 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad103
- Suppressed basal melting in the eastern Thwaites Glacier grounding zone P. Davis et al. 10.1038/s41586-022-05586-0
- Variations in Hard‐Bedded Topography Beneath Glaciers J. Woodard et al. 10.1029/2021JF006326
- Spatial variability of marine-terminating ice sheet retreat in the Puget Lowland M. McKenzie et al. 10.5194/cp-20-891-2024
- Thwaites Glacier thins and retreats fastest where ice-shelf channels intersect its grounding zone A. Chartrand et al. 10.5194/tc-18-4971-2024
- The Impact of Basal Roughness on Inland Thwaites Glacier Sliding A. Hoffman et al. 10.1029/2021GL096564
- Bedmap3 updated ice bed, surface and thickness gridded datasets for Antarctica H. Pritchard et al. 10.1038/s41597-025-04672-y
34 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Relative sea-level data preclude major late Holocene ice-mass change in Pine Island Bay S. Braddock et al. 10.1038/s41561-022-00961-y
- Model insights into bed control on retreat of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica E. Schwans et al. 10.1017/jog.2023.13
- Towards modelling of corrugation ridges at ice-sheet grounding lines K. Hogan et al. 10.5194/tc-17-2645-2023
- The seasonal evolution of subglacial drainage pathways beneath a soft-bedded glacier J. Hart et al. 10.1038/s43247-022-00484-9
- Strong Ocean Melting Feedback During the Recent Retreat of Thwaites Glacier P. Holland et al. 10.1029/2023GL103088
- Characterizing bed roughness on the Antarctic continental margin S. Munevar Garcia et al. 10.1017/jog.2023.88
- Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica A. Lepp et al. 10.3389/feart.2022.863200
- Ocean variability beneath Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf driven by the Pine Island Bay Gyre strength T. Dotto et al. 10.1038/s41467-022-35499-5
- Drivers of Change of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica, Between 1995 and 2015 T. dos Santos et al. 10.1029/2021GL093102
- Synchronous retreat of Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers in response to external forcings in the presatellite era R. Clark et al. 10.1073/pnas.2211711120
- Bed topography and marine ice-sheet stability O. Sergienko & D. Wingham 10.1017/jog.2021.79
- Seafloor geomorphology of the Wrigley Gulf shelf, Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, reveals two different phases of glaciation J. Lee et al. 10.1002/esp.5865
- Pathways and modification of warm water flowing beneath Thwaites Ice Shelf, West Antarctica A. Wåhlin et al. 10.1126/sciadv.abd7254
- Persistent, extensive channelized drainage modeled beneath Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica A. Hager et al. 10.5194/tc-16-3575-2022
- New gravity-derived bathymetry for the Thwaites, Crosson, and Dotson ice shelves revealing two ice shelf populations T. Jordan et al. 10.5194/tc-14-2869-2020
- Ice front retreat reconfigures meltwater-driven gyres modulating ocean heat delivery to an Antarctic ice shelf S. Yoon et al. 10.1038/s41467-022-27968-8
- Insights into glacial processes from micromorphology of silt-sized sediment A. Lepp et al. 10.5194/tc-18-2297-2024
- Rapid retreat of Thwaites Glacier in the pre-satellite era A. Graham et al. 10.1038/s41561-022-01019-9
- Feasibility of ice sheet conservation using seabed anchored curtains B. Keefer et al. 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad053
- Calculations of extreme sea level rise scenarios are strongly dependent on ice sheet model resolution C. Williams et al. 10.1038/s43247-025-02010-z
- Quantitative sub-ice and marine tracing of Antarctic sediment provenance (TASP v1.0) J. Marschalek et al. 10.5194/gmd-18-1673-2025
- Twenty-first century sea-level rise could exceed IPCC projections for strong-warming futures M. Siegert et al. 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.11.002
- British Antarctic Survey's aerogeophysical data: releasing 25 years of airborne gravity, magnetic, and radar datasets over Antarctica A. Frémand et al. 10.5194/essd-14-3379-2022
- Geological insights from the newly discovered granite of Sif Island between Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers J. Marschalek et al. 10.1017/S0954102023000287
- Recent benthic foraminifera communities offshore of Thwaites Glacier in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica: implications for interpretations of fossil assemblages A. Lehrmann et al. 10.5194/jm-44-79-2025
- Seafloor roughness reduces melting of East Antarctic ice shelves Y. Liu et al. 10.1038/s43247-024-01480-x
- Sedimentological reconstruction of Glan-y-môr Isaf, North Wales: A model for the formation of stratified subglacial till assemblages from glaciolacustrine deposits C. Powell & R. Oien 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109224
- The potential for stabilizing Amundsen Sea glaciers via underwater curtains M. Wolovick et al. 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad103
- Suppressed basal melting in the eastern Thwaites Glacier grounding zone P. Davis et al. 10.1038/s41586-022-05586-0
- Variations in Hard‐Bedded Topography Beneath Glaciers J. Woodard et al. 10.1029/2021JF006326
- Spatial variability of marine-terminating ice sheet retreat in the Puget Lowland M. McKenzie et al. 10.5194/cp-20-891-2024
- Thwaites Glacier thins and retreats fastest where ice-shelf channels intersect its grounding zone A. Chartrand et al. 10.5194/tc-18-4971-2024
- The Impact of Basal Roughness on Inland Thwaites Glacier Sliding A. Hoffman et al. 10.1029/2021GL096564
- Bedmap3 updated ice bed, surface and thickness gridded datasets for Antarctica H. Pritchard et al. 10.1038/s41597-025-04672-y
Latest update: 23 Jul 2025
Short summary
The sea-floor geometry around the rapidly changing Thwaites Glacier is a key control on warm ocean waters reaching the ice shelf and grounding zone beyond. This area was previously unsurveyed due to icebergs and sea-ice cover. The International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration mapped this area for the first time in 2019. The data reveal troughs over 1200 m deep and, as this region is thought to have only ungrounded recently, provide key insights into the morphology beneath the grounded ice sheet.
The sea-floor geometry around the rapidly changing Thwaites Glacier is a key control on warm...
