Articles | Volume 15, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4655-2021
© Author(s) 2021. 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-15-4655-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
05 Oct 2021
Research article |
| 05 Oct 2021
Did Holocene climate changes drive West Antarctic grounding line retreat and readvance?
Sarah U. Neuhaus
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz,
Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
Slawek M. Tulaczyk
Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz,
Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
Nathan D. Stansell
Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
Jason J. Coenen
Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
Reed P. Scherer
Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
Jill A. Mikucki
Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee Knoxville,
Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Ross D. Powell
Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
Related authors
Sarah U. Neuhaus, Slawek M. Tulaczyk, and Carolyn Branecky Begeman
The Cryosphere, 13, 1785–1799, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1785-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1785-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Relatively few studies have been carried out on icebergs inside fjords, despite the fact that the majority of recent sea level rise has resulted from glaciers terminating in fjords. We examine the size and spatial distribution of icebergs in Columbia Fjord, Alaska, over a period of 8 months to determine their influence on fjord dynamics.
Brent C. Christner, Heather F. Lavender, Christina L. Davis, Erin E. Oliver, Sarah U. Neuhaus, Krista F. Myers, Birgit Hagedorn, Slawek M. Tulaczyk, Peter T. Doran, and William C. Stone
The Cryosphere, 12, 3653–3669, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3653-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3653-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Solar radiation that penetrates into the glacier heats the ice to produce nutrient-containing meltwater and provides light that fuels an ecosystem within the ice. Our analysis documents a near-surface photic zone in a glacier that functions as a liquid water oasis in the ice over half the annual cycle. Since microbial growth on glacier surfaces reduces the amount of solar radiation reflected, microbial processes at depths below the surface may also darken ice and accelerate meltwater production.
Ricardo Garza-Giron and Slawek M. Tulaczyk
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-44, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-44, 2023
Preprint under review for TC
Short summary
Short summary
By analyzing temperature time series over more than 20 years, we have found a discrepancy between the 2-meter temperature values reported by the ERA5 reanalysis and the Automatic Weather Stations in the McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. The ERA5 reanalysis temperatures are systematically colder by ~5 °C.
Hilary A. Dugan, Peter T. Doran, Denys Grombacher, Esben Auken, Thue Bording, Nikolaj Foged, Neil Foley, Jill Mikucki, Ross A. Virginia, and Slawek Tulaczyk
The Cryosphere, 16, 4977–4983, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4977-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4977-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, a deep groundwater system has been hypothesized to connect Don Juan Pond and Lake Vanda, both surface waterbodies that contain very high concentrations of salt. This is unusual, since permafrost in polar landscapes is thought to prevent subsurface hydrologic connectivity. We show results from an airborne geophysical survey that reveals widespread unfrozen brine in Wright Valley and points to the potential for deep valley-wide brine conduits.
Tun Jan Young, Carlos Martín, Poul Christoffersen, Dustin M. Schroeder, Slawek M. Tulaczyk, and Eliza J. Dawson
The Cryosphere, 15, 4117–4133, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4117-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4117-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
If the molecules that make up ice are oriented in specific ways, the ice becomes softer and enhances flow. We use radar to measure the orientation of ice molecules in the top 1400 m of the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide. Our results match those from an ice core extracted 10 years ago and conclude that the ice flow has not changed direction for the last 6700 years. Our methods are straightforward and accurate and can be applied in places across ice sheets unsuitable for ice coring.
Krista F. Myers, Peter T. Doran, Slawek M. Tulaczyk, Neil T. Foley, Thue S. Bording, Esben Auken, Hilary A. Dugan, Jill A. Mikucki, Nikolaj Foged, Denys Grombacher, and Ross A. Virginia
The Cryosphere, 15, 3577–3593, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3577-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3577-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Lake Fryxell, Antarctica, has undergone hundreds of meters of change in recent geologic history. However, there is disagreement on when lake levels were higher and by how much. This study uses resistivity data to map the subsurface conditions (frozen versus unfrozen ground) to map ancient shorelines. Our models indicate that Lake Fryxell was up to 60 m higher just 1500 to 4000 years ago. This amount of lake level change shows how sensitive these systems are to small changes in temperature.
Slawek M. Tulaczyk and Neil T. Foley
The Cryosphere, 14, 4495–4506, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4495-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4495-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Much of what we know about materials hidden beneath glaciers and ice sheets on Earth has been interpreted using radar reflection from the ice base. A common assumption is that electrical conductivity of the sub-ice materials does not influence the reflection strength and that the latter is controlled only by permittivity, which depends on the fraction of water in these materials. Here we argue that sub-ice electrical conductivity should be generally considered when interpreting radar records.
Sarah U. Neuhaus, Slawek M. Tulaczyk, and Carolyn Branecky Begeman
The Cryosphere, 13, 1785–1799, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1785-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1785-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Relatively few studies have been carried out on icebergs inside fjords, despite the fact that the majority of recent sea level rise has resulted from glaciers terminating in fjords. We examine the size and spatial distribution of icebergs in Columbia Fjord, Alaska, over a period of 8 months to determine their influence on fjord dynamics.
Brent C. Christner, Heather F. Lavender, Christina L. Davis, Erin E. Oliver, Sarah U. Neuhaus, Krista F. Myers, Birgit Hagedorn, Slawek M. Tulaczyk, Peter T. Doran, and William C. Stone
The Cryosphere, 12, 3653–3669, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3653-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3653-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Solar radiation that penetrates into the glacier heats the ice to produce nutrient-containing meltwater and provides light that fuels an ecosystem within the ice. Our analysis documents a near-surface photic zone in a glacier that functions as a liquid water oasis in the ice over half the annual cycle. Since microbial growth on glacier surfaces reduces the amount of solar radiation reflected, microbial processes at depths below the surface may also darken ice and accelerate meltwater production.
Nancy A. N. Bertler, Howard Conway, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, Daniel B. Emanuelsson, Mai Winstrup, Paul T. Vallelonga, James E. Lee, Ed J. Brook, Jeffrey P. Severinghaus, Taylor J. Fudge, Elizabeth D. Keller, W. Troy Baisden, Richard C. A. Hindmarsh, Peter D. Neff, Thomas Blunier, Ross Edwards, Paul A. Mayewski, Sepp Kipfstuhl, Christo Buizert, Silvia Canessa, Ruzica Dadic, Helle A. Kjær, Andrei Kurbatov, Dongqi Zhang, Edwin D. Waddington, Giovanni Baccolo, Thomas Beers, Hannah J. Brightley, Lionel Carter, David Clemens-Sewall, Viorela G. Ciobanu, Barbara Delmonte, Lukas Eling, Aja Ellis, Shruthi Ganesh, Nicholas R. Golledge, Skylar Haines, Michael Handley, Robert L. Hawley, Chad M. Hogan, Katelyn M. Johnson, Elena Korotkikh, Daniel P. Lowry, Darcy Mandeno, Robert M. McKay, James A. Menking, Timothy R. Naish, Caroline Noerling, Agathe Ollive, Anaïs Orsi, Bernadette C. Proemse, Alexander R. Pyne, Rebecca L. Pyne, James Renwick, Reed P. Scherer, Stefanie Semper, Marius Simonsen, Sharon B. Sneed, Eric J. Steig, Andrea Tuohy, Abhijith Ulayottil Venugopal, Fernando Valero-Delgado, Janani Venkatesh, Feitang Wang, Shimeng Wang, Dominic A. Winski, V. Holly L. Winton, Arran Whiteford, Cunde Xiao, Jiao Yang, and Xin Zhang
Clim. Past, 14, 193–214, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-193-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-193-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Temperature and snow accumulation records from the annually dated Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution (RICE) ice core show that for the past 2 700 years, the eastern Ross Sea warmed, while the western Ross Sea showed no trend and West Antarctica cooled. From the 17th century onwards, this dipole relationship changed. Now all three regions show concurrent warming, with snow accumulation declining in West Antarctica and the eastern Ross Sea.
A. Damsgaard, D. L. Egholm, J. A. Piotrowski, S. Tulaczyk, N. K. Larsen, and C. F. Brædstrup
The Cryosphere, 9, 2183–2200, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2183-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2183-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
This paper details a new algorithm for performing computational experiments of subglacial granular deformation. The numerical approach allows detailed studies of internal sediment and pore-water dynamics under shear. Feedbacks between sediment grains and pore water can cause rate-dependent strengthening, which additionally contributes to the plastic shear strength of the granular material. Hardening can stabilise patches of the subglacial beds with implications for landform development.
Related subject area
Discipline: Ice sheets | Subject: Antarctic
Characteristics and rarity of the strong 1940s westerly wind event over the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica
Sensitivity of the MAR regional climate model snowpack to the parameterization of the assimilation of satellite-derived wet-snow masks on the Antarctic Peninsula
Stratigraphic noise and its potential drivers across the plateau of Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica
Modes of Antarctic tidal grounding line migration revealed by Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) laser altimetry
Evaluating the impact of enhanced horizontal resolution over the Antarctic domain using a variable-resolution Earth system model
Statistically parameterizing and evaluating a positive degree-day model to estimate surface melt in Antarctica from 1979 to 2022
Widespread slowdown in thinning rates of West Antarctic ice shelves
Insights on the vulnerability of Antarctic glaciers from the ISMIP6 ice sheet model ensemble and associated uncertainty
Seasonal variability in Antarctic ice shelf velocities forced by sea surface height variations
Revisiting temperature sensitivity: how does Antarctic precipitation change with temperature?
Evaluation of four calving laws for Antarctic ice shelves
Cosmogenic-nuclide data from Antarctic nunataks can constrain past ice sheet instabilities
Exploring ice sheet model sensitivity to ocean thermal forcing and basal sliding using the Community Ice Sheet Model (CISM)
High mid-Holocene accumulation rates over West Antarctica inferred from a pervasive ice-penetrating radar reflector
Seasonal and interannual variability of the landfast ice mass balance between 2009 and 2018 in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica
Englacial Architecture of Lambert Glacier, East Antarctica
Megadunes in Antarctica: migration and characterization from remote and in situ observations
Slowdown of Shirase Glacier, East Antarctica, caused by strengthening alongshore winds
Mass changes of the northern Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet derived from repeat bi-static SAR acquisitions for the period 2013–2017
Timescales of outlet-glacier flow with negligible basal friction: theory, observations and modeling
Antarctic contribution to future sea level from ice shelf basal melt as constrained by ice discharge observations
The evolution of future Antarctic surface melt using PISM-dEBM-simple
Anthropogenic and internal drivers of wind changes over the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, during the 20th and 21st centuries
New 10Be exposure ages improve Holocene ice sheet thinning history near the grounding line of Pope Glacier, Antarctica
Antarctic surface climate and surface mass balance in the Community Earth System Model version 2 during the satellite era and into the future (1979–2100)
Inverting ice surface elevation and velocity for bed topography and slipperiness beneath Thwaites Glacier
Hysteretic evolution of ice rises and ice rumples in response to variations in sea level
Variability in Antarctic surface climatology across regional climate models and reanalysis datasets
Sensitivity of the Ross Ice Shelf to environmental and glaciological controls
High-resolution subglacial topography around Dome Fuji, Antarctica, based on ground-based radar surveys over 30 years
Cosmogenic nuclide dating of two stacked ice masses: Ong Valley, Antarctica
Clouds drive differences in future surface melt over the Antarctic ice shelves
Rapid fragmentation of Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf
Resolving glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) in response to modern and future ice loss at marine grounding lines in West Antarctica
Review article: Existing and potential evidence for Holocene grounding line retreat and readvance in Antarctica
Mass evolution of the Antarctic Peninsula over the last 2 decades from a joint Bayesian inversion
Net effect of ice-sheet–atmosphere interactions reduces simulated transient Miocene Antarctic ice-sheet variability
Sensitivity of Antarctic surface climate to a new spectral snow albedo and radiative transfer scheme in RACMO2.3p3
Overestimation and adjustment of Antarctic ice flow velocity fields reconstructed from historical satellite imagery
Brief communication: Impact of common ice mask in surface mass balance estimates over the Antarctic ice sheet
Automated mapping of the seasonal evolution of surface meltwater and its links to climate on the Amery Ice Shelf, Antarctica
Improving surface melt estimation over the Antarctic Ice Sheet using deep learning: a proof of concept over the Larsen Ice Shelf
Mid-Holocene thinning of David Glacier, Antarctica: chronology and controls
TanDEM-X PolarDEM 90 m of Antarctica: generation and error characterization
Seasonal evolution of Antarctic supraglacial lakes in 2015–2021 and links to environmental controls
Wind-induced seismic noise at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Station
Nunataks as barriers to ice flow: implications for palaeo ice sheet reconstructions
Quantifying the potential future contribution to global mean sea level from the Filchner–Ronne basin, Antarctica
Downscaled surface mass balance in Antarctica: impacts of subsurface processes and large-scale atmospheric circulation
Investigating the internal structure of the Antarctic ice sheet: the utility of isochrones for spatiotemporal ice-sheet model calibration
Gemma K. O'Connor, Paul R. Holland, Eric J. Steig, Pierre Dutrieux, and Gregory J. Hakim
The Cryosphere, 17, 4399–4420, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4399-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4399-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Glaciers in West Antarctica are rapidly melting, but the causes are unknown due to limited observations. A leading hypothesis is that an unusually large wind event in the 1940s initiated the ocean-driven melting. Using proxy reconstructions (e.g., using ice cores) and climate model simulations, we find that wind events similar to the 1940s event are relatively common on millennial timescales, implying that ocean variability or climate trends are also necessary to explain the start of ice loss.
Thomas Dethinne, Quentin Glaude, Ghislain Picard, Christoph Kittel, Patrick Alexander, Anne Orban, and Xavier Fettweis
The Cryosphere, 17, 4267–4288, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4267-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4267-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the sensitivity of the regional climate model
Modèle Atmosphérique Régional(MAR) to the assimilation of wet-snow occurrence estimated by remote sensing datasets. The assimilation is performed by nudging the MAR snowpack temperature. The data assimilation is performed over the Antarctic Peninsula for the 2019–2021 period. The results show an increase in the melt production (+66.7 %) and a decrease in surface mass balance (−4.5 %) of the model for the 2019–2020 melt season.
Nora Hirsch, Alexandra Zuhr, Thomas Münch, Maria Hörhold, Johannes Freitag, Remi Dallmayr, and Thomas Laepple
The Cryosphere, 17, 4207–4221, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4207-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4207-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Stable water isotopes from firn cores provide valuable information on past climates, yet their utility is hampered by stratigraphic noise, i.e. the irregular deposition and wind-driven redistribution of snow. We found stratigraphic noise on the Antarctic Plateau to be related to the local accumulation rate, snow surface roughness and slope inclination, which can guide future decisions on sampling locations and thus increase the resolution of climate reconstructions from low-accumulation areas.
Bryony I. D. Freer, Oliver J. Marsh, Anna E. Hogg, Helen Amanda Fricker, and Laurie Padman
The Cryosphere, 17, 4079–4101, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4079-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4079-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We develop a method using ICESat-2 data to measure how Antarctic grounding lines (GLs) migrate across the tide cycle. At an ice plain on the Ronne Ice Shelf we observe 15 km of tidal GL migration, the largest reported distance in Antarctica, dominating any signal of long-term migration. We identify four distinct migration modes, which provide both observational support for models of tidal ice flexure and GL migration and insights into ice shelf–ocean–subglacial interactions in grounding zones.
Rajashree Tri Datta, Adam Herrington, Jan T. M. Lenaerts, David P. Schneider, Luke Trusel, Ziqi Yin, and Devon Dunmire
The Cryosphere, 17, 3847–3866, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3847-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3847-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Precipitation over Antarctica is one of the greatest sources of uncertainty in sea level rise estimates. Earth system models (ESMs) are a valuable tool for these estimates but typically run at coarse spatial resolutions. Here, we present an evaluation of the variable-resolution CESM2 (VR-CESM2) for the first time with a grid designed for enhanced spatial resolution over Antarctica to achieve the high resolution of regional climate models while preserving the two-way interactions of ESMs.
Yaowen Zheng, Nicholas R. Golledge, Alexandra Gossart, Ghislain Picard, and Marion Leduc-Leballeur
The Cryosphere, 17, 3667–3694, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3667-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3667-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Positive degree-day (PDD) schemes are widely used in many Antarctic numerical ice sheet models. However, the PDD approach has not been systematically explored for its application in Antarctica. We have constructed a novel grid-cell-level spatially distributed PDD (dist-PDD) model and assessed its accuracy. We suggest that an appropriately parameterized dist-PDD model can be a valuable tool for exploring Antarctic surface melt beyond the satellite era.
Fernando S. Paolo, Alex S. Gardner, Chad A. Greene, Johan Nilsson, Michael P. Schodlok, Nicole-Jeanne Schlegel, and Helen A. Fricker
The Cryosphere, 17, 3409–3433, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3409-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3409-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We report on a slowdown in the rate of thinning and melting of West Antarctic ice shelves. We present a comprehensive assessment of the Antarctic ice shelves, where we analyze at a continental scale the changes in thickness, flow, and basal melt over the past 26 years. We also present a novel method to estimate ice shelf change from satellite altimetry and a time-dependent data set of ice shelf thickness and basal melt rates at an unprecedented resolution.
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 Hatterman, 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, Fiametta 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 Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-109, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-109, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
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 we 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.
Cyrille Mosbeux, Laurie Padman, Emilie Klein, Peter D. Bromirski, and Helen A. Fricker
The Cryosphere, 17, 2585–2606, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2585-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2585-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Antarctica's ice shelves (the floating extension of the ice sheet) help regulate ice flow. As ice shelves thin or lose contact with the bedrock, the upstream ice tends to accelerate, resulting in increased mass loss. Here, we use an ice sheet model to simulate the effect of seasonal sea surface height variations and see if we can reproduce observed seasonal variability of ice velocity on the ice shelf. When correctly parameterised, the model fits the observations well.
Lena Nicola, Dirk Notz, and Ricarda Winkelmann
The Cryosphere, 17, 2563–2583, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2563-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2563-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
For future sea-level projections, approximating Antarctic precipitation increases through temperature-scaling approaches will remain important, as coupled ice-sheet simulations with regional climate models remain computationally expensive, especially on multi-centennial timescales. We here revisit the relationship between Antarctic temperature and precipitation using different scaling approaches, identifying and explaining regional differences.
Joel Alexander Wilner, Mathieu Morlighem, and Gong Cheng
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-86, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-86, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
Short summary
Short summary
We use numerical modeling to study iceberg calving off of ice shelves in Antarctica. We examine four widely used mathematical descriptions of calving ("calving laws"), under the assumption that Antarctic ice shelf front positions should be in steady state under the current climate forcing. We quantify how well each of these calving laws replicates the observed front positions. Our results suggest that the eigencalving and von Mises laws are most suitable for Antarctic ice shelves.
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.
Mira Berdahl, Gunter Leguy, William H. Lipscomb, Nathan M. Urban, and Matthew J. Hoffman
The Cryosphere, 17, 1513–1543, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1513-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1513-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Contributions to future sea level from the Antarctic Ice Sheet remain poorly constrained. One reason is that ice sheet model initialization methods can have significant impacts on how the ice sheet responds to future forcings. We investigate the impacts of two key parameters used during model initialization. We find that these parameter choices alone can impact multi-century sea level rise by up to 2 m, emphasizing the need to carefully consider these choices for sea level rise predictions.
Julien A. Bodart, Robert G. Bingham, Duncan A. Young, Joseph A. MacGregor, David W. Ashmore, Enrica Quartini, Andrew S. Hein, David G. Vaughan, and Donald D. Blankenship
The Cryosphere, 17, 1497–1512, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1497-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1497-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Estimating how West Antarctica will change in response to future climatic change depends on our understanding of past ice processes. Here, we use a reflector widely visible on airborne radar data across West Antarctica to estimate accumulation rates over the past 4700 years. By comparing our estimates with current atmospheric data, we find that accumulation rates were 18 % greater than modern rates. This has implications for our understanding of past ice processes in the region.
Na Li, Ruibo Lei, Petra Heil, Bin Cheng, Minghu Ding, Zhongxiang Tian, and Bingrui Li
The Cryosphere, 17, 917–937, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-917-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-917-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The observed annual maximum landfast ice (LFI) thickness off Zhongshan (Davis) was 1.59±0.17 m (1.64±0.08 m). Larger interannual and local spatial variabilities for the seasonality of LFI were identified at Zhongshan, with the dominant influencing factors of air temperature anomaly, snow atop, local topography and wind regime, and oceanic heat flux. The variability of LFI properties across the study domain prevailed at interannual timescales, over any trend during the recent decades.
Rebecca J. Sanderson, Kate Winter, S. Louise Callard, Felipe Napoleoni, Neil Ross, Tom A. Jordan, and Robert G. Bingham
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-13, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-13, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
Short summary
Short summary
Ice penetrating radar allows us to explore the internal structure of glaciers and ice sheets, to constrain past and present ice flow conditions. In this paper, we examine englacial layers within the Lambert Glacier in East Antarctica using a quantitative layer tracing tool. Analysis reveals that the ice flow here has been relatively stable, but evidence for former fast flow along a tributary suggest that changes have occurred in the past and could change again in the future.
Giacomo Traversa, Davide Fugazza, and Massimo Frezzotti
The Cryosphere, 17, 427–444, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-427-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-427-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Megadunes are fields of huge snow dunes present in Antarctica and on other planets, important as they present mass loss on the leeward side (glazed snow), on a continent characterized by mass gain. Here, we studied megadunes using remote data and measurements acquired during past field expeditions. We quantified their physical properties and migration and demonstrated that they migrate against slope and wind. We further proposed automatic detections of the glazed snow on their leeward side.
Bertie W. J. Miles, Chris R. Stokes, Adrian Jenkins, Jim R. Jordan, Stewart S. R. Jamieson, and G. Hilmar Gudmundsson
The Cryosphere, 17, 445–456, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-445-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-445-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Satellite observations have shown that the Shirase Glacier catchment in East Antarctica has been gaining mass over the past 2 decades, a trend largely attributed to increased snowfall. Our multi-decadal observations of Shirase Glacier show that ocean forcing has also contributed to some of this recent mass gain. This has been caused by strengthening easterly winds reducing the inflow of warm water underneath the Shirase ice tongue, causing the glacier to slow down and thicken.
Thorsten Christian Seehaus, Christian Sommer, Thomas Dethinne, and Philipp Malz
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2022-251, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2022-251, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
Short summary
Short summary
Existing mass budget estimates for the northern Antarctic Peninsula (> 70° S) are affected by considerable limitations. We carried out the first region-wide analysis of geodetic mass balances throughout this region (coverage of 96.4 %) for the period 2013–2014, based on repeat pass bi-static TanDEM-X acquisitions A total mass budget of −24.10 ± 2.80 Gt/a is revealed. Imbalanced high ice discharge, in particular at former ice shelf tributaries, is the main driver of overall ice loss.
Johannes Feldmann and Anders Levermann
The Cryosphere, 17, 327–348, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-327-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-327-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Here we present a scaling relation that allows the comparison of the timescales of glaciers with geometric similarity. According to the relation, thicker and wider glaciers on a steeper bed slope have a much faster timescale than shallower, narrower glaciers on a flatter bed slope. The relation is supported by observations and simplified numerical simulations. We combine the scaling relation with a statistical analysis of the topography of 13 instability-prone Antarctic outlet glaciers.
Eveline C. van der Linden, Dewi Le Bars, Erwin Lambert, and Sybren Drijfhout
The Cryosphere, 17, 79–103, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-79-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-79-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) is the largest uncertainty in future sea level estimates. The AIS mainly loses mass through ice discharge, the transfer of land ice into the ocean. Ice discharge is triggered by warming ocean water (basal melt). New future estimates of AIS sea level contributions are presented in which basal melt is constrained with ice discharge observations. Despite the different methodology, the resulting projections are in line with previous multimodel assessments.
Julius Garbe, Maria Zeitz, Uta Krebs-Kanzow, and Ricarda Winkelmann
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2022-249, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2022-249, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
Short summary
Short summary
We adopt the novel surface module dEBM-simple in the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) to investigate the impact of atmospheric warming on Antarctic surface melt and long-term ice sheet dynamics. As an enhancement compared to traditional temperature-based melt schemes, the module accounts for changes in ice surface albedo and thus the melt–albedo feedback. Our results underscore the critical role of ice–atmosphere feedbacks on the future sea-level contribution of Antarctica on long timescales.
Paul R. Holland, Gemma K. O'Connor, Thomas J. Bracegirdle, Pierre Dutrieux, Kaitlin A. Naughten, Eric J. Steig, David P. Schneider, Adrian Jenkins, and James A. Smith
The Cryosphere, 16, 5085–5105, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-5085-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-5085-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The Antarctic Ice Sheet is losing ice, causing sea-level rise. However, it is not known whether human-induced climate change has contributed to this ice loss. In this study, we use evidence from climate models and palaeoclimate measurements (e.g. ice cores) to suggest that the ice loss was triggered by natural climate variations but is now sustained by human-forced climate change. This implies that future greenhouse-gas emissions may influence sea-level rise from Antarctica.
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.
Devon Dunmire, Jan T. M. Lenaerts, Rajashree Tri Datta, and Tessa Gorte
The Cryosphere, 16, 4163–4184, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4163-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4163-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Earth system models (ESMs) are used to model the climate system and the interactions of its components (atmosphere, ocean, etc.) both historically and into the future under different assumptions of human activity. The representation of Antarctica in ESMs is important because it can inform projections of the ice sheet's contribution to sea level rise. Here, we compare output of Antarctica's surface climate from an ESM with observations to understand strengths and weaknesses within the model.
Helen Ockenden, Robert G. Bingham, Andrew Curtis, and Daniel Goldberg
The Cryosphere, 16, 3867–3887, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3867-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3867-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Hills and valleys hidden under the ice of Thwaites Glacier have an impact on ice flow and future ice loss, but there are not many three-dimensional observations of their location or size. We apply a mathematical theory to new high-resolution observations of the ice surface to predict the bed topography beneath the ice. There is a good correlation with ice-penetrating radar observations. The method may be useful in areas with few direct observations or as a further constraint for other methods.
A. Clara J. Henry, Reinhard Drews, Clemens Schannwell, and Vjeran Višnjević
The Cryosphere, 16, 3889–3905, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3889-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3889-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We used a 3D, idealised model to study features in coastal Antarctica called ice rises and ice rumples. These features regulate the rate of ice flow into the ocean. We show that when sea level is raised or lowered, the size of these features and the ice flow pattern can change. We find that the features depend on the ice history and do not necessarily fully recover after an equal increase and decrease in sea level. This shows that it is important to initialise models with accurate ice geometry.
Jeremy Carter, Amber Leeson, Andrew Orr, Christoph Kittel, and J. Melchior van Wessem
The Cryosphere, 16, 3815–3841, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3815-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3815-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Climate models provide valuable information for studying processes such as the collapse of ice shelves over Antarctica which impact estimates of sea level rise. This paper examines variability across climate simulations over Antarctica for fields including snowfall, temperature and melt. Significant systematic differences between outputs are found, occurring at both large and fine spatial scales across Antarctica. Results are important for future impact assessments and model development.
Francesca Baldacchino, Mathieu Morlighem, Nicholas R. Golledge, Huw Horgan, and Alena Malyarenko
The Cryosphere, 16, 3723–3738, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3723-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3723-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how the Ross Ice Shelf will evolve in a warming world is important to the future stability of Antarctica. It remains unclear what changes could drive the largest mass loss in the future and where places are most likely to trigger larger mass losses. Sensitivity maps are modelled showing that the RIS is sensitive to changes in environmental and glaciological controls at regions which are currently experiencing changes. These regions need to be monitored in a warming world.
Shun Tsutaki, Shuji Fujita, Kenji Kawamura, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Kotaro Fukui, Hideaki Motoyama, Yu Hoshina, Fumio Nakazawa, Takashi Obase, Hiroshi Ohno, Ikumi Oyabu, Fuyuki Saito, Konosuke Sugiura, and Toshitaka Suzuki
The Cryosphere, 16, 2967–2983, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2967-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2967-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We constructed an ice thickness map across the Dome Fuji region, East Antarctica, from improved radar data and previous data that had been collected since the late 1980s. The data acquired using the improved radar systems allowed basal topography to be identified with higher accuracy. The new ice thickness data show the bedrock topography, particularly the complex terrain of subglacial valleys and highlands south of Dome Fuji, with substantially high detail.
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.
Christoph Kittel, Charles Amory, Stefan Hofer, Cécile Agosta, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Ella Gilbert, Louis Le Toumelin, Étienne Vignon, Hubert Gallée, and Xavier Fettweis
The Cryosphere, 16, 2655–2669, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2655-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2655-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Model projections suggest large differences in future Antarctic surface melting even for similar greenhouse gas scenarios and warming rates. We show that clouds containing a larger amount of liquid water lead to stronger melt. As surface melt can trigger the collapse of the ice shelves (the safety band of the Antarctic Ice Sheet), clouds could be a major source of uncertainties in projections of sea level rise.
Douglas I. Benn, Adrian Luckman, Jan A. Åström, Anna J. Crawford, Stephen L. Cornford, Suzanne L. Bevan, Thomas Zwinger, Rupert Gladstone, Karen Alley, Erin Pettit, and Jeremy Bassis
The Cryosphere, 16, 2545–2564, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2545-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2545-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Thwaites Glacier (TG), in West Antarctica, is potentially unstable and may contribute significantly to sea-level rise as global warming continues. Using satellite data, we show that Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, the largest remaining floating extension of TG, has started to accelerate as it fragments along a shear zone. Computer modelling does not indicate that fragmentation will lead to imminent glacier collapse, but it is clear that major, rapid, and unpredictable changes are underway.
Jeannette Xiu Wen Wan, Natalya Gomez, Konstantin Latychev, and Holly Kyeore Han
The Cryosphere, 16, 2203–2223, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2203-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2203-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This paper assesses the grid resolution necessary to accurately model the Earth deformation and sea-level change associated with West Antarctic ice mass changes. We find that results converge at higher resolutions, and errors of less than 5 % can be achieved with a 7.5 km grid. Our results also indicate that error due to grid resolution is negligible compared to the effect of neglecting viscous deformation in low-viscosity regions.
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.
Stephen J. Chuter, Andrew Zammit-Mangion, Jonathan Rougier, Geoffrey Dawson, and Jonathan L. Bamber
The Cryosphere, 16, 1349–1367, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1349-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1349-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We find the Antarctic Peninsula to have a mean mass loss of 19 ± 1.1 Gt yr−1 over the 2003–2019 period, driven predominantly by changes in ice dynamic flow like due to changes in ocean forcing. This long-term record is crucial to ascertaining the region’s present-day contribution to sea level rise, with the understanding of driving processes enabling better future predictions. Our statistical approach enables us to estimate this previously poorly surveyed regions mass balance more accurately.
Lennert B. Stap, Constantijn J. Berends, Meike D. W. Scherrenberg, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, and Edward G. W. Gasson
The Cryosphere, 16, 1315–1332, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1315-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1315-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
To gain understanding of how the Antarctic ice sheet responded to CO2 changes during past warm climate conditions, we simulate its variability during the Miocene. We include feedbacks between the ice sheet and atmosphere in our model and force the model using time-varying climate conditions. We find that these feedbacks reduce the amplitude of ice volume variations. Erosion-induced changes in the bedrock below the ice sheet that manifested during the Miocene also have a damping effect.
Christiaan T. van Dalum, Willem Jan van de Berg, and Michiel R. van den Broeke
The Cryosphere, 16, 1071–1089, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1071-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1071-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we improve the regional climate model RACMO2 and investigate the climate of Antarctica. We have implemented a new radiative transfer and snow albedo scheme and do several sensitivity experiments. When fully tuned, the results compare well with observations and snow temperature profiles improve. Moreover, small changes in the albedo and the investigated processes can lead to a strong overestimation of melt, locally leading to runoff and a reduced surface mass balance.
Rongxing Li, Yuan Cheng, Haotian Cui, Menglian Xia, Xiaohan Yuan, Zhen Li, Shulei Luo, and Gang Qiao
The Cryosphere, 16, 737–760, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-737-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-737-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Historical velocity maps of the Antarctic ice sheet are valuable for long-term ice flow dynamics analysis. We developed an innovative method for correcting overestimations existing in historical velocity maps. The method is validated rigorously using high-quality Landsat 8 images and then successfully applied to historical velocity maps. The historical change signatures are preserved and can be used for assessing the impact of long-term global climate changes on the ice sheet.
Nicolaj Hansen, Sebastian B. Simonsen, Fredrik Boberg, Christoph Kittel, Andrew Orr, Niels Souverijns, J. Melchior van Wessem, and Ruth Mottram
The Cryosphere, 16, 711–718, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-711-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-711-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the impact of different ice masks when modelling surface mass balance over Antarctica. We used ice masks and data from five of the most used regional climate models and a common mask. We see large disagreement between the ice masks, which has a large impact on the surface mass balance, especially around the Antarctic Peninsula and some of the largest glaciers. We suggest a solution for creating a new, up-to-date, high-resolution ice mask that can be used in Antarctic modelling.
Peter A. Tuckett, Jeremy C. Ely, Andrew J. Sole, James M. Lea, Stephen J. Livingstone, Julie M. Jones, and J. Melchior van Wessem
The Cryosphere, 15, 5785–5804, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5785-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5785-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Lakes form on the surface of the Antarctic Ice Sheet during the summer. These lakes can generate further melt, break up floating ice shelves and alter ice dynamics. Here, we describe a new automated method for mapping surface lakes and apply our technique to the Amery Ice Shelf between 2005 and 2020. Lake area is highly variable between years, driven by large-scale climate patterns. This technique will help us understand the role of Antarctic surface lakes in our warming world.
Zhongyang Hu, Peter Kuipers Munneke, Stef Lhermitte, Maaike Izeboud, and Michiel van den Broeke
The Cryosphere, 15, 5639–5658, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5639-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5639-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Antarctica is shrinking, and part of the mass loss is caused by higher temperatures leading to more snowmelt. We use computer models to estimate the amount of melt, but this can be inaccurate – specifically in the areas with the most melt. This is because the model cannot account for small, darker areas like rocks or darker ice. Thus, we trained a computer using artificial intelligence and satellite images that showed these darker areas. The model computed an improved estimate of melt.
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.
Birgit Wessel, Martin Huber, Christian Wohlfart, Adina Bertram, Nicole Osterkamp, Ursula Marschalk, Astrid Gruber, Felix Reuß, Sahra Abdullahi, Isabel Georg, and Achim Roth
The Cryosphere, 15, 5241–5260, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5241-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5241-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We present a new digital elevation model (DEM) of Antarctica derived from the TanDEM-X DEM, with new interferometric radar acquisitions incorporated and edited elevations, especially at the coast. A strength of this DEM is its homogeneity and completeness. Extensive validation work shows a vertical accuracy of just -0.3 m ± 2.5 m standard deviation on blue ice surfaces compared to ICESat laser altimeter heights. The new TanDEM-X PolarDEM 90 m of Antarctica is freely available.
Mariel C. Dirscherl, Andreas J. Dietz, and Claudia Kuenzer
The Cryosphere, 15, 5205–5226, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5205-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5205-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We provide novel insight into the temporal evolution of supraglacial lakes across six major Antarctic ice shelves in 2015–2021. For Antarctic Peninsula ice shelves, we observe extensive meltwater ponding during the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 summers. Over East Antarctica, lakes were widespread during 2016–2019 and at a minimum in 2020–2021. We investigate environmental controls, revealing lake ponding to be coupled to atmospheric modes, the near-surface climate and the local glaciological setting.
Baptiste Frankinet, Thomas Lecocq, and Thierry Camelbeeck
The Cryosphere, 15, 5007–5016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5007-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5007-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Icequakes are the result of processes occurring within the ice mass or between the ice and its environment. Having a complete catalogue of those icequakes provides a unique view on the ice dynamics. But the instruments recording these events are polluted by different noise sources such as the wind. Using the data from multiple instruments, we found how the wind noise affects the icequake monitoring at the Princess Elisabeth Station in Antarctica.
Martim Mas e Braga, Richard Selwyn Jones, Jennifer C. H. Newall, Irina Rogozhina, Jane L. Andersen, Nathaniel A. Lifton, and Arjen P. Stroeven
The Cryosphere, 15, 4929–4947, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4929-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4929-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Mountains higher than the ice surface are sampled to know when the ice reached the sampled elevation, which can be used to guide numerical models. This is important to understand how much ice will be lost by ice sheets in the future. We use a simple model to understand how ice flow around mountains affects the ice surface topography and show how much this influences results from field samples. We also show that models need a finer resolution over mountainous areas to better match field samples.
Emily A. Hill, Sebastian H. R. Rosier, G. Hilmar Gudmundsson, and Matthew Collins
The Cryosphere, 15, 4675–4702, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4675-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4675-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Using an ice flow model and uncertainty quantification methods, we provide probabilistic projections of future sea level rise from the Filchner–Ronne region of Antarctica. We find that it is most likely that this region will contribute negatively to sea level rise over the next 300 years, largely as a result of increased surface mass balance. We identify parameters controlling ice shelf melt and snowfall contribute most to uncertainties in projections.
Nicolaj Hansen, Peter L. Langen, Fredrik Boberg, Rene Forsberg, Sebastian B. Simonsen, Peter Thejll, Baptiste Vandecrux, and Ruth Mottram
The Cryosphere, 15, 4315–4333, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4315-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4315-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We have used computer models to estimate the Antarctic surface mass balance (SMB) from 1980 to 2017. Our estimates lies between 2473.5 ± 114.4 Gt per year and 2564.8 ± 113.7 Gt per year. To evaluate our models, we compared the modelled snow temperatures and densities to in situ measurements. We also investigated the spatial distribution of the SMB. It is very important to have estimates of the Antarctic SMB because then it is easier to understand global sea level changes.
Johannes Sutter, Hubertus Fischer, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 15, 3839–3860, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3839-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3839-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Projections of global sea-level changes in a warming world require ice-sheet models. We expand the calibration of these models by making use of the internal architecture of the Antarctic ice sheet, which is formed by its evolution over many millennia. We propose that using our novel approach to constrain ice sheet models, we will be able to both sharpen our understanding of past and future sea-level changes and identify weaknesses in the parameterisation of current continental-scale models.
Cited articles
Achberger, A. M., Christner, B. C., Michaud, A. B., Priscu, J. C., Skidmore,
M. L., Vick-Majors, T. J., Adkins, W., Anandakrishnan, S., Barbante, C.,
Barcheck, G., Beem, L., Behar, A., Beitch, M., Bolsey, R., Branecky, C.,
Carter, S., Christianson, K., Edwards, R., Fisher, A., Fricker, H., Foley,
N., Guthrie, B., Hodson, T., Jacobel, R., Kelley, S., Mankoff, K., McBryan,
E., Mikucki, J., Mitchell, A., Powell, R., Purcell, A., Sampson, D.,
Scherer, R., Sherve, J., Siegfried, M., and Tulaczyk, S.: Microbial community
structure of subglacial Lake Whillans, West Antarctica, Front. Microbiol.,
7, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.01457, 2016.
Ackert, R.: Swinging gate or Saloon doors: Do we need a new model of Ross
Sea deglaciation?, in: Fifteenth West Antarctic Ice Sheet Meeting, 8–11 October 2008, Sterling, Virginia, 2008.
Adkins, J. F. and Schrag, D. P.: Reconstructing Last Glacial Maximum bottom
water salinities from deep-sea sediment pore fluid profiles, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 216, 109–123, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-821X(03)00502-8, 2003.
Anderson, J. B., Conway, H., Bart, P. J., Witus, A. E., Greenwood, S. L.,
McKay, R. M., Hall, B. L., Ackert, R. P., Licht, K., Jakobsson, M., and Stone, J. O.: Ross Sea paleo-ice sheet drainage and deglacial history during
and since the LGM, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 100, 31–54,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.08.020, 2014.
Anderson, J. B., Simkins, L. M., Bart, P. J., De Santis, L., Halberstadt, A.
R. W., Olivo, E., and Greenwood, S. L.: Seismic and geomorphic records of
antarctic ice sheet evolution in the ross sea and controlling factors in its
behaviour, Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., 475, 223–240, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP475.5, 2019.
Bamber, J. L., Oppenheimer, M., Kopp, R. E., Aspinall, W. P., and Cooke, R. M.: Ice sheet contributions to future sea-level rise from structured expert
judgment, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 166, 11195–11200, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1817205116, 2019.
Baroni, C. and Hall, B. L.: A new Holocene relative sea-level curve for Terra Nova Bay, Victoria Land, Antarctica, J. Quatern. Sci., 19, 377–396,
https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.825, 2004.
Barrett, P. J.: Seawater near the head of the Ross Ice Shelf, Nature, 256, 390–392, https://doi.org/10.1038/256390a0, 1975.
Bart, P. J. and Tulaczyk, S.: A significant acceleration of ice volume discharge preceded a major retreat of a West Antarctic paleo-ice stream,
Geology, 48, 313–317, https://doi.org/10.1130/G46916.1, 2020.
Bart, P. J., DeCesare, M., Rosenheim, B. E., Majewski, W., and McGlannan, A.:
A centuries-long delay between a paleo-ice-shelf collapse and grounding-line
retreat in the Whales Deep Basin, eastern Ross Sea, Antarctica, Sci. Rep., 8, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-29911-8, 2018.
Begeman, C. B., Tulaczyk, S. M., Marsh, O. J., Mikucki, J. A., Stanton, T. P., Hodson, T. O., Siegfried, M. R., Powell, R. D., Christianson, K., and King, M. A.: Ocean Stratification and Low Melt Rates at the Ross Ice Shelf
Grounding Zone, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 123, 7438–7452,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC013987, 2018.
Bentley, M. J., Ocofaigh, C., Anderson, J. B., Conway, H., Davies, B., Graham, A. G. C., Hillenbrand, C. D., Hodgson, D. A., Jamieson, S. S. R.,
Larter, R. D., Mackintosh, A., Smith, J. A., Verleyen, E., Ackert, R. P.,
Bart, P. J., Berg, S., Brunstein, D., Canals, M., Colhoun, E. A., Crosta,
X., Dickens, W. A., Domack, E., Dowdeswell, J. A., Dunbar, R., Ehrmann, W.,
Evans, J., Favier, V., Fink, D., Fogwill, C. J., Glasser, N. F., Gohl, K.,
Golledge, N. R., Goodwin, I., Gore, D. B., Greenwood, S. L., Hall, B. L., Hall, K., Hedding, D. W., Hein, A. S., Hocking, E. P., Jakobsson, M., Johnson, J. S., Jomelli, V., Jones, R. S., Klages, J. P., Kristoffersen, Y.,
Kuhn, G., Leventer, A., Licht, K., Lilly, K., Lindow, J., Livingstone, S.
J., Massé, G., McGlone, M. S., McKay, R. M., Melles, M., Miura, H.,
Mulvaney, R., Nel, W., Nitsche, F. O., O'Brien, P. E., Post, A. L., Roberts, S. J., Saunders, K. M., Selkirk, P. M., Simms, A. R., Spiegel, C., Stolldorf, T. D., Sugden, D. E., van der Putten, N., van Ommen, T., Verfaillie, D., Vyverman, W., Wagner, B., White, D. A., Witus, A. E., and Zwartz, D.: A community-based geological reconstruction of Antarctic Ice Sheet deglaciation since the Last Glacial Maximum, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 100, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.06.025, 2014.
Bindschadler, R. A., Roberts, E. P., and Iken, A.: Age of Crary Ice Rise,
Antarctica, determined from temperature-depth profiles, Ann. Glaciol., 14,
13–16, 1990.
Boudreau, B. P.: The diffusive tortuosity of fine-grained unlithified sediments, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 60, 3139–3142, https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(96)00158-5, 1996.
Bradley, S. L., Hindmarsh, R. C. A., Whitehouse, P. L., Bentley, M. J., and
King, M. A.: Low post-glacial rebound rates in the Weddell Sea due to Late
Holocene ice-sheet readvance, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 413, 79–89,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2014.12.039, 2015.
Buizert, C., Cuffey, K. M., Severinghaus, J. P., Baggenstos, D., Fudge, T. J., Steig, E. J., Markle, B. R., Winstrup, M., Rhodes, R. H., Brook, E. J.,
Sowers, T. A., Clow, G. D., Cheng, H., Edwards, R. L., Sigl, M., McConnell,
J. R., and Taylor, K. C.: The WAIS Divide deep ice core WD2014 chronology
– Part 1: Methane synchronization (68–31 ka BP) and the gas age-ice
age difference, Clim. Past, 11, 153–173, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-153-2015, 2015.
Catania, G., Hulbe, C., Conway, H., Scambos, T. A., and Raymond, C. F.:
Variability in the mass flux of the Ross ice streams, West Antarctica, over
the last millennium, J. Glaciol., 58, 741–752, https://doi.org/10.3189/2012JoG11J219, 2012.
Catania, G. A., Conway, H., Raymond, C. F., and Scambos, T. A.: Surface
morphology and internal layer stratigraphy in the downstream end of Kamb Ice
Stream, West Antarctica, J. Glaciol., 51, 423–431,
https://doi.org/10.3189/172756505781829142, 2005.
Catania, G. A., Conway, H., Raymond, C. F., and Scambos, T. A.: Evidence for
floatation or near floatation in the mouth of Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctica, prior to stagnation, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 111, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JF000355, 2006.
Christner, B. C., Priscu, J. C., Achberger, A. M., Barbante, C., Carter, S.
P., Christianson, K., Michaud, A. B., Mikucki, J. A., Mitchell, A. C., Skidmore, M. L., Vick-Majors, T. J., Adkins, W. P., Anandakrishnan, S.,
Anandakrishnan, S., Beem, L., Behar, A., Beitch, M., Bolsey, R., Branecky, C., Fisher, A., Foley, N., Mankoff, K. D., Sampson, D., Tulaczyk, S., Edwards, R., Kelley, S., Sherve, J., Fricker, H. A., Siegfried, S., Guthrie,
B., Hodson, T., Powell, R., Scherer, R., Horgan, H., Jacobel, R., McBryan,
E., and Purcell, A.: A microbial ecosystem beneath the West Antarctic ice
sheet, Nature, 512, 310–313, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13667, 2014.
Christoffersen, P., Tulaczyk, S., and Behar, A.: Basal ice sequences in
Antarctic ice stream: Exposure of past hydrologic conditions and a principal
mode of sediment transfer, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 115, 1–12,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JF001430, 2010.
Christoffersen, P., Bougamont, M., Carter, S. P., Fricker, H. A., and
Tulaczyk, S.: Significant groundwater contribution to Antarctic ice streams
hydrologic budget, Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 2003–2010, 2014.
Church, J. A., Clark, P. U., Cazenave, A., Gregory, J. M., Jevrejeva, S.,
Levermann, A., Merrifield, M. A., Milne, G. A., Nerem, R. S., Nunn, P. D., Payne, A. J., Pfeffer, W. T., Stammer, D., and Unnikrishnan, A. S.: Sea Level Change, in: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis, Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, edited by: Stocker, T. F., Qin, D., Plattner, G.-K., Tignor, M., Allen, S. K., Boschung, J., Nauels, A., Xia, Y., Bex, V., and Midgley, P. M., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, 2013.
Clark, P. U., Dyke, A. S., Shakun, J. D., Carlson, A. E., Clark, J.,
Wohlfarth, B., Mitrovica, J. X., Hostetler, S. W., and McCabe, A. M.: The
Last Glacial Maximum, Science, 325, 710–714, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1172873, 2009.
Clarke, T. S., Liu, C., Lord, N. E., and Bentley, C. R.: Evidence for a
recently abandoned shear margin adjacent to ice stream B2, Antarctica, from
ice-penetrating radar measurements, J. Geophys. Res.-Solid, 105, 13409–13422, https://doi.org/10.1029/2000jb900037, 2000.
Collins, M., Knutti, R., Arblaster, J., Dufresne, J.-L., Fichefet, T.,
Friedlingstein, P., Gao, X., Gutowski, W. J., Johns, T., Krinner, G., Shongwe, M., Tebaldi, C., Weaver, A. J., and Wehner, M.: Long-term Climate Change: Projections, Com- mitments and Irreversibility, in: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis, Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change edited by: Stocker, T. F., Qin, D., Plattner, G.-K., Tignor, M., Allen, S. K., Boschung, J., Nauels, A., Xia, Y., Bex, V., and Midgley, P. M., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, 2013.
Conway, H., Hall, B. L., Denton, G. H., Gades, A. M., and Waddington, E. D.:
Past and future grounding-line retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet,
Science, 286, 280–283, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.286.5438.280, 1999.
Cuffey, K. M.: Temperature Reconstruction at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide, US Antarctic Program (USAP) Data Center [data set], https://doi.org/10.15784/600377, 2017.
Cuffey, K. M., Clow, G. D., Steig, E. J., Buizert, C., Fudge, T. J., Koutnik, M., Waddington, E. D., Alley, R. B., and Severinghaus, J. P.: Deglacial temperature history of West Antarctica, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 113, 14249–14254, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1609132113, 2016.
Cunningham, W. L., Leventer, A., Andrews, J. T., Jennings, A. E., and Licht,
K. J.: Late Pleistocene-Holocene marine conditions in the Ross Sea,
Antarctica: Evidence from the diatom record, Holocene, 9, 129–139,
https://doi.org/10.1191/095968399675624796, 1999.
Demaster, D. J., Dunbar, R. B., Gordon, L. I., Leventer, A. R., Morrison, J.
M., Nelson, D. M., Nittrouer, C. A., and Smith, W. O.: Cycling and accumulation of biogenic silica and organic matter in high-latitude
environments: the Ross Sea, Oceanography, 5, 146–153,
https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.1992.03, 1992.
Engelhardt, H.: Thermal regime and dynamics of the West Antarctic ice sheet,
Ann. Glaciol., 39, 85–92, 2004.
Engelhardt, H. and Kamb, B.: Vertical temperature profile of Ice Stream B,
Antarct. JUS, 28, 63–66, 1993.
Engelhardt, H., Humphrey, N., Kamb, B., and Fahnestock, M.: Physical
conditions at the base of a fast moving Antarctic ice stream, Science, 248, 57–59, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.248.4951.57, 1990.
Fisher, A. T., Mankoff, K. D., Tulaczyk, S. M., Tyler, S. W., and Foley, N.:
High geothermal heat flux measured below the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, Sci.
Adv., 1, e1500093, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500093, 2015.
Fretwell, P., Pritchard, H. D., Vaughan, D. G., Bamber, J. L., Barrand, N.
E., Bell, R., Bianchi, C., Bingham, R. G., Blankenship, D. D., Casassa, G.,
Catania, G., Callens, D., Conway, H., Cook, A. J., Corr, H. F. J., Damaske,
D., Damm, V., Ferraccioli, F., Forsberg, R., Fujita, S., Gim, Y., Gogineni,
P., Griggs, J. A., Hindmarsh, R. C. A., Holmlund, P., Holt, J. W., Jacobel,
R. W., Jenkins, A., Jokat, W., Jordan, T., King, E. C., Kohler, J., Krabill,
W., Riger-Kusk, M., Langley, K. A., Leitchenkov, G., Leuschen, C., Luyendyk,
B. P., Matsuoka, K., Mouginot, J., Nitsche, F. O., Nogi, Y., Nost, O. A.,
Popov, S. V., Rignot, E., Rippin, D. M., Rivera, A., Roberts, J., Ross, N.,
Siegert, M. J., Smith, A. M., Steinhage, D., Studinger, M., Sun, B., Tinto,
B. K., Welch, B. C., Wilson, D., Young, D. A., Xiangbin, C., and Zirizzotti,
A.: Bedmap2: Improved ice bed, surface and thickness datasets for Antarctica, The Cryosphere, 7, 375–393, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-375-2013, 2013.
Fried, M. J., Hulbe, C. L., and Fahnestock, M. A.: Grounding-line dynamics and margin lakes, Ann. Glaciol., 55, 87–96, https://doi.org/10.3189/2014AoG66A216, 2014.
Frignani, M., Giglio, F., Langone, L., Ravaioli, M., and Mangini, A.: Late
Pleistocene-Holocene sedimentary fluxes of organic carbon and biogenic silica in the northwestern Ross Sea, Antarctica, Ann. Glaciol., 27, 697–703, https://doi.org/10.3189/1998aog27-1-697-703, 1998.
Halberstadt, A. R. W., Simkins, L. M., Greenwood, S. L., and Anderson, J. B.:
Past ice-sheet behaviour: Retreat scenarios and changing controls in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, The Cryosphere, 10, 1003–1020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1003-2016, 2016.
Hall, B. L., Hoelzel, A. R., Baroni, C., Denton, G. H., Le Boeuf, B. J.,
Overturf, B., and Töpf, A. L.: Holocene elephant seal distribution implies warmer-than-present climate in the Ross Sea, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 103, 10213–10217, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0604002103, 2006.
Hall, B. L., Denton, G. H., Stone, J. O., and Conway, H.: History of the
grounded ice sheet in the Ross Sea sector of Antarctica during the Last
Glacial Maximum and the last termination, Geol. Soc. Lond. Spec. Publ., 381, 167–181, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP381.5, 2013.
Harwood, D. M., Scherer, R. P., and Webb, P. N.: Multiple Miocene marine
productivity events in West Antarctica as recorded in upper Miocene sediments beneath the Ross Ice Shelf (Site J-9), Mar. Micropaleontol., 15, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1016/0377-8398(89)90006-6, 1989.
Hodson, T. O., Powell, R. D., Brachfeld, S. A., Tulaczyk, S., and Scherer, R.
P.: Physical processes in Subglacial Lake Whillans, West Antarctica:
Inferences from sediment cores, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 444, 56–63,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.03.036, 2016.
Horgan, H. J., Alley, R. B., Christianson, K., Jacobel, R. W., Anandakrishnan, S., Muto, A., Beem, L. H., and Siegfried, M. R.: Estuaries
beneath ice sheets, Geology, 41, 1159–1162, https://doi.org/10.1130/G34654.1, 2013a.
Horgan, H. J., Christianson, K., Jacobel, R. W., Anandakrishnan, S., and Alley, R. B.: Sediment deposition at the modern grounding zone of Whillans Ice Stream, West Antarctica, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 3934–3939,
https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50712, 2013b.
Horgan, H. J., Hulbe, C., Alley, R. B., Anandakrishnan, S., Goodsell, B.,
Taylor-Offord, S., and Vaughan, M. J.: Poststagnation Retreat of Kamb Ice
Stream's Grounding Zone, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 9815–9822,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074986, 2017.
Hulbe, C. and Fahnestock, M.: Century-scale discharge stagnation and reactivation of the Ross ice streams, West Antarctica, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 112, F03S27, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000603, 2007.
Jones, R. S., Mackintosh, A. N., Norton, K. P., Golledge, N. R., Fogwill, C.
J., Kubik, P. W., Christl, M., and Greenwood, S. L.: Rapid Holocene thinning
of an East Antarctic outlet glacier driven by marine ice sheet instability,
Nat. Commun., 6, 8910, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9910, 2015.
Joughin, I. and Tulaczyk, S.: Positive mass balance of the Ross Ice Streams,
West Antarctica, Science, 295, 476–480, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1066875, 2002.
Kamb, B.: Basal zone of the West Antarctic ice streams and its role in lubrication of their rapid motion, in: The West Antarctic Ice Sheet: Behavior and Environment, Antarct. Res. Ser. 77, edited by: Alley, R. B. and Bindschadler, R. A., American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, USA, 157–199, 2001.
Kellogg, T. B. and Kellogg, D. E.: Pleistocene sediments beneath the Ross Ice Shelf, Nature, 293, 130–133, https://doi.org/10.1038/293130a0, 1981.
Kingslake, J., Scherer, R. P., Albrecht, T., Coenen, J., Powell, R. D., Reese, R., Stansell, N. D., Tulaczyk, S., Wearing, M. G., and Whitehouse, P.
L.: Extensive retreat and re-advance of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during
the Holocene, Nature, 558, 430–434, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0208-x, 2018.
Lamb, A. L., Wilson, G. P., and Leng, M. J.: A review of coastal palaeoclimate and relative sea-level reconstructions using δ13C and
Lanoil, B., Skidmore, M., Priscu, J. C., Han, S., Foo, W., Vogel, S. W.,
Tulaczyk, S., and Engelhardt, H.: Bacteria beneath the West Antarctic Ice
Sheet, Environ. Microbiol., 11, 609–615, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2008.01831.x, 2009.
Lee, J. I., McKay, R. M., Golledge, N. R., Yoon, H. I., Yoo, K. C., Kim, H. J., and Hong, J. K.: Widespread persistence of expanded East Antarctic
glaciers in the southwest Ross Sea during the last deglaciation, Geology, 45, 403–406, https://doi.org/10.1130/G38715.1, 2017.
Li, Y.-H. and Gregory, S.: Diffusion of ions in sea water and in deep-sea
sediments. Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 38, 703–714, https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(74)90145-8, 1974.
Licht, K. J., Jennings, A. E., Andrews, J. T., and Williams, K. M.:
Chronology of late Wisconsin ice retreat from the western Ross Sea, Antarctica, Geology, 24, 223–226,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<0223:COLWIR>2.3.CO;2, 1996.
Lowry, D. P., Golledge, N. R., Bertler, N. A. N., Jones, R. S., and McKay, R.: Deglacial grounding-line retreat in the Ross Embayment, Antarctica,
controlled by ocean and atmosphere forcing, Sci. Adv., 5, eaav8754, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aav8754, 2019.
Marsh, O. J., Fricker, H. A., Siegfried, M. R., and Christianson, K.: High
basal melt rates initiate a channel at the grounding line of Ross Ice Shelf,
Antarctica, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, 250–255, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL066612, 2016.
Matsuoka, K., Hindmarsh, R. C. A., Moholdt, G., Bentley, M. J., Pritchard, H. D., Brown, J., Conway, H., Drews, R., Durand, G., Goldberg, D., Hattermann, T., Kingslake, J., Lenaerts, J. T. M., Martín, C., Mulvaney, R., Nicholls, K. W., Pattyn, F., Ross, N., Scambos, T., and Whitehouse, P. L.: Antarctic ice rises and rumples: Their properties and significance for ice-sheet dynamics and evolution, Earth-Sci. Rev., 150, 724–745, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2015.09.004, 2015.
McKay, R., Golledge, N. R., Maas, S., Naish, T., Levy, R., Dunbar, G., and
Kuhn, G.: Antarctic marine ice-sheet retreat in the Ross Sea during the early Holocene, Geology, 44, 7–10, https://doi.org/10.1130/G37315.1, 2016.
Michaud, A. B., Skidmore, M. L., Mitchell, A. C., Vick-Majors, T. J., Barbante, C., Turetta, C., Van Gelder, W., and Priscu, J. C.: Solute sources
and geochemical processes in Subglacial Lake Whillans, West Antarctica,
Geology, 44, 347–350, https://doi.org/10.1130/G37639.1, 2016a.
Michaud, A. B., Skidmore, M. L., Mitchell, A. C., Vick-Majors, T. J., Barbante, C., Turetta, C., VanGelder, W., and Priscu, J. C.: Supplemental material: Solute sources and geochemical processes in Subglacial Lake Whillans, West Antarctica, Geological Society of America, https://doi.org/10.1130/2016110, 2016b.
Montross, S., Skidmore, M., Christner, B., Samyn, D., Tison, J. L., Lorrain,
R., Doyle, S., and Fitzsimons, S.: Debris-Rich Basal Ice as a Microbial Habitat, Taylor Glacier, Antarctica, Geomicrobiol. J., 31, 76–81,
https://doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2013.811316, 2014.
Müller, P. J.: C N ratios in Pacific deep-sea sediments: Effect of
inorganic ammonium and organic nitrogen compounds sorbed by clays, Geochim.
Cosmochim. Ac., 41, 765–776, https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(77)90047-3, 1977.
Prothro, L. O., Majewski, W., Yokoyama, Y., Simkins, L. M., Anderson, J. B.,
Yamane, M., Miyairi, Y., and Ohkouchi, N.: Timing and pathways of East
Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 230, 106166,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106166, 2020.
Purcell, A. M., Mikucki, J. A., Achberger, A. M., Alekhina, I. A., Barbante,
C., Christner, B. C., Ghosh, D., Michaud, A. B., Mitchell, A. C., Priscu, J.
C., Scherer, R., Skidmore, M. L., Vick-Majors, T. J., Adkins, W. P.,
Anandakrishnan, S., Barcheck, G., Beem, L., Behar, A., Beitch, M., Bolsey, R., Branecky, C., Carter, S., Christianson, K., Edwards, R., Fisher, A., Fricker, H., Foley, N., Guthrie, B., Hodson, T., Jacobel, R., Kelley, S.,
Mankoff, K., McBryan, E., Powell, R., Sampson, D., Severinghaus, J., Sherve,
J., Siegfried, M., and Tulaczyk, S.: Microbial sulfur transformations in
sediments from Subglacial Lake Whillans, Front. Microbiol., 5, 1–16,
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00594, 2014.
Redfield, A. C.: The biological control of chemical factors in the environment, Am. Sci., 46, 205–221, 1958.
Retzlaff, R. and Bentley, C. R.: Timing of stagnation of ice stream C, West
Antarctica, from short- pulse radar studies of buried surface crevasses, J.
Glaciol., 39, 553–561, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022143000016440, 1993.
Scherer, R. P., Aldahan, A., Tulaczyk, S., Possnert, G., Engelhardt, H., and
Kamb, B.: Pleistocene collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, Science, 281, 82–85, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.281.5373.82, 1998.
Simkins, L. M., Greenwood, S. L., and Anderson, J. B.: Diagnosing ice sheet
grounding line stability from landform morphology, The Cryosphere, 12,
2707–2726, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2707-2018, 2018.
Smith, J. A., Graham, A. G. C., Post, A. L., Hillenbrand, C. D., Bart, P. J.,
and Powell, R. D.: The marine geological imprint of Antarctic ice shelves,
Nat. Commun., 10, 5635, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13496-5, 2019.
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.
Still, H., Campbell, A., and Hulbe, C.: Mechanical analysis of pinning points
in the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, Ann. Glaciol., 60, 32–41,
https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2018.31, 2019.
Stuiver, M. and Polach, H. A.: Discussion Reporting of 14C Data,
Radiocarbon, 19, 355–363, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033822200003672, 1977.
Tinto, K. J., Padman, L., Siddoway, C. S., Springer, S. R., Fricker, H. A.,
Das, I., Caratori Tontini, F., Porter, D. F., Frearson, N. P., Howard, S.
L., Siegfried, M. R., Mosbeux, C., Becker, M. K., Bertinato, C., Boghosian,
A., Brady, N., Burton, B. L., Chu, W., Cordero, S. I., Dhakal, T., Dong, L.,
Gustafson, C. D., Keeshin, S., Locke, C., Lockett, A., O'Brien, G., Spergel,
J. J., Starke, S. E., Tankersley, M., Wearing, M. G., and Bell, R. E.: Ross
Ice Shelf response to climate driven by the tectonic imprint on seafloor
bathymetry, Nat. Geosci., 12, 441–449, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0370-2, 2019.
Tranter, M.: Microbes eat rock under ice, Nature, 512, 256–257,
https://doi.org/10.1038/512256a, 2014.
Tulaczyk, S., Kamb, B., and Engelhardt, H. F.: Estimates of effective stress
beneath a modern West Antarctic ice stream from till preconsolidation and void ratio, Boreas, 30, 101–114, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2001.tb01216.x,
2001.
Tulaczyk, S., Mikucki, J. A., Siegfried, M. R., Priscu, J. C., Barcheck, C.
G., Beem, L. H., Behar, A., Burnett, J., Christner, B. C., Fisher, A. T.,
Fricker, H. A., Mankoff, K. D., Powell, R. D., Rack, F., Sampson, D., Scherer, R. P., and Schwartz, S. Y.: WISSARD at Subglacial Lake Whillans,
West Antarctica: scientific operations and initial observations, Ann. Glaciol., 55, 51–58, https://doi.org/10.3189/2014aog65a009, 2014.
Turcotte, D. and Schubert, G.: Geodynamics, 3rd Edn., Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, 2014.
Turner, J. T.: Zooplankton fecal pellets, marine snow, phytodetritus and the
ocean's biological pump, Prog. Oceanogr., 130, 205–248,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2014.08.005, 2015.
Vasskog, K., Langebroek, P. M., Andrews, J. T., Nilsen, J. E. Ø., and Nesje, A.: The Greenland Ice Sheet during the last glacial cycle: Current
ice loss and contribution to sea-level rise from a palaeoclimatic perspective, Earth-Sci. Rev., 150, 45–67, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2015.07.006, 2015.
Venturelli, R. A., Siegfried, M. R., Roush, K. A., Li, W., Burnett, J.,
Zook, R., Fricker, H. A., Priscu, J. C., Leventer, A., and Rosenheim, B. E.:
Mid-Holocene Grounding Line Retreat and Readvance at Whillans Ice Stream,
West Antarctica, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, e2020GL088476, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088476, 2020.
Vick-Majors, T. J., Michaud, A. B., Skidmore, M. L., Turetta, C., Barbante,
C., Christner, B. C., Dore, J. E., Christianson, K., Mitchell, A. C., Achberger, A. M., Mikucki, J. A., and Priscu, J. C.: Biogeochemical Connectivity Between Freshwater Ecosystems beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Sub-Ice Marine Environment, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 34,
e2019GB006446, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GB006446, 2020.
Vogel, S. W.: The basal regime of the West-Antarctic ice sheet interaction of
subglacial geology with ice dynamics, PhD dissertation, University of California, Santa Cruz, 137 pp., 2004.
Vogel, S. W., Tulaczyk, S., Kamb, B., Engelhardt, H., Carsey, F. D., Behar,
A. E., Lane, A. L., and Joughin, I.: Subglacial conditions during and after
stoppage of an Antarctic Ice Stream: Is reactivation imminent?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, 1–4, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL022563, 2005.
Waddington, E. D., Conway, H., Steig, E. J., Alley, R. B., Brook, E. J.,
Taylor, K. C., and White, J. W. C.: Decoding the dipstick: Thickness of Siple
Dome, West Antarctica, at the Last Glacial Maximum, Geology, 33, 281–284, https://doi.org/10.1130/G21165.1, 2005.
Wang, J. H.: Self-Diffusion and Structure of Liquid Water. I. Measurement of
Self-Diffusion of Liquid Water with Deuterium as Tracer, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 73, 510–513, https://doi.org/10.1021/ja01146a002, 1951a.
Wang, J. H.: Self-diffusion and Structure of Liquid Water. II. Measurement
of Self-diffusion of Liquid Water with 18O as Tracer, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 73, 4181–4183, https://doi.org/10.1021/ja01153a039, 1951b.
Weertman, J.: Stability of the junction of an ice sheet and an ice shelf, J.
Glaciol., 13, 3–11, 1974.
Short summary
We estimate the timing of post-LGM grounding line retreat and readvance in the Ross Sea sector of Antarctica. Our analyses indicate that the grounding line retreated over our field sites within the past 5000 years (coinciding with a warming climate) and readvanced roughly 1000 years ago (coinciding with a cooling climate). Based on these results, we propose that the Siple Coast grounding line motions in the middle to late Holocene were driven by relatively modest changes in regional climate.
We estimate the timing of post-LGM grounding line retreat and readvance in the Ross Sea sector...
