Contemporary ice sheet thinning drives subglacial groundwater exfiltration with potential feedbacks on glacier flow
Observations indicate that groundwater-laden sedimentary aquifers are extensive beneath large portions of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. A reduction in the mechanical loading of aquifers is known to lead to groundwater exfiltration, a discharge of groundwater from the aquifer. Here, we prov...
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craaas:10.1126/sciadv.adh3693 2024-06-09T07:39:26+00:00 Contemporary ice sheet thinning drives subglacial groundwater exfiltration with potential feedbacks on glacier flow Robel, Alexander A. Sim, Shi J. Meyer, Colin Siegfried, Matthew R. Gustafson, Chloe D. 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh3693 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.adh3693 en eng American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science Advances volume 9, issue 33 ISSN 2375-2548 journal-article 2023 craaas https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh3693 2024-05-16T12:54:30Z Observations indicate that groundwater-laden sedimentary aquifers are extensive beneath large portions of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. A reduction in the mechanical loading of aquifers is known to lead to groundwater exfiltration, a discharge of groundwater from the aquifer. Here, we provide a simple expression predicting exfiltration rates under a thinning ice sheet. Using contemporary satellite altimetry observations, we predict that exfiltration rates may reach tens to hundreds of millimeters per year under the fastest thinning parts of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. In parts of West Antarctica, predicted rates of exfiltration would cause the total subglacial water discharge rate to be nearly double what is currently predicted from subglacial basal melting alone. Continued Antarctic Ice Sheet thinning into the future guarantees that the rate and potential importance of exfiltration will only continue to grow. Such an increase in warm, nutrient-laden subglacial water discharge would cause changes in ice sliding, melt of basal ice and marine biological communities. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica glacier Greenland Ice Sheet West Antarctica AAAS Resource Center (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Antarctic The Antarctic West Antarctica Greenland Science Advances 9 33 |
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Open Polar |
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AAAS Resource Center (American Association for the Advancement of Science) |
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craaas |
language |
English |
description |
Observations indicate that groundwater-laden sedimentary aquifers are extensive beneath large portions of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. A reduction in the mechanical loading of aquifers is known to lead to groundwater exfiltration, a discharge of groundwater from the aquifer. Here, we provide a simple expression predicting exfiltration rates under a thinning ice sheet. Using contemporary satellite altimetry observations, we predict that exfiltration rates may reach tens to hundreds of millimeters per year under the fastest thinning parts of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. In parts of West Antarctica, predicted rates of exfiltration would cause the total subglacial water discharge rate to be nearly double what is currently predicted from subglacial basal melting alone. Continued Antarctic Ice Sheet thinning into the future guarantees that the rate and potential importance of exfiltration will only continue to grow. Such an increase in warm, nutrient-laden subglacial water discharge would cause changes in ice sliding, melt of basal ice and marine biological communities. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Robel, Alexander A. Sim, Shi J. Meyer, Colin Siegfried, Matthew R. Gustafson, Chloe D. |
spellingShingle |
Robel, Alexander A. Sim, Shi J. Meyer, Colin Siegfried, Matthew R. Gustafson, Chloe D. Contemporary ice sheet thinning drives subglacial groundwater exfiltration with potential feedbacks on glacier flow |
author_facet |
Robel, Alexander A. Sim, Shi J. Meyer, Colin Siegfried, Matthew R. Gustafson, Chloe D. |
author_sort |
Robel, Alexander A. |
title |
Contemporary ice sheet thinning drives subglacial groundwater exfiltration with potential feedbacks on glacier flow |
title_short |
Contemporary ice sheet thinning drives subglacial groundwater exfiltration with potential feedbacks on glacier flow |
title_full |
Contemporary ice sheet thinning drives subglacial groundwater exfiltration with potential feedbacks on glacier flow |
title_fullStr |
Contemporary ice sheet thinning drives subglacial groundwater exfiltration with potential feedbacks on glacier flow |
title_full_unstemmed |
Contemporary ice sheet thinning drives subglacial groundwater exfiltration with potential feedbacks on glacier flow |
title_sort |
contemporary ice sheet thinning drives subglacial groundwater exfiltration with potential feedbacks on glacier flow |
publisher |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh3693 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.adh3693 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic West Antarctica Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic West Antarctica Greenland |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica glacier Greenland Ice Sheet West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica glacier Greenland Ice Sheet West Antarctica |
op_source |
Science Advances volume 9, issue 33 ISSN 2375-2548 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh3693 |
container_title |
Science Advances |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
33 |
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1801379486440095744 |