On the formation of large subglacial lakes

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
• Main Author: Shoemaker, E. M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1991
• Subjects: Hudson Bay; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e91-179; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e91-179

The role of subglacial water storage beneath continental ice sheets is investigated, primarily for a deformable bed. Subglacial ponding is shown to occur under most regions of warm-based ice sheets, and large subglacial lakes can become established, for example in the Hudson Bay basin. The formation of large lakes depends upon the fact that the ice-surface gradient is reduced once subglacial ponding occurs and upon the feedback between the reduced ice-surface gradient and increased subglacial ponding. Subglacial ponding likely played a large role in determining the ice-sheet topography during late deglaciation and in speeding up the deglaciation process.