Sediment controls dynamic behavior of a Cordilleran Ice Stream at the Last Glacial Maximum
Abstract The uncertain response of marine terminating outlet glaciers to climate change at time scales beyond short-term observation limits models of future sea level rise. At temperate tidewater margins, abundant subglacial meltwater forms morainal banks (marine shoals) or ice-contact deltas that r...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15579-0 http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15579-0.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15579-0 |
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crspringernat:10.1038/s41467-020-15579-0 2023-05-15T16:40:58+02:00 Sediment controls dynamic behavior of a Cordilleran Ice Stream at the Last Glacial Maximum Cowan, Ellen A. Zellers, Sarah D. Müller, Juliane Walczak, Maureen H. Worthington, Lindsay L. Caissie, Beth E. Clary, Wesley A. Jaeger, John M. Gulick, Sean P. S. Pratt, Jacob W. Mix, Alan C. Fallon, Stewart J. National Science Foundation 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15579-0 http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15579-0.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15579-0 en eng Springer Science and Business Media LLC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 CC-BY Nature Communications volume 11, issue 1 ISSN 2041-1723 General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry journal-article 2020 crspringernat https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15579-0 2022-01-04T11:10:02Z Abstract The uncertain response of marine terminating outlet glaciers to climate change at time scales beyond short-term observation limits models of future sea level rise. At temperate tidewater margins, abundant subglacial meltwater forms morainal banks (marine shoals) or ice-contact deltas that reduce water depth, stabilizing grounding lines and slowing or reversing glacial retreat. Here we present a radiocarbon-dated record from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1421 that tracks the terminus of the largest Alaskan Cordilleran Ice Sheet outlet glacier during Last Glacial Maximum climate transitions. Sedimentation rates, ice-rafted debris, and microfossil and biogeochemical proxies, show repeated abrupt collapses and slow advances typical of the tidewater glacier cycle observed in modern systems. When global sea level rise exceeded the local rate of bank building, the cycle of readvances stopped leading to irreversible retreat. These results support theory that suggests sediment dynamics can control tidewater terminus position on an open shelf under temperate conditions delaying climate-driven retreat. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ice Sheet Tidewater Springer Nature (via Crossref) Nature Communications 11 1 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Springer Nature (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
crspringernat |
language |
English |
topic |
General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry |
spellingShingle |
General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry Cowan, Ellen A. Zellers, Sarah D. Müller, Juliane Walczak, Maureen H. Worthington, Lindsay L. Caissie, Beth E. Clary, Wesley A. Jaeger, John M. Gulick, Sean P. S. Pratt, Jacob W. Mix, Alan C. Fallon, Stewart J. Sediment controls dynamic behavior of a Cordilleran Ice Stream at the Last Glacial Maximum |
topic_facet |
General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry |
description |
Abstract The uncertain response of marine terminating outlet glaciers to climate change at time scales beyond short-term observation limits models of future sea level rise. At temperate tidewater margins, abundant subglacial meltwater forms morainal banks (marine shoals) or ice-contact deltas that reduce water depth, stabilizing grounding lines and slowing or reversing glacial retreat. Here we present a radiocarbon-dated record from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1421 that tracks the terminus of the largest Alaskan Cordilleran Ice Sheet outlet glacier during Last Glacial Maximum climate transitions. Sedimentation rates, ice-rafted debris, and microfossil and biogeochemical proxies, show repeated abrupt collapses and slow advances typical of the tidewater glacier cycle observed in modern systems. When global sea level rise exceeded the local rate of bank building, the cycle of readvances stopped leading to irreversible retreat. These results support theory that suggests sediment dynamics can control tidewater terminus position on an open shelf under temperate conditions delaying climate-driven retreat. |
author2 |
National Science Foundation |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Cowan, Ellen A. Zellers, Sarah D. Müller, Juliane Walczak, Maureen H. Worthington, Lindsay L. Caissie, Beth E. Clary, Wesley A. Jaeger, John M. Gulick, Sean P. S. Pratt, Jacob W. Mix, Alan C. Fallon, Stewart J. |
author_facet |
Cowan, Ellen A. Zellers, Sarah D. Müller, Juliane Walczak, Maureen H. Worthington, Lindsay L. Caissie, Beth E. Clary, Wesley A. Jaeger, John M. Gulick, Sean P. S. Pratt, Jacob W. Mix, Alan C. Fallon, Stewart J. |
author_sort |
Cowan, Ellen A. |
title |
Sediment controls dynamic behavior of a Cordilleran Ice Stream at the Last Glacial Maximum |
title_short |
Sediment controls dynamic behavior of a Cordilleran Ice Stream at the Last Glacial Maximum |
title_full |
Sediment controls dynamic behavior of a Cordilleran Ice Stream at the Last Glacial Maximum |
title_fullStr |
Sediment controls dynamic behavior of a Cordilleran Ice Stream at the Last Glacial Maximum |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sediment controls dynamic behavior of a Cordilleran Ice Stream at the Last Glacial Maximum |
title_sort |
sediment controls dynamic behavior of a cordilleran ice stream at the last glacial maximum |
publisher |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15579-0 http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15579-0.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15579-0 |
genre |
Ice Sheet Tidewater |
genre_facet |
Ice Sheet Tidewater |
op_source |
Nature Communications volume 11, issue 1 ISSN 2041-1723 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15579-0 |
container_title |
Nature Communications |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766031397176213504 |