Ice-sheet variations as depicted in seismic records of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica
The dynamics of ice-sheets in response to climate changes becomes increasingly a focus of research. In this regard the glacial history of the Amundsen Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice-Sheet (WAIS) is of particular interest. A potential deglaciation and collapse of the Thwaites and Pine Island gl...
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ftawi:oai:epic.awi.de:19747 2024-09-15T17:39:03+00:00 Ice-sheet variations as depicted in seismic records of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica Weigelt, Estella Gohl, Karsten Uenzelmann-Neben, Gabriele Larter, R. 2008 https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/19747/ https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.31621 unknown Weigelt, E. orcid:0000-0003-1598-456X , Gohl, K. orcid:0000-0002-9558-2116 , Uenzelmann-Neben, G. orcid:0000-0002-0115-5923 and Larter, R. (2008) Ice-sheet variations as depicted in seismic records of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica , Koordinationsworkshop, SPP 1158/7, Antarktisforschung, 10.-11. Okt.2008, Köln . hdl:10013/epic.31621 EPIC3Koordinationsworkshop, SPP 1158/7, Antarktisforschung, 10.-11. Okt.2008, Köln Conference notRev 2008 ftawi 2024-06-24T04:01:09Z The dynamics of ice-sheets in response to climate changes becomes increasingly a focus of research. In this regard the glacial history of the Amundsen Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice-Sheet (WAIS) is of particular interest. A potential deglaciation and collapse of the Thwaites and Pine Island glacier drainage basins alone would result in a global sea level rise of approximately 1.5 m. New multichannel seismic reflection data of high-resolution offer a record of the glacial development and processes in this area. We present a first interpretation of five seismic profiles collected in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment as part of the RV Polarstern cruise ANT-XXIII/4 (2006).The sea-floor morphology of the observed area is highly variable. Close to the present coast, a rough topography includes troughs of several 100 m depth which were probably formed by palaeo-icestreams cut through the shelf. Here, the seismic lines reveal hardly any internal sequences. Only some thin sediment pockets (< 80 ms TWT ~ 60 m) in between these steep and rugged structures can be identified.On the middle shelf and outside the troughs, the topography is generally smooth and only shows small surface undulations suggesting a quieter deposition realm which was not directly affected by ice streams. Hard surface matter as revealed in parasound sections indicates the flush away of soft sediments by melt-water streams. Such streams might have also formed the shallow and about 10 km wide channel-like structures observed at some locations.The most interesting features are pronounced northwest-dipping reflector series of more than 1 s TWT thickness (> 800 m), indicating well layered sedimentary units. The strata reveal a striking alternation of reflection-poor, almost opaque, units and sequences of closely spaced, continuous reflectors. This alternation probably represents changes in depositional conditions due to sea level variations or periods of ice-sheet extension. Reflection-poor units probably consist of a homogeneous sedimentary ... Conference Object Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Pine Island Pine Island Glacier West Antarctica Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) |
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Open Polar |
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Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) |
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ftawi |
language |
unknown |
description |
The dynamics of ice-sheets in response to climate changes becomes increasingly a focus of research. In this regard the glacial history of the Amundsen Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice-Sheet (WAIS) is of particular interest. A potential deglaciation and collapse of the Thwaites and Pine Island glacier drainage basins alone would result in a global sea level rise of approximately 1.5 m. New multichannel seismic reflection data of high-resolution offer a record of the glacial development and processes in this area. We present a first interpretation of five seismic profiles collected in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment as part of the RV Polarstern cruise ANT-XXIII/4 (2006).The sea-floor morphology of the observed area is highly variable. Close to the present coast, a rough topography includes troughs of several 100 m depth which were probably formed by palaeo-icestreams cut through the shelf. Here, the seismic lines reveal hardly any internal sequences. Only some thin sediment pockets (< 80 ms TWT ~ 60 m) in between these steep and rugged structures can be identified.On the middle shelf and outside the troughs, the topography is generally smooth and only shows small surface undulations suggesting a quieter deposition realm which was not directly affected by ice streams. Hard surface matter as revealed in parasound sections indicates the flush away of soft sediments by melt-water streams. Such streams might have also formed the shallow and about 10 km wide channel-like structures observed at some locations.The most interesting features are pronounced northwest-dipping reflector series of more than 1 s TWT thickness (> 800 m), indicating well layered sedimentary units. The strata reveal a striking alternation of reflection-poor, almost opaque, units and sequences of closely spaced, continuous reflectors. This alternation probably represents changes in depositional conditions due to sea level variations or periods of ice-sheet extension. Reflection-poor units probably consist of a homogeneous sedimentary ... |
format |
Conference Object |
author |
Weigelt, Estella Gohl, Karsten Uenzelmann-Neben, Gabriele Larter, R. |
spellingShingle |
Weigelt, Estella Gohl, Karsten Uenzelmann-Neben, Gabriele Larter, R. Ice-sheet variations as depicted in seismic records of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica |
author_facet |
Weigelt, Estella Gohl, Karsten Uenzelmann-Neben, Gabriele Larter, R. |
author_sort |
Weigelt, Estella |
title |
Ice-sheet variations as depicted in seismic records of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica |
title_short |
Ice-sheet variations as depicted in seismic records of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica |
title_full |
Ice-sheet variations as depicted in seismic records of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Ice-sheet variations as depicted in seismic records of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ice-sheet variations as depicted in seismic records of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica |
title_sort |
ice-sheet variations as depicted in seismic records of the amundsen sea embayment, west antarctica |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/19747/ https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.31621 |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Pine Island Pine Island Glacier West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Pine Island Pine Island Glacier West Antarctica |
op_source |
EPIC3Koordinationsworkshop, SPP 1158/7, Antarktisforschung, 10.-11. Okt.2008, Köln |
op_relation |
Weigelt, E. orcid:0000-0003-1598-456X , Gohl, K. orcid:0000-0002-9558-2116 , Uenzelmann-Neben, G. orcid:0000-0002-0115-5923 and Larter, R. (2008) Ice-sheet variations as depicted in seismic records of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica , Koordinationsworkshop, SPP 1158/7, Antarktisforschung, 10.-11. Okt.2008, Köln . hdl:10013/epic.31621 |
_version_ |
1810477174639034368 |