Neogene ice sheet cyclicity in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment evidence from seismic records
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:19903 2023-05-15T13:23:38+02:00 Neogene ice sheet cyclicity in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment evidence from seismic records Weigelt, Estella Gohl, Karsten Uenzelmann-Neben, Gabriele Larter, R. 2009 https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/19903/ https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.31809 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. (2009) Neogene ice sheet cyclicity in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment evidence from seismic records , 69. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Geophysikalischen Gesellschaft, 23.-26. Mar. 2009, Kiel . hdl:10013/epic.31809 EPIC369. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Geophysikalischen Gesellschaft, 23.-26. Mar. 2009, Kiel Conference notRev 2009 ftawi 2021-12-24T15:33:09Z 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. Multichannel seismic reflection profiles offer a record of the glacial development in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment during the Neogene. We identified pronounced northwest-dipping reflector series of more than 1 s TWT thickness (> 800 m) on the middle shelf indicating well layered sedimentary units. The dipping strata reveal a striking alternation of reflection-poor, almost opaque units and sequences of closely spaced, continuous reflectors. We suggest that the distinct change in reflection pattern represents marked episodes of ice sheet advance and retreat forced by climate changes. Pronounced boundaries between the acoustic units give evidence for a rapid waning and waxing of ice sheets indicating concise climate transitions. Due to the similarity with the seismic stratigraphy and the lithology in bore-hole records from the adjacent Amundsen Sea and far Ross Sea we estimated these dipping strata to have been developed since the onset of glaciation in the Miocene. On the inner and middle shelf we can identify at least four events of an ice sheet expansion. We consider the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to have responded quickly and sensitively to climate variations already throughout the Neogene. Conference Object Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Pine Island Glacier Ross Sea Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) Antarctic Ross Sea Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet Pine Island Glacier ENVELOPE(-101.000,-101.000,-75.000,-75.000) |
institution |
Open Polar |
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Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) |
op_collection_id |
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. Multichannel seismic reflection profiles offer a record of the glacial development in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment during the Neogene. We identified pronounced northwest-dipping reflector series of more than 1 s TWT thickness (> 800 m) on the middle shelf indicating well layered sedimentary units. The dipping strata reveal a striking alternation of reflection-poor, almost opaque units and sequences of closely spaced, continuous reflectors. We suggest that the distinct change in reflection pattern represents marked episodes of ice sheet advance and retreat forced by climate changes. Pronounced boundaries between the acoustic units give evidence for a rapid waning and waxing of ice sheets indicating concise climate transitions. Due to the similarity with the seismic stratigraphy and the lithology in bore-hole records from the adjacent Amundsen Sea and far Ross Sea we estimated these dipping strata to have been developed since the onset of glaciation in the Miocene. On the inner and middle shelf we can identify at least four events of an ice sheet expansion. We consider the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to have responded quickly and sensitively to climate variations already throughout the Neogene. |
format |
Conference Object |
author |
Weigelt, Estella Gohl, Karsten Uenzelmann-Neben, Gabriele Larter, R. |
spellingShingle |
Weigelt, Estella Gohl, Karsten Uenzelmann-Neben, Gabriele Larter, R. Neogene ice sheet cyclicity in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment evidence from seismic records |
author_facet |
Weigelt, Estella Gohl, Karsten Uenzelmann-Neben, Gabriele Larter, R. |
author_sort |
Weigelt, Estella |
title |
Neogene ice sheet cyclicity in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment evidence from seismic records |
title_short |
Neogene ice sheet cyclicity in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment evidence from seismic records |
title_full |
Neogene ice sheet cyclicity in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment evidence from seismic records |
title_fullStr |
Neogene ice sheet cyclicity in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment evidence from seismic records |
title_full_unstemmed |
Neogene ice sheet cyclicity in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment evidence from seismic records |
title_sort |
neogene ice sheet cyclicity in the western amundsen sea embayment evidence from seismic records |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/19903/ https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.31809 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-101.000,-101.000,-75.000,-75.000) |
geographic |
Antarctic Ross Sea Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet Pine Island Glacier |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Ross Sea Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet Pine Island Glacier |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Pine Island Glacier Ross Sea |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Pine Island Glacier Ross Sea |
op_source |
EPIC369. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Geophysikalischen Gesellschaft, 23.-26. Mar. 2009, Kiel |
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. (2009) Neogene ice sheet cyclicity in the western Amundsen Sea Embayment evidence from seismic records , 69. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Geophysikalischen Gesellschaft, 23.-26. Mar. 2009, Kiel . hdl:10013/epic.31809 |
_version_ |
1766373658276659200 |