Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica
The geomorphic record indicates that alpine glaciers in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of southern Victoria Land, Antarctica, appear to advance during interglacial periods in response to ice-free conditions in the Ross Sea. Few records of these advances are preserved and/or subaerially exposed, complicatin...
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ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:100754 2023-05-15T13:59:21+02:00 Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica Winsor, Kelsey Swanger, Kate M. Babcock, Esther Valletta, Rachel D. Dickson, James L. 2020-01-02 application/pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100754/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100754/1/tc-14-1-2020.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100754/2/tc-14-1-2020-supplement.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200116-090202970 unknown European Geosciences Union https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100754/1/tc-14-1-2020.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100754/2/tc-14-1-2020-supplement.pdf Winsor, Kelsey and Swanger, Kate M. and Babcock, Esther and Valletta, Rachel D. and Dickson, James L. (2020) Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica. The Cryosphere, 14 (1). pp. 1-16. ISSN 1994-0424. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200116-090202970 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200116-090202970> Article PeerReviewed 2020 ftcaltechauth 2020-04-26T17:47:15Z The geomorphic record indicates that alpine glaciers in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of southern Victoria Land, Antarctica, appear to advance during interglacial periods in response to ice-free conditions in the Ross Sea. Few records of these advances are preserved and/or subaerially exposed, complicating the interpretations of regional glacier response to climate changes. Here, we present geophysical and geochemical analyses of a rock glacier that originates from icefalls fed by alpine Doran Glacier in central Taylor Valley. The rock glacier exhibits a trend of increased weathering of granitic clasts via ventifaction and grussification down-flow. Meltwater ponds on the rock glacier exhibit variable salinity that ranges from freshwater to higher than seawater, with the highest salinity pond near the rock glacier toe. Ground-penetrating radar analyses reveal the feature to possess a primarily clean ice interior, with layers of englacial debris. Stable isotopic data from three ice cores support a glacial origin for the ice within the rock glacier. These data suggest that the current morphology of the rock glacier is the result of multiple events of increased ice contribution caused by advances of Doran Glacier, which is the main source of ice to the rock glacier. We therefore demonstrate the potential of ice-cored rock glaciers to record multiple advances and retreats of Dry Valley glaciers, permitting the interpretation of glacial responses to Pleistocene and Holocene climate change even where direct records are not present. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys Ross Sea The Cryosphere Victoria Land Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) Doran Glacier ENVELOPE(162.667,162.667,-77.717,-77.717) McMurdo Dry Valleys Ross Sea Taylor Valley ENVELOPE(163.000,163.000,-77.617,-77.617) Victoria Land |
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Open Polar |
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Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftcaltechauth |
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description |
The geomorphic record indicates that alpine glaciers in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of southern Victoria Land, Antarctica, appear to advance during interglacial periods in response to ice-free conditions in the Ross Sea. Few records of these advances are preserved and/or subaerially exposed, complicating the interpretations of regional glacier response to climate changes. Here, we present geophysical and geochemical analyses of a rock glacier that originates from icefalls fed by alpine Doran Glacier in central Taylor Valley. The rock glacier exhibits a trend of increased weathering of granitic clasts via ventifaction and grussification down-flow. Meltwater ponds on the rock glacier exhibit variable salinity that ranges from freshwater to higher than seawater, with the highest salinity pond near the rock glacier toe. Ground-penetrating radar analyses reveal the feature to possess a primarily clean ice interior, with layers of englacial debris. Stable isotopic data from three ice cores support a glacial origin for the ice within the rock glacier. These data suggest that the current morphology of the rock glacier is the result of multiple events of increased ice contribution caused by advances of Doran Glacier, which is the main source of ice to the rock glacier. We therefore demonstrate the potential of ice-cored rock glaciers to record multiple advances and retreats of Dry Valley glaciers, permitting the interpretation of glacial responses to Pleistocene and Holocene climate change even where direct records are not present. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Winsor, Kelsey Swanger, Kate M. Babcock, Esther Valletta, Rachel D. Dickson, James L. |
spellingShingle |
Winsor, Kelsey Swanger, Kate M. Babcock, Esther Valletta, Rachel D. Dickson, James L. Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica |
author_facet |
Winsor, Kelsey Swanger, Kate M. Babcock, Esther Valletta, Rachel D. Dickson, James L. |
author_sort |
Winsor, Kelsey |
title |
Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica |
title_short |
Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica |
title_full |
Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica |
title_sort |
rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in taylor valley, antarctica |
publisher |
European Geosciences Union |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100754/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100754/1/tc-14-1-2020.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100754/2/tc-14-1-2020-supplement.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200116-090202970 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(162.667,162.667,-77.717,-77.717) ENVELOPE(163.000,163.000,-77.617,-77.617) |
geographic |
Doran Glacier McMurdo Dry Valleys Ross Sea Taylor Valley Victoria Land |
geographic_facet |
Doran Glacier McMurdo Dry Valleys Ross Sea Taylor Valley Victoria Land |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys Ross Sea The Cryosphere Victoria Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys Ross Sea The Cryosphere Victoria Land |
op_relation |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100754/1/tc-14-1-2020.pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100754/2/tc-14-1-2020-supplement.pdf Winsor, Kelsey and Swanger, Kate M. and Babcock, Esther and Valletta, Rachel D. and Dickson, James L. (2020) Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica. The Cryosphere, 14 (1). pp. 1-16. ISSN 1994-0424. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200116-090202970 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200116-090202970> |
_version_ |
1766267890145689600 |