Numerical ice sheet modeling of Heinrich Events ...

• Main Author: Hank, Kevin
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 2024
• Subjects: Hudson Bay; Hudson Strait; Ice Sheet; Ice Shelf; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.48336/drf6-pa59; https://research.library.mun.ca/16370/

Layers of Ice-Rafted Debris (IRD) found in sediment cores from the North Atlantic are attributed to quasi-periodic episodes of iceberg discharge from the Hudson Bay/Hudson Strait region. At least six such so-called Heinrich Events (HEs) have been identified during the Last Glacial Cycle (LGC). Due to the associated release of freshwater, HEs are inferred to cause climatic changes on a global scale. Several hypotheses for generating HEs, including an internally driven binge-purge model, an ice shelf buildup-collapse mechanism, and a hypothesis encompassing underwater melt modulated by Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA), have been proposed in the literature. However, a comprehensive study identifying the role of individual system processes such as GIA is still missing. Here, I use 3D thermo-mechanically coupled ice sheet models, primarily the Glacial Systems Model (GSM), to identify the numerically most robust model configuration within a HE framework. Based on these results, I determine the importance of ...