Seafloor geomorphology of western Antarctic Peninsula bays: a signature of ice flow behaviour
Glacial geomorphology is used in Antarctica to reconstruct ice advance during the Last Glacial Maximum and subsequent retreat across the continental shelf. Analogous geomorphic assemblages are found in glaciated fjords and are used to interpret the glacial history and glacial dynamics in those areas...
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2018
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a405d638251e47c28a66fcd986fc097d 2023-05-15T13:49:28+02:00 Seafloor geomorphology of western Antarctic Peninsula bays: a signature of ice flow behaviour Y. P. Munoz J. S. Wellner 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-205-2018 https://doaj.org/article/a405d638251e47c28a66fcd986fc097d EN eng Copernicus Publications https://www.the-cryosphere.net/12/205/2018/tc-12-205-2018.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-12-205-2018 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/a405d638251e47c28a66fcd986fc097d The Cryosphere, Vol 12, Pp 205-225 (2018) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2018 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-205-2018 2022-12-31T00:05:52Z Glacial geomorphology is used in Antarctica to reconstruct ice advance during the Last Glacial Maximum and subsequent retreat across the continental shelf. Analogous geomorphic assemblages are found in glaciated fjords and are used to interpret the glacial history and glacial dynamics in those areas. In addition, understanding the distribution of submarine landforms in bays and the local controls exerted on ice flow can help improve numerical models by providing constraints through these drainage areas. We present multibeam swath bathymetry from several bays in the South Shetland Islands and the western Antarctic Peninsula. The submarine landforms are described and interpreted in detail. A schematic model was developed showing the features found in the bays: from glacial lineations and moraines in the inner bay to grounding zone wedges and drumlinoid features in the middle bay and streamlined features and meltwater channels in the outer bay areas. In addition, we analysed local variables in the bays and observed the following: (1) the number of landforms found in the bays scales to the size of the bay, but the geometry of the bays dictates the types of features that form; specifically, we observe a correlation between the bay width and the number of transverse features present in the bays. (2) The smaller seafloor features are present only in the smaller glacial systems, indicating that short-lived atmospheric and oceanographic fluctuations, responsible for the formation of these landforms, are only recorded in these smaller systems. (3) Meltwater channels are abundant on the seafloor, but some are subglacial, carved in bedrock, and some are modern erosional features, carved on soft sediment. Lastly, based on geomorphological evidence, we propose the features found in some of the proximal bay areas were formed during a recent glacial advance, likely the Little Ice Age. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica South Shetland Islands The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Inner Bay ENVELOPE(-37.967,-37.967,-54.017,-54.017) Middle Bay ENVELOPE(-57.495,-57.495,51.465,51.465) South Shetland Islands The Cryosphere 12 1 205 225 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 Y. P. Munoz J. S. Wellner Seafloor geomorphology of western Antarctic Peninsula bays: a signature of ice flow behaviour |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Glacial geomorphology is used in Antarctica to reconstruct ice advance during the Last Glacial Maximum and subsequent retreat across the continental shelf. Analogous geomorphic assemblages are found in glaciated fjords and are used to interpret the glacial history and glacial dynamics in those areas. In addition, understanding the distribution of submarine landforms in bays and the local controls exerted on ice flow can help improve numerical models by providing constraints through these drainage areas. We present multibeam swath bathymetry from several bays in the South Shetland Islands and the western Antarctic Peninsula. The submarine landforms are described and interpreted in detail. A schematic model was developed showing the features found in the bays: from glacial lineations and moraines in the inner bay to grounding zone wedges and drumlinoid features in the middle bay and streamlined features and meltwater channels in the outer bay areas. In addition, we analysed local variables in the bays and observed the following: (1) the number of landforms found in the bays scales to the size of the bay, but the geometry of the bays dictates the types of features that form; specifically, we observe a correlation between the bay width and the number of transverse features present in the bays. (2) The smaller seafloor features are present only in the smaller glacial systems, indicating that short-lived atmospheric and oceanographic fluctuations, responsible for the formation of these landforms, are only recorded in these smaller systems. (3) Meltwater channels are abundant on the seafloor, but some are subglacial, carved in bedrock, and some are modern erosional features, carved on soft sediment. Lastly, based on geomorphological evidence, we propose the features found in some of the proximal bay areas were formed during a recent glacial advance, likely the Little Ice Age. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Y. P. Munoz J. S. Wellner |
author_facet |
Y. P. Munoz J. S. Wellner |
author_sort |
Y. P. Munoz |
title |
Seafloor geomorphology of western Antarctic Peninsula bays: a signature of ice flow behaviour |
title_short |
Seafloor geomorphology of western Antarctic Peninsula bays: a signature of ice flow behaviour |
title_full |
Seafloor geomorphology of western Antarctic Peninsula bays: a signature of ice flow behaviour |
title_fullStr |
Seafloor geomorphology of western Antarctic Peninsula bays: a signature of ice flow behaviour |
title_full_unstemmed |
Seafloor geomorphology of western Antarctic Peninsula bays: a signature of ice flow behaviour |
title_sort |
seafloor geomorphology of western antarctic peninsula bays: a signature of ice flow behaviour |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-205-2018 https://doaj.org/article/a405d638251e47c28a66fcd986fc097d |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-37.967,-37.967,-54.017,-54.017) ENVELOPE(-57.495,-57.495,51.465,51.465) |
geographic |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Inner Bay Middle Bay South Shetland Islands |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Inner Bay Middle Bay South Shetland Islands |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica South Shetland Islands The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica South Shetland Islands The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 12, Pp 205-225 (2018) |
op_relation |
https://www.the-cryosphere.net/12/205/2018/tc-12-205-2018.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-12-205-2018 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/a405d638251e47c28a66fcd986fc097d |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-205-2018 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
205 |
op_container_end_page |
225 |
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1766251421368320000 |