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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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a644bd7b76e74070b173314bf67bc691 2023-05-15T13:36:10+02:00 Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica K. Winsor K. M. Swanger E. Babcock R. D. Valletta J. L. Dickson 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1-2020 https://doaj.org/article/a644bd7b76e74070b173314bf67bc691 EN eng Copernicus Publications https://www.the-cryosphere.net/14/1/2020/tc-14-1-2020.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-14-1-2020 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/a644bd7b76e74070b173314bf67bc691 The Cryosphere, Vol 14, Pp 1-16 (2020) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1-2020 2022-12-30T22:57:27Z 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 Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles 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 The Cryosphere 14 1 1 16 |
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 K. Winsor K. M. Swanger E. Babcock R. D. Valletta J. L. Dickson Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
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 |
K. Winsor K. M. Swanger E. Babcock R. D. Valletta J. L. Dickson |
author_facet |
K. Winsor K. M. Swanger E. Babcock R. D. Valletta J. L. Dickson |
author_sort |
K. Winsor |
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 |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1-2020 https://doaj.org/article/a644bd7b76e74070b173314bf67bc691 |
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_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 14, Pp 1-16 (2020) |
op_relation |
https://www.the-cryosphere.net/14/1/2020/tc-14-1-2020.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-14-1-2020 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/a644bd7b76e74070b173314bf67bc691 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1-2020 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
16 |
_version_ |
1766075037396238336 |