Antarctic basal environment shaped by high-pressure flow through a subglacial river system
The stability of ice sheets and their contributions to sea level are modulated by high-pressure water that lubricates the base of the ice, facilitating rapid flow into the ocean. In Antarctica, subglacial processes are poorly characterized, limiting understanding of ice-sheet flow and its sensitivit...
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ftimperialcol:oai:spiral.imperial.ac.uk:10044/1/100663 2023-06-11T04:04:25+02:00 Antarctic basal environment shaped by high-pressure flow through a subglacial river system Dow, C Ross, N Jeofry, H Siu, K Siegert, M 2022-09-23 http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/100663 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01059-1 unknown Nature Research Nature Geoscience 1752-0894 http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/100663 doi:10.1038/s41561-022-01059-1 © The Author(s) 2022. Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law. 898 892 Science & Technology Physical Sciences Geosciences Multidisciplinary Geology WEDDELL SEA SECTOR ICE SHELF CAVITY GROUNDING LINE SHEET MODEL WATER DRAINAGE CHANNEL BENEATH MELT MELTWATER Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Journal Article 2022 ftimperialcol https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01059-1 2023-04-27T22:43:12Z The stability of ice sheets and their contributions to sea level are modulated by high-pressure water that lubricates the base of the ice, facilitating rapid flow into the ocean. In Antarctica, subglacial processes are poorly characterized, limiting understanding of ice-sheet flow and its sensitivity to climate forcing. Here, using numerical modelling and geophysical data, we provide evidence of extensive, up to 460 km long, dendritically organized subglacial hydrological systems that stretch from the ice-sheet interior to the grounded margin. We show that these channels transport large fluxes (~24 m3 s−1) of freshwater at high pressure, potentially facilitating enhanced ice flow above. The water exits the ice sheet at specific locations, appearing to drive ice-shelf melting in these areas critical for ice-sheet stability. Changes in subglacial channel size can affect the water depth and pressure of the surrounding drainage system up to 100 km either side of the primary channel. Our results demonstrate the importance of incorporating catchment-scale basal hydrology in calculations of ice-sheet flow and in assessments of ice-shelf melt at grounding zones. Thus, understanding how marginal regions of Antarctica operate, and may change in the future, requires knowledge of processes acting within, and initiating from, the ice-sheet interior. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Weddell Sea Imperial College London: Spiral Antarctic Weddell Weddell Sea Nature Geoscience 15 11 892 898 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Imperial College London: Spiral |
op_collection_id |
ftimperialcol |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Science & Technology Physical Sciences Geosciences Multidisciplinary Geology WEDDELL SEA SECTOR ICE SHELF CAVITY GROUNDING LINE SHEET MODEL WATER DRAINAGE CHANNEL BENEATH MELT MELTWATER Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Science & Technology Physical Sciences Geosciences Multidisciplinary Geology WEDDELL SEA SECTOR ICE SHELF CAVITY GROUNDING LINE SHEET MODEL WATER DRAINAGE CHANNEL BENEATH MELT MELTWATER Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Dow, C Ross, N Jeofry, H Siu, K Siegert, M Antarctic basal environment shaped by high-pressure flow through a subglacial river system |
topic_facet |
Science & Technology Physical Sciences Geosciences Multidisciplinary Geology WEDDELL SEA SECTOR ICE SHELF CAVITY GROUNDING LINE SHEET MODEL WATER DRAINAGE CHANNEL BENEATH MELT MELTWATER Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
description |
The stability of ice sheets and their contributions to sea level are modulated by high-pressure water that lubricates the base of the ice, facilitating rapid flow into the ocean. In Antarctica, subglacial processes are poorly characterized, limiting understanding of ice-sheet flow and its sensitivity to climate forcing. Here, using numerical modelling and geophysical data, we provide evidence of extensive, up to 460 km long, dendritically organized subglacial hydrological systems that stretch from the ice-sheet interior to the grounded margin. We show that these channels transport large fluxes (~24 m3 s−1) of freshwater at high pressure, potentially facilitating enhanced ice flow above. The water exits the ice sheet at specific locations, appearing to drive ice-shelf melting in these areas critical for ice-sheet stability. Changes in subglacial channel size can affect the water depth and pressure of the surrounding drainage system up to 100 km either side of the primary channel. Our results demonstrate the importance of incorporating catchment-scale basal hydrology in calculations of ice-sheet flow and in assessments of ice-shelf melt at grounding zones. Thus, understanding how marginal regions of Antarctica operate, and may change in the future, requires knowledge of processes acting within, and initiating from, the ice-sheet interior. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dow, C Ross, N Jeofry, H Siu, K Siegert, M |
author_facet |
Dow, C Ross, N Jeofry, H Siu, K Siegert, M |
author_sort |
Dow, C |
title |
Antarctic basal environment shaped by high-pressure flow through a subglacial river system |
title_short |
Antarctic basal environment shaped by high-pressure flow through a subglacial river system |
title_full |
Antarctic basal environment shaped by high-pressure flow through a subglacial river system |
title_fullStr |
Antarctic basal environment shaped by high-pressure flow through a subglacial river system |
title_full_unstemmed |
Antarctic basal environment shaped by high-pressure flow through a subglacial river system |
title_sort |
antarctic basal environment shaped by high-pressure flow through a subglacial river system |
publisher |
Nature Research |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/100663 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01059-1 |
geographic |
Antarctic Weddell Weddell Sea |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Weddell Weddell Sea |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Weddell Sea |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Weddell Sea |
op_source |
898 892 |
op_relation |
Nature Geoscience 1752-0894 http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/100663 doi:10.1038/s41561-022-01059-1 |
op_rights |
© The Author(s) 2022. Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01059-1 |
container_title |
Nature Geoscience |
container_volume |
15 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
892 |
op_container_end_page |
898 |
_version_ |
1768387745363787776 |