1 Rapid Draw Down of a Portion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet During the Last Deglaciation
Most of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet rests on a bed below sea level, making it the least stable of the world’s three large ice sheets (Overpeck et al., 2006). Analysis of the Siple Dome ice core suggests two episodes during the last deglaciation of large and abrupt decreases in the ice surface eleva...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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Format: | Text |
Language: | unknown |
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DigitalCommons@UMaine
2011
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Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/ers_facpub/280 http://efdl.cims.nyu.edu/publications/refereed/jglaciology_siple_08.pdf |
Summary: | Most of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet rests on a bed below sea level, making it the least stable of the world’s three large ice sheets (Overpeck et al., 2006). Analysis of the Siple Dome ice core suggests two episodes during the last deglaciation of large and abrupt decreases in the ice surface elevation along the Siple Coast, suggesting that portions of large ice sheets can respond rapidly to a gradual climate change. These events may provide an analogy for the response of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to human-induced climate change, and draw attention to a small portion of the Ross Ice Shelf where future changes may originate. |
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