Ancient pre-glacial erosion surfaces preserved beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
We present ice-penetrating radar evidence for ancient (pre-glacial) and extensive erosion surfaces preserved beneath the upstream Institute and Möller ice streams, West Antarctica. Radar data reveal a smooth, laterally continuous, gently sloping topographic block, comprising two surfaces separated b...
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Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union
2015
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:507490 2023-05-15T13:48:08+02:00 Ancient pre-glacial erosion surfaces preserved beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Rose, Kathryn C. Ross, Neil Jordan, Tom A. Bingham, Robert G. Corr, Hugh F.J. Ferraccioli, Fausto Le Brocq, Anne M. Rippin, David M. Siegert, Martin J. 2015-02-16 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/507490/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/507490/1/esurf-3-139-2015.pdf en eng Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/507490/1/esurf-3-139-2015.pdf Rose, Kathryn C.; Ross, Neil; Jordan, Tom A. orcid:0000-0003-2780-1986 Bingham, Robert G.; Corr, Hugh F.J.; Ferraccioli, Fausto orcid:0000-0002-9347-4736 Le Brocq, Anne M.; Rippin, David M.; Siegert, Martin J. 2015 Ancient pre-glacial erosion surfaces preserved beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Earth Surface Dynamics, 3 (1). 139-152. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurfd-2-681-2014 <https://doi.org/10.5194/esurfd-2-681-2014> cc_by CC-BY Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2015 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.5194/esurfd-2-681-2014 2023-02-04T19:39:49Z We present ice-penetrating radar evidence for ancient (pre-glacial) and extensive erosion surfaces preserved beneath the upstream Institute and Möller ice streams, West Antarctica. Radar data reveal a smooth, laterally continuous, gently sloping topographic block, comprising two surfaces separated by a distinct break in slope. The erosion surfaces are preserved in this location due to the collective action of the Pirrit and Martin–Nash hills on ice sheet flow, resulting in a region of slow flowing, cold-based ice downstream of these major topographic barriers. Our analysis reveals that smooth, flat subglacial topography does not always correspond to regions of either present or former fast ice flow, as has previously been assumed. We discuss the potential origins of the erosion surfaces. Erosion rates across the surfaces are currently low, precluding formation via present-day glacial erosion. We suggest that fluvial or marine processes are most likely to have resulted in the formation of these surfaces, but we acknowledge that distinguishing between these processes with certainty requires further data. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet West Antarctica Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic West Antarctica West Antarctic Ice Sheet Nash ENVELOPE(-62.350,-62.350,-74.233,-74.233) Nash Hills ENVELOPE(-89.383,-89.383,-81.883,-81.883) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
We present ice-penetrating radar evidence for ancient (pre-glacial) and extensive erosion surfaces preserved beneath the upstream Institute and Möller ice streams, West Antarctica. Radar data reveal a smooth, laterally continuous, gently sloping topographic block, comprising two surfaces separated by a distinct break in slope. The erosion surfaces are preserved in this location due to the collective action of the Pirrit and Martin–Nash hills on ice sheet flow, resulting in a region of slow flowing, cold-based ice downstream of these major topographic barriers. Our analysis reveals that smooth, flat subglacial topography does not always correspond to regions of either present or former fast ice flow, as has previously been assumed. We discuss the potential origins of the erosion surfaces. Erosion rates across the surfaces are currently low, precluding formation via present-day glacial erosion. We suggest that fluvial or marine processes are most likely to have resulted in the formation of these surfaces, but we acknowledge that distinguishing between these processes with certainty requires further data. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rose, Kathryn C. Ross, Neil Jordan, Tom A. Bingham, Robert G. Corr, Hugh F.J. Ferraccioli, Fausto Le Brocq, Anne M. Rippin, David M. Siegert, Martin J. |
spellingShingle |
Rose, Kathryn C. Ross, Neil Jordan, Tom A. Bingham, Robert G. Corr, Hugh F.J. Ferraccioli, Fausto Le Brocq, Anne M. Rippin, David M. Siegert, Martin J. Ancient pre-glacial erosion surfaces preserved beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
author_facet |
Rose, Kathryn C. Ross, Neil Jordan, Tom A. Bingham, Robert G. Corr, Hugh F.J. Ferraccioli, Fausto Le Brocq, Anne M. Rippin, David M. Siegert, Martin J. |
author_sort |
Rose, Kathryn C. |
title |
Ancient pre-glacial erosion surfaces preserved beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
title_short |
Ancient pre-glacial erosion surfaces preserved beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
title_full |
Ancient pre-glacial erosion surfaces preserved beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
title_fullStr |
Ancient pre-glacial erosion surfaces preserved beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ancient pre-glacial erosion surfaces preserved beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
title_sort |
ancient pre-glacial erosion surfaces preserved beneath the west antarctic ice sheet |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/507490/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/507490/1/esurf-3-139-2015.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-62.350,-62.350,-74.233,-74.233) ENVELOPE(-89.383,-89.383,-81.883,-81.883) |
geographic |
Antarctic West Antarctica West Antarctic Ice Sheet Nash Nash Hills |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic West Antarctica West Antarctic Ice Sheet Nash Nash Hills |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet West Antarctica |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/507490/1/esurf-3-139-2015.pdf Rose, Kathryn C.; Ross, Neil; Jordan, Tom A. orcid:0000-0003-2780-1986 Bingham, Robert G.; Corr, Hugh F.J.; Ferraccioli, Fausto orcid:0000-0002-9347-4736 Le Brocq, Anne M.; Rippin, David M.; Siegert, Martin J. 2015 Ancient pre-glacial erosion surfaces preserved beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Earth Surface Dynamics, 3 (1). 139-152. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurfd-2-681-2014 <https://doi.org/10.5194/esurfd-2-681-2014> |
op_rights |
cc_by |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurfd-2-681-2014 |
_version_ |
1766248763308900352 |