Airborne radar evidence for tributary flow switching in Institute Ice Stream, West Antarctica: implications for ice sheet configuration and dynamics
Despite the importance of ice streaming to the evaluation of West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) stability we know little about mid- to long-term dynamic changes within the Institute Ice Stream (IIS) catchment. Here, we use airborne radio-echo sounding to investigate the subglacial topography, internal...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface |
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Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/511513/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/511513/1/Winter_et_al-2015-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research__Earth_Surface.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003518 |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:511513 2023-05-15T13:24:09+02:00 Airborne radar evidence for tributary flow switching in Institute Ice Stream, West Antarctica: implications for ice sheet configuration and dynamics Winter, Kate Woodward, John Ross, Neil Dunning, Stuart A. Bingham, Robert G. Corr, Hugh F.J. Siegert, Martin J. 2015-09 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/511513/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/511513/1/Winter_et_al-2015-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research__Earth_Surface.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003518 en eng Wiley https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/511513/1/Winter_et_al-2015-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research__Earth_Surface.pdf Winter, Kate; Woodward, John; Ross, Neil; Dunning, Stuart A.; Bingham, Robert G.; Corr, Hugh F.J.; Siegert, Martin J. 2015 Airborne radar evidence for tributary flow switching in Institute Ice Stream, West Antarctica: implications for ice sheet configuration and dynamics. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 120 (9). 1611-1625. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003518 <https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003518> cc_by_4 CC-BY Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2015 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003518 2023-02-04T19:41:57Z Despite the importance of ice streaming to the evaluation of West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) stability we know little about mid- to long-term dynamic changes within the Institute Ice Stream (IIS) catchment. Here, we use airborne radio-echo sounding to investigate the subglacial topography, internal stratigraphy and Holocene flow regime of the upper IIS catchment near the Ellsworth Mountains. Internal layer buckling within three discrete, topographically-confined tributaries, through Ellsworth, Independence and Horseshoe Valley troughs provides evidence for former enhanced ice-sheet flow. We suggest that enhanced ice flow through Independence and Ellsworth troughs, during the mid- to late-Holocene was the source of ice streaming over the region now occupied by the slow-flowing Bungenstock Ice Rise. Although buckled layers also exist within the slow-flowing ice of Horseshoe Valley Trough, a thicker sequence of surface-conformable layers in the upper ice column suggests slowdown more than ~4000 years ago, so we do not attribute enhanced flow switch-off here, to the late-Holocene ice flow reorganization. Intensely buckled englacial layers within Horseshoe Valley and Independence troughs cannot be accounted for under present day flow speeds. The dynamic nature of ice flow in IIS and its tributaries suggests that recent ice-stream switching and mass changes in the Siple Coast and Amundsen Sea Sectors are not unique to these sectors and that they may have been regular during the Holocene and may characterize the decline of the WAIS. Article in Journal/Newspaper Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Institute Ice Stream West Antarctica Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic West Antarctica Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet Siple ENVELOPE(-83.917,-83.917,-75.917,-75.917) Ellsworth Mountains ENVELOPE(-85.000,-85.000,-78.750,-78.750) Siple Coast ENVELOPE(-155.000,-155.000,-82.000,-82.000) Institute Ice Stream ENVELOPE(-75.000,-75.000,-82.000,-82.000) Horseshoe Valley ENVELOPE(-82.000,-82.000,-80.083,-80.083) Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 120 9 1611 1625 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
Despite the importance of ice streaming to the evaluation of West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) stability we know little about mid- to long-term dynamic changes within the Institute Ice Stream (IIS) catchment. Here, we use airborne radio-echo sounding to investigate the subglacial topography, internal stratigraphy and Holocene flow regime of the upper IIS catchment near the Ellsworth Mountains. Internal layer buckling within three discrete, topographically-confined tributaries, through Ellsworth, Independence and Horseshoe Valley troughs provides evidence for former enhanced ice-sheet flow. We suggest that enhanced ice flow through Independence and Ellsworth troughs, during the mid- to late-Holocene was the source of ice streaming over the region now occupied by the slow-flowing Bungenstock Ice Rise. Although buckled layers also exist within the slow-flowing ice of Horseshoe Valley Trough, a thicker sequence of surface-conformable layers in the upper ice column suggests slowdown more than ~4000 years ago, so we do not attribute enhanced flow switch-off here, to the late-Holocene ice flow reorganization. Intensely buckled englacial layers within Horseshoe Valley and Independence troughs cannot be accounted for under present day flow speeds. The dynamic nature of ice flow in IIS and its tributaries suggests that recent ice-stream switching and mass changes in the Siple Coast and Amundsen Sea Sectors are not unique to these sectors and that they may have been regular during the Holocene and may characterize the decline of the WAIS. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Winter, Kate Woodward, John Ross, Neil Dunning, Stuart A. Bingham, Robert G. Corr, Hugh F.J. Siegert, Martin J. |
spellingShingle |
Winter, Kate Woodward, John Ross, Neil Dunning, Stuart A. Bingham, Robert G. Corr, Hugh F.J. Siegert, Martin J. Airborne radar evidence for tributary flow switching in Institute Ice Stream, West Antarctica: implications for ice sheet configuration and dynamics |
author_facet |
Winter, Kate Woodward, John Ross, Neil Dunning, Stuart A. Bingham, Robert G. Corr, Hugh F.J. Siegert, Martin J. |
author_sort |
Winter, Kate |
title |
Airborne radar evidence for tributary flow switching in Institute Ice Stream, West Antarctica: implications for ice sheet configuration and dynamics |
title_short |
Airborne radar evidence for tributary flow switching in Institute Ice Stream, West Antarctica: implications for ice sheet configuration and dynamics |
title_full |
Airborne radar evidence for tributary flow switching in Institute Ice Stream, West Antarctica: implications for ice sheet configuration and dynamics |
title_fullStr |
Airborne radar evidence for tributary flow switching in Institute Ice Stream, West Antarctica: implications for ice sheet configuration and dynamics |
title_full_unstemmed |
Airborne radar evidence for tributary flow switching in Institute Ice Stream, West Antarctica: implications for ice sheet configuration and dynamics |
title_sort |
airborne radar evidence for tributary flow switching in institute ice stream, west antarctica: implications for ice sheet configuration and dynamics |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/511513/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/511513/1/Winter_et_al-2015-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research__Earth_Surface.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003518 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-83.917,-83.917,-75.917,-75.917) ENVELOPE(-85.000,-85.000,-78.750,-78.750) ENVELOPE(-155.000,-155.000,-82.000,-82.000) ENVELOPE(-75.000,-75.000,-82.000,-82.000) ENVELOPE(-82.000,-82.000,-80.083,-80.083) |
geographic |
Antarctic West Antarctica Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet Siple Ellsworth Mountains Siple Coast Institute Ice Stream Horseshoe Valley |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic West Antarctica Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet Siple Ellsworth Mountains Siple Coast Institute Ice Stream Horseshoe Valley |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Institute Ice Stream West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Institute Ice Stream West Antarctica |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/511513/1/Winter_et_al-2015-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research__Earth_Surface.pdf Winter, Kate; Woodward, John; Ross, Neil; Dunning, Stuart A.; Bingham, Robert G.; Corr, Hugh F.J.; Siegert, Martin J. 2015 Airborne radar evidence for tributary flow switching in Institute Ice Stream, West Antarctica: implications for ice sheet configuration and dynamics. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 120 (9). 1611-1625. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003518 <https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003518> |
op_rights |
cc_by_4 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003518 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface |
container_volume |
120 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
1611 |
op_container_end_page |
1625 |
_version_ |
1766377697954496512 |