High geothermal heat flow beneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica inferred from aeromagnetic data

Geothermal heat flow in the polar regions plays a crucial role in understanding ice-sheet dynamics and predictions of sea level rise. Continental-scale indirect estimates often have a low spatial resolution and yield largest discrepancies in West Antarctica. Here we analyse geophysical data to estim...

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Main Authors: Dziadek, R., Ferraccioli, F., Gohl, K.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Nature Research 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530927/
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530927/1/s43247-021-00242-3.pdf
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-021-00242-3
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spelling ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:530927 2023-05-15T13:24:00+02:00 High geothermal heat flow beneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica inferred from aeromagnetic data Dziadek, R. Ferraccioli, F. Gohl, K. 2021-08-18 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530927/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530927/1/s43247-021-00242-3.pdf https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-021-00242-3 en eng Nature Research https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530927/1/s43247-021-00242-3.pdf Dziadek, R.; Ferraccioli, F. orcid:0000-0002-9347-4736 Gohl, K. 2021 High geothermal heat flow beneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica inferred from aeromagnetic data. Communications Earth & Environment, 2 (162). 6, pp. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00242-3 <https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00242-3> cc_by_4 CC-BY Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2021 ftnerc 2023-02-04T19:52:28Z Geothermal heat flow in the polar regions plays a crucial role in understanding ice-sheet dynamics and predictions of sea level rise. Continental-scale indirect estimates often have a low spatial resolution and yield largest discrepancies in West Antarctica. Here we analyse geophysical data to estimate geothermal heat flow in the Amundsen Sea Sector of West Antarctica. With Curie depth analysis based on a new magnetic anomaly grid compilation, we reveal variations in lithospheric thermal gradients. We show that the rapidly retreating Thwaites and Pope glaciers in particular are underlain by areas of largely elevated geothermal heat flow, which relates to the tectonic and magmatic history of the West Antarctic Rift System in this region. Our results imply that the behavior of this vulnerable sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is strongly coupled to the dynamics of the underlying lithosphere. Article in Journal/Newspaper Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Thwaites Glacier West Antarctica Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Amundsen Sea Antarctic Thwaites Glacier ENVELOPE(-106.750,-106.750,-75.500,-75.500) West Antarctic Ice Sheet West Antarctica
institution Open Polar
collection Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive
op_collection_id ftnerc
language English
description Geothermal heat flow in the polar regions plays a crucial role in understanding ice-sheet dynamics and predictions of sea level rise. Continental-scale indirect estimates often have a low spatial resolution and yield largest discrepancies in West Antarctica. Here we analyse geophysical data to estimate geothermal heat flow in the Amundsen Sea Sector of West Antarctica. With Curie depth analysis based on a new magnetic anomaly grid compilation, we reveal variations in lithospheric thermal gradients. We show that the rapidly retreating Thwaites and Pope glaciers in particular are underlain by areas of largely elevated geothermal heat flow, which relates to the tectonic and magmatic history of the West Antarctic Rift System in this region. Our results imply that the behavior of this vulnerable sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is strongly coupled to the dynamics of the underlying lithosphere.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Dziadek, R.
Ferraccioli, F.
Gohl, K.
spellingShingle Dziadek, R.
Ferraccioli, F.
Gohl, K.
High geothermal heat flow beneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica inferred from aeromagnetic data
author_facet Dziadek, R.
Ferraccioli, F.
Gohl, K.
author_sort Dziadek, R.
title High geothermal heat flow beneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica inferred from aeromagnetic data
title_short High geothermal heat flow beneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica inferred from aeromagnetic data
title_full High geothermal heat flow beneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica inferred from aeromagnetic data
title_fullStr High geothermal heat flow beneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica inferred from aeromagnetic data
title_full_unstemmed High geothermal heat flow beneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica inferred from aeromagnetic data
title_sort high geothermal heat flow beneath thwaites glacier in west antarctica inferred from aeromagnetic data
publisher Nature Research
publishDate 2021
url http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530927/
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530927/1/s43247-021-00242-3.pdf
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-021-00242-3
long_lat ENVELOPE(-106.750,-106.750,-75.500,-75.500)
geographic Amundsen Sea
Antarctic
Thwaites Glacier
West Antarctic Ice Sheet
West Antarctica
geographic_facet Amundsen Sea
Antarctic
Thwaites Glacier
West Antarctic Ice Sheet
West Antarctica
genre Amundsen Sea
Antarc*
Antarctic
Antarctica
Ice Sheet
Thwaites Glacier
West Antarctica
genre_facet Amundsen Sea
Antarc*
Antarctic
Antarctica
Ice Sheet
Thwaites Glacier
West Antarctica
op_relation https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530927/1/s43247-021-00242-3.pdf
Dziadek, R.; Ferraccioli, F. orcid:0000-0002-9347-4736
Gohl, K. 2021 High geothermal heat flow beneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica inferred from aeromagnetic data. Communications Earth & Environment, 2 (162). 6, pp. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00242-3 <https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00242-3>
op_rights cc_by_4
op_rightsnorm CC-BY
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