Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica
Subglacial meltwater drainage can enhance localized melting along grounding zones and beneath the ice shelves of marine-terminating glaciers. Efforts to constrain the evolution of subglacial hydrology and the resulting influence on ice stability in space and on decadal to millennial timescales are l...
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:532685 2023-05-15T13:41:46+02:00 Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica Lepp, A.P. Simkins, L.M. Anderson, J.B. Clark, R.W. Wellner, J.S. Hillenbrand, C.-D. Smith, J.A. Lehrmann, A.A. Totten, R. Larter, R.D. Hogan, K.A. Nitsche, F.O. Graham, A.G.C. Wacker, L. 2022-05-31 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532685/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532685/1/feart-10-863200.pdf https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.863200/full en eng Frontiers Media https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532685/1/feart-10-863200.pdf Lepp, A.P.; Simkins, L.M.; Anderson, J.B.; Clark, R.W.; Wellner, J.S.; Hillenbrand, C.-D. orcid:0000-0003-0240-7317 Smith, J.A. orcid:0000-0002-1333-2544 Lehrmann, A.A.; Totten, R.; Larter, R.D. orcid:0000-0002-8414-7389 Hogan, K.A. orcid:0000-0002-1256-8010 Nitsche, F.O.; Graham, A.G.C.; Wacker, L. 2022 Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, 863200. 19, pp. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.863200 <https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.863200> cc_by_4 CC-BY Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2022 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.863200 2023-02-04T19:53:18Z Subglacial meltwater drainage can enhance localized melting along grounding zones and beneath the ice shelves of marine-terminating glaciers. Efforts to constrain the evolution of subglacial hydrology and the resulting influence on ice stability in space and on decadal to millennial timescales are lacking. Here, we apply sedimentological, geochemical, and statistical methods to analyze sediment cores recovered offshore Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica to reconstruct meltwater drainage activity through the pre-satellite era. We find evidence for a long-lived subglacial hydrologic system beneath Thwaites Glacier and indications that meltwater plumes are the primary mechanism of sedimentation seaward of the glacier today. Detailed core stratigraphy revealed through computed tomography scanning captures variability in drainage styles and suggests greater magnitudes of sediment-laden meltwater have been delivered to the ocean in recent centuries compared to the past several thousand years. Fundamental similarities between meltwater plume deposits offshore Thwaites Glacier and those described in association with other Antarctic glacial systems imply widespread and similar subglacial hydrologic processes that occur independently of subglacial geology. In the context of Holocene changes to the Thwaites Glacier margin, it is likely that subglacial drainage enhanced submarine melt along the grounding zone and amplified ice-shelf melt driven by oceanic processes, consistent with observations of other West Antarctic glaciers today. This study highlights the necessity of accounting for the influence of subglacial hydrology on grounding-zone and ice-shelf melt in projections of future behavior of the Thwaites Glacier ice margin and marine-based glaciers around the Antarctic continent. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Thwaites Glacier West Antarctica Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic The Antarctic West Antarctica Thwaites Glacier ENVELOPE(-106.750,-106.750,-75.500,-75.500) Frontiers in Earth Science 10 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
Subglacial meltwater drainage can enhance localized melting along grounding zones and beneath the ice shelves of marine-terminating glaciers. Efforts to constrain the evolution of subglacial hydrology and the resulting influence on ice stability in space and on decadal to millennial timescales are lacking. Here, we apply sedimentological, geochemical, and statistical methods to analyze sediment cores recovered offshore Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica to reconstruct meltwater drainage activity through the pre-satellite era. We find evidence for a long-lived subglacial hydrologic system beneath Thwaites Glacier and indications that meltwater plumes are the primary mechanism of sedimentation seaward of the glacier today. Detailed core stratigraphy revealed through computed tomography scanning captures variability in drainage styles and suggests greater magnitudes of sediment-laden meltwater have been delivered to the ocean in recent centuries compared to the past several thousand years. Fundamental similarities between meltwater plume deposits offshore Thwaites Glacier and those described in association with other Antarctic glacial systems imply widespread and similar subglacial hydrologic processes that occur independently of subglacial geology. In the context of Holocene changes to the Thwaites Glacier margin, it is likely that subglacial drainage enhanced submarine melt along the grounding zone and amplified ice-shelf melt driven by oceanic processes, consistent with observations of other West Antarctic glaciers today. This study highlights the necessity of accounting for the influence of subglacial hydrology on grounding-zone and ice-shelf melt in projections of future behavior of the Thwaites Glacier ice margin and marine-based glaciers around the Antarctic continent. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lepp, A.P. Simkins, L.M. Anderson, J.B. Clark, R.W. Wellner, J.S. Hillenbrand, C.-D. Smith, J.A. Lehrmann, A.A. Totten, R. Larter, R.D. Hogan, K.A. Nitsche, F.O. Graham, A.G.C. Wacker, L. |
spellingShingle |
Lepp, A.P. Simkins, L.M. Anderson, J.B. Clark, R.W. Wellner, J.S. Hillenbrand, C.-D. Smith, J.A. Lehrmann, A.A. Totten, R. Larter, R.D. Hogan, K.A. Nitsche, F.O. Graham, A.G.C. Wacker, L. Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica |
author_facet |
Lepp, A.P. Simkins, L.M. Anderson, J.B. Clark, R.W. Wellner, J.S. Hillenbrand, C.-D. Smith, J.A. Lehrmann, A.A. Totten, R. Larter, R.D. Hogan, K.A. Nitsche, F.O. Graham, A.G.C. Wacker, L. |
author_sort |
Lepp, A.P. |
title |
Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica |
title_short |
Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica |
title_full |
Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica |
title_sort |
sedimentary signatures of persistent subglacial meltwater drainage from thwaites glacier, antarctica |
publisher |
Frontiers Media |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532685/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532685/1/feart-10-863200.pdf https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.863200/full |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-106.750,-106.750,-75.500,-75.500) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic West Antarctica Thwaites Glacier |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic West Antarctica Thwaites Glacier |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Thwaites Glacier West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Thwaites Glacier West Antarctica |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532685/1/feart-10-863200.pdf Lepp, A.P.; Simkins, L.M.; Anderson, J.B.; Clark, R.W.; Wellner, J.S.; Hillenbrand, C.-D. orcid:0000-0003-0240-7317 Smith, J.A. orcid:0000-0002-1333-2544 Lehrmann, A.A.; Totten, R.; Larter, R.D. orcid:0000-0002-8414-7389 Hogan, K.A. orcid:0000-0002-1256-8010 Nitsche, F.O.; Graham, A.G.C.; Wacker, L. 2022 Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, 863200. 19, pp. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.863200 <https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.863200> |
op_rights |
cc_by_4 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.863200 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Earth Science |
container_volume |
10 |
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1766157894144753664 |