A conceptual model of ice shelf sedimentation

• Main Author: Mayerle, Matthew W.
• Other Authors: Powell, Ross D., Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Northern Illinois University 2014
• Subjects: Sedimentation and deposition > Antarctica; Sediments (Geology) > Antarctica; Sedimentary geology; Geology; Geomorphology; Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Shelf; Ice Shelves
• Online Access: http://commons.lib.niu.edu/handle/10843/17722

Advisors: Ross D. Powell. Committee members: Justin P. Dodd; Reed Scherer. Sedimentation studies of polar glacimarine systems remain few relative to temperate glacimarine systems due to the problem of accessibility below ice shelves. This thesis presents a conceptual model of ice shelf sedimentation at the scale of a continental shelf, which is an update of Howat and Domack's (2003) model. This update adds scale, a third dimension, a decade of research on new geologic/glaciological processes, depositional bias', and greater specificity to their model. The shelf-scale model groups facies into deformation till, glacigenic debris flows, shelfstone mud, and diatomaceous mud. Furthermore, the model is tested and shown to be capable of replicating the facies distribution and major landforms found in two distinctly different Antarctic paleo-ice stream troughs within time constraints dictated by radiometric dating. It is hoped that ideas and techniques presented by this conceptual model will serve as a launching pad for more advanced computational models in the future, which are badly needed in order to help constrain future behavior of ice sheets in a warming world. M.S. (Master of Science)