Mid-Holocene thinning of David Glacier, Antarctica: chronology and controls
Quantitative satellite observations only provide an assessment of ice sheet mass loss over the last four decades. To assess long-term drivers of ice sheet change, geological records are needed. Here we present the first millennial-scale reconstruction of David Glacier, the largest East Antarctic out...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
European Geosciences Union
2021
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dro.dur.ac.uk/34845/ http://dro.dur.ac.uk/34845/1/34845.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021 |
id |
ftunivdurham:oai:dro.dur.ac.uk.OAI2:34845 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivdurham:oai:dro.dur.ac.uk.OAI2:34845 2023-05-15T13:37:59+02:00 Mid-Holocene thinning of David Glacier, Antarctica: chronology and controls Stutz, Jamey Mackintosh, Andrew Norton, Kevin Whitmore, Ross Maroni, Carlo Jamieson, Stewart S. R. Jones, Richard S. Balco, Greg Salvatore, Maria Cristina Casale, Stefano Lee, Jae Il Seong, Yeong Bae McKay, Robert Vargo, Lauren J. Lowry, Daniel Spector, Perry Christl, Marcus Ochs, Susan Ivy Nicola, Luigia Di Iarossi, Maria Stuart, Finlay Woodruff, Tom 2021 application/pdf http://dro.dur.ac.uk/34845/ http://dro.dur.ac.uk/34845/1/34845.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021 unknown European Geosciences Union dro:34845 issn:1994-0416 issn: 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021 http://dro.dur.ac.uk/34845/ https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021 http://dro.dur.ac.uk/34845/1/34845.pdf © Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. CC-BY The Cryosphere, 2021, Vol.15(12), pp.5447-5471 [Peer Reviewed Journal] Article PeerReviewed 2021 ftunivdurham https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021 2021-12-09T23:24:34Z Quantitative satellite observations only provide an assessment of ice sheet mass loss over the last four decades. To assess long-term drivers of ice sheet change, geological records are needed. Here we present the first millennial-scale reconstruction of David Glacier, the largest East Antarctic outlet glacier in Victoria Land. To reconstruct changes in ice thickness, we use surface exposure ages of glacial erratics deposited on nunataks adjacent to fast-flowing sections of David Glacier. We then use numerical modelling experiments to determine the drivers of glacial thinning. Thinning profiles derived from 45 10Be and 3He surface exposure ages show David Glacier experienced rapid thinning of up to 2 m/yr during the mid-Holocene (∼ 6.5 ka). Thinning slowed at 6 ka, suggesting the initial formation of the Drygalski Ice Tongue at this time. Our work, along with ice thinning records from adjacent glaciers, shows simultaneous glacier thinning in this sector of the Transantarctic Mountains occurred 4–7 kyr after the peak period of ice thinning indicated in a suite of published ice sheet models. The timing and rapidity of the reconstructed thinning at David Glacier is similar to reconstructions in the Amundsen and Weddell embayments. To identify the drivers of glacier thinning along the David Glacier, we use a glacier flowline model designed for calving glaciers and compare modelled results against our geological data. We show that glacier thinning and marine-based grounding-line retreat are controlled by either enhanced sub-ice-shelf melting, reduced lateral buttressing or a combination of the two, leading to marine ice sheet instability. Such rapid glacier thinning events during the mid-Holocene are not fully captured in continental- or catchment-scale numerical modelling reconstructions. Together, our chronology and modelling identify and constrain the drivers of a ∼ 2000-year period of dynamic glacier thinning in the recent geological past. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica David Glacier Ice Sheet Ice Shelf The Cryosphere Victoria Land Durham University: Durham Research Online Antarctic David Glacier ENVELOPE(160.000,160.000,-75.333,-75.333) Drygalski ENVELOPE(-61.000,-61.000,-64.717,-64.717) Drygalski Ice Tongue ENVELOPE(163.500,163.500,-75.400,-75.400) Transantarctic Mountains Victoria Land Weddell The Cryosphere 15 12 5447 5471 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Durham University: Durham Research Online |
op_collection_id |
ftunivdurham |
language |
unknown |
description |
Quantitative satellite observations only provide an assessment of ice sheet mass loss over the last four decades. To assess long-term drivers of ice sheet change, geological records are needed. Here we present the first millennial-scale reconstruction of David Glacier, the largest East Antarctic outlet glacier in Victoria Land. To reconstruct changes in ice thickness, we use surface exposure ages of glacial erratics deposited on nunataks adjacent to fast-flowing sections of David Glacier. We then use numerical modelling experiments to determine the drivers of glacial thinning. Thinning profiles derived from 45 10Be and 3He surface exposure ages show David Glacier experienced rapid thinning of up to 2 m/yr during the mid-Holocene (∼ 6.5 ka). Thinning slowed at 6 ka, suggesting the initial formation of the Drygalski Ice Tongue at this time. Our work, along with ice thinning records from adjacent glaciers, shows simultaneous glacier thinning in this sector of the Transantarctic Mountains occurred 4–7 kyr after the peak period of ice thinning indicated in a suite of published ice sheet models. The timing and rapidity of the reconstructed thinning at David Glacier is similar to reconstructions in the Amundsen and Weddell embayments. To identify the drivers of glacier thinning along the David Glacier, we use a glacier flowline model designed for calving glaciers and compare modelled results against our geological data. We show that glacier thinning and marine-based grounding-line retreat are controlled by either enhanced sub-ice-shelf melting, reduced lateral buttressing or a combination of the two, leading to marine ice sheet instability. Such rapid glacier thinning events during the mid-Holocene are not fully captured in continental- or catchment-scale numerical modelling reconstructions. Together, our chronology and modelling identify and constrain the drivers of a ∼ 2000-year period of dynamic glacier thinning in the recent geological past. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Stutz, Jamey Mackintosh, Andrew Norton, Kevin Whitmore, Ross Maroni, Carlo Jamieson, Stewart S. R. Jones, Richard S. Balco, Greg Salvatore, Maria Cristina Casale, Stefano Lee, Jae Il Seong, Yeong Bae McKay, Robert Vargo, Lauren J. Lowry, Daniel Spector, Perry Christl, Marcus Ochs, Susan Ivy Nicola, Luigia Di Iarossi, Maria Stuart, Finlay Woodruff, Tom |
spellingShingle |
Stutz, Jamey Mackintosh, Andrew Norton, Kevin Whitmore, Ross Maroni, Carlo Jamieson, Stewart S. R. Jones, Richard S. Balco, Greg Salvatore, Maria Cristina Casale, Stefano Lee, Jae Il Seong, Yeong Bae McKay, Robert Vargo, Lauren J. Lowry, Daniel Spector, Perry Christl, Marcus Ochs, Susan Ivy Nicola, Luigia Di Iarossi, Maria Stuart, Finlay Woodruff, Tom Mid-Holocene thinning of David Glacier, Antarctica: chronology and controls |
author_facet |
Stutz, Jamey Mackintosh, Andrew Norton, Kevin Whitmore, Ross Maroni, Carlo Jamieson, Stewart S. R. Jones, Richard S. Balco, Greg Salvatore, Maria Cristina Casale, Stefano Lee, Jae Il Seong, Yeong Bae McKay, Robert Vargo, Lauren J. Lowry, Daniel Spector, Perry Christl, Marcus Ochs, Susan Ivy Nicola, Luigia Di Iarossi, Maria Stuart, Finlay Woodruff, Tom |
author_sort |
Stutz, Jamey |
title |
Mid-Holocene thinning of David Glacier, Antarctica: chronology and controls |
title_short |
Mid-Holocene thinning of David Glacier, Antarctica: chronology and controls |
title_full |
Mid-Holocene thinning of David Glacier, Antarctica: chronology and controls |
title_fullStr |
Mid-Holocene thinning of David Glacier, Antarctica: chronology and controls |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mid-Holocene thinning of David Glacier, Antarctica: chronology and controls |
title_sort |
mid-holocene thinning of david glacier, antarctica: chronology and controls |
publisher |
European Geosciences Union |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://dro.dur.ac.uk/34845/ http://dro.dur.ac.uk/34845/1/34845.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(160.000,160.000,-75.333,-75.333) ENVELOPE(-61.000,-61.000,-64.717,-64.717) ENVELOPE(163.500,163.500,-75.400,-75.400) |
geographic |
Antarctic David Glacier Drygalski Drygalski Ice Tongue Transantarctic Mountains Victoria Land Weddell |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic David Glacier Drygalski Drygalski Ice Tongue Transantarctic Mountains Victoria Land Weddell |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica David Glacier Ice Sheet Ice Shelf The Cryosphere Victoria Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica David Glacier Ice Sheet Ice Shelf The Cryosphere Victoria Land |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, 2021, Vol.15(12), pp.5447-5471 [Peer Reviewed Journal] |
op_relation |
dro:34845 issn:1994-0416 issn: 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021 http://dro.dur.ac.uk/34845/ https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021 http://dro.dur.ac.uk/34845/1/34845.pdf |
op_rights |
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
15 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
5447 |
op_container_end_page |
5471 |
_version_ |
1766100308306427904 |