Evolution of the Cook Ice Cap (Kerguelen Islands) between the last centuries and 2100 ce based on cosmogenic dating and glacio-climatic modelling

The Cook Ice Cap (CIC) on the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Islands recently experienced extremely negative surface mass balance. Further deglaciation could have important impacts on endemic and invasive fauna and flora. To put this exceptional glacier evolution into a multi-centennial-scale context, we r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antarctic Science
Main Authors: Verfaillie, Deborah, Charton, Joanna, Schimmelpfennig, Irene, Stroebele, Zoe, Jomelli, Vincent, Bétard, François, Favier, Vincent, Cavero, Julien, Berthier, Etienne, Goosse, Hugues, Rinterknecht, Vincent, Legentil, Claude, Charrassin, Raphaelle, Aumaître, Georges, Bourlès, Didier L., Keddadouche, Karim
Other Authors: UCL - SST/ELI/ELIC - Earth & Climate
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2021
Subjects:
Geology
Ecology
Evolution
Behavior and Systematics
Oceanography
Antarctic
Kerguelen
Kerguelen Islands
Indian
Antarc*
Antarctic Science
Ice cap
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/248950
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102021000080
Description
Summary:The Cook Ice Cap (CIC) on the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Islands recently experienced extremely negative surface mass balance. Further deglaciation could have important impacts on endemic and invasive fauna and flora. To put this exceptional glacier evolution into a multi-centennial-scale context, we refined the evolution of the CIC over the last millennium, investigated the associated climate conditions and explored its potential evolution by 2100 ce. A glaciological model, constrained by cosmic ray exposure dating of moraines, historical documents and recent direct mass balance observations, was used to simulate the ice-cap extents during different phases of advance and retreat between the last millennium and 2100 ce. Cosmogenic dating suggests glacial advance around the early Little Ice Age (LIA), consistent with findings from other sub-Antarctic studies, and the rather cold and humid conditions brought about by the negative phase of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). This study contributes to our currently limited understanding of palaeoclimate for the early LIA in the southern Indian Ocean. Glaciological modelling and observations confirm the recent decrease in CIC extent linked to the intensification of the SAM. Although affected by large uncertainties, future simulations suggest a complete disappearance of CIC by the end of the century.

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