Organization of ice flow by localized regions of elevated geothermal heat flux

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Pittard, ML, Galton-Fenzi, BK, Roberts, JL, Watson, CS
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Amer Geophysical Union 2016
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience; Glaciology; Amery; East Antarctica; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068436; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/114790

The impact of localized regions of elevated geothermal heat flux on ice sheet dynamics is largely unknown. Simulations of ice dynamics are produced using poorly resolved and low-resolution estimates of geothermal heat flux. Observations of crustal heat production within the continental crust underneath the Lambert-Amery glacial system in East Antarctica indicate that high heat flux regions of at least 120mWm −2 exist. Here we investigate the influence of simulated but plausible, localized regions of elevated geothermal heat flux on ice dynamics using a numerical ice sheet model of the Lambert-Amery glacial system. We find that high heat flux regions have a significant effect across areas of slow-moving ice with the influence extending both upstream and downstream of the geothermal anomaly, while fast-moving ice is relatively unaffected. Our results suggest that localized regions of elevated geothermal heat flux may play an important role in the organization of ice sheet flow.