Evidence for the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet divide for 1.4 million years

Andrew Hein; John Woodward; Shasta Marrero; Stuart Dunning; Eric Steig; Stewart Freeman; Finlay Stuart; Kate Winter; Matt Westoby; David Sugden

doi:10.1038/ncomms10325

Evidence for the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet divide for 1.4 million years

Andrew Hein^*, John Woodward, Shasta Marrero, Stuart Dunning, Eric Steig, Stewart Freeman, Finlay Stuart, Kate Winter, Matt Westoby, David Sugden

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Past fluctuations of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) are of fundamental interest because of the possibility of WAIS collapse in the future and a consequent rise in global sea level. However, the configuration and stability of the ice sheet during past interglacial periods remains uncertain. Here we present geomorphological evidence and multiple cosmogenic nuclide data from the southern Ellsworth Mountains to suggest that the divide of the WAIS has fluctuated only modestly in location and thickness for at least the last 1.4 million years. Fluctuations during glacial–interglacial cycles appear superimposed on a long-term trajectory of ice-surface lowering relative to the mountains. This implies that as a minimum, a regional ice sheet centred on the Ellsworth-Whitmore uplands may have survived Pleistocene warm periods. If so, it constrains the WAIS contribution to global sea level rise during interglacials to about 3.3 m above present.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	10325
Number of pages	8
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10325
Publication status	Published - 3 Feb 2016

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Hein et al - stability West Antarctic Ice sheet divideFinal published version, 511 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Evidence for the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet divide for 1.4 million years",

abstract = "Past fluctuations of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) are of fundamental interest because of the possibility of WAIS collapse in the future and a consequent rise in global sea level. However, the configuration and stability of the ice sheet during past interglacial periods remains uncertain. Here we present geomorphological evidence and multiple cosmogenic nuclide data from the southern Ellsworth Mountains to suggest that the divide of the WAIS has fluctuated only modestly in location and thickness for at least the last 1.4 million years. Fluctuations during glacial–interglacial cycles appear superimposed on a long-term trajectory of ice-surface lowering relative to the mountains. This implies that as a minimum, a regional ice sheet centred on the Ellsworth-Whitmore uplands may have survived Pleistocene warm periods. If so, it constrains the WAIS contribution to global sea level rise during interglacials to about 3.3 m above present.",

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T1 - Evidence for the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet divide for 1.4 million years

AU - Hein, Andrew

AU - Woodward, John

AU - Marrero, Shasta

AU - Dunning, Stuart

AU - Steig, Eric

AU - Freeman, Stewart

AU - Stuart, Finlay

AU - Winter, Kate

AU - Westoby, Matt

AU - Sugden, David

PY - 2016/2/3

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N2 - Past fluctuations of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) are of fundamental interest because of the possibility of WAIS collapse in the future and a consequent rise in global sea level. However, the configuration and stability of the ice sheet during past interglacial periods remains uncertain. Here we present geomorphological evidence and multiple cosmogenic nuclide data from the southern Ellsworth Mountains to suggest that the divide of the WAIS has fluctuated only modestly in location and thickness for at least the last 1.4 million years. Fluctuations during glacial–interglacial cycles appear superimposed on a long-term trajectory of ice-surface lowering relative to the mountains. This implies that as a minimum, a regional ice sheet centred on the Ellsworth-Whitmore uplands may have survived Pleistocene warm periods. If so, it constrains the WAIS contribution to global sea level rise during interglacials to about 3.3 m above present.

AB - Past fluctuations of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) are of fundamental interest because of the possibility of WAIS collapse in the future and a consequent rise in global sea level. However, the configuration and stability of the ice sheet during past interglacial periods remains uncertain. Here we present geomorphological evidence and multiple cosmogenic nuclide data from the southern Ellsworth Mountains to suggest that the divide of the WAIS has fluctuated only modestly in location and thickness for at least the last 1.4 million years. Fluctuations during glacial–interglacial cycles appear superimposed on a long-term trajectory of ice-surface lowering relative to the mountains. This implies that as a minimum, a regional ice sheet centred on the Ellsworth-Whitmore uplands may have survived Pleistocene warm periods. If so, it constrains the WAIS contribution to global sea level rise during interglacials to about 3.3 m above present.

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JF - Nature Communications

ER -

Evidence for the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet divide for 1.4 million years

Abstract

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