Decadal-scale onset and termination of Antarctic ice-mass loss during the last deglaciation
Decadal-scale onset and termination of Antarctic ice-mass loss during the last deglaciation
Emerging ice-sheet modeling suggests once initiated, retreat of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) can continue for centuries. Unfortunately, the short observational record cannot resolve the tipping points, rate of change, and timescale of responses. Iceberg-rafted debris data from Iceberg Alley identify eight retreat phases after the Last Glacial Maximum that each destabilized the AIS within a decade, contributing to global sea-level rise for centuries to a millennium, which subsequently re-stabilized equally rapidly. This dynamic response of the AIS is supported by (i) a West Antarctic blue ice record of ice-elevation drawdown >600 m during three such retreat events related to globally recognized deglacial meltwater pulses, (ii) step-wise retreat up to 400 km across the Ross Sea shelf, (iii) independent ice sheet modeling, and (iv) tipping point analysis. Our findings are consistent with a growing body of evidence suggesting the recent acceleration of AIS mass loss may mark the beginning of a prolonged period of ice sheet retreat and substantial global sea level rise.
Weber, Michael E.
17f8a8e3-8d43-4065-bb67-8a2a6f93745e
Golledge, Nicholas R.
6e5f88b4-366b-49f9-81fe-3354a1bd7d88
Fogwill, Chris J.
3bad6ae9-5a6d-467e-b523-9d5ed0147455
Turney, Chris S.M.
5149b57c-77c2-4375-97a2-a4f00aa74d97
Thomas, Zoë A.
4b512d3a-3478-4270-9fdd-61256aa640d3
18 November 2021
Weber, Michael E.
17f8a8e3-8d43-4065-bb67-8a2a6f93745e
Golledge, Nicholas R.
6e5f88b4-366b-49f9-81fe-3354a1bd7d88
Fogwill, Chris J.
3bad6ae9-5a6d-467e-b523-9d5ed0147455
Turney, Chris S.M.
5149b57c-77c2-4375-97a2-a4f00aa74d97
Thomas, Zoë A.
4b512d3a-3478-4270-9fdd-61256aa640d3
Weber, Michael E., Golledge, Nicholas R., Fogwill, Chris J., Turney, Chris S.M. and Thomas, Zoë A.
(2021)
Decadal-scale onset and termination of Antarctic ice-mass loss during the last deglaciation.
Nature Communications, 12 (1), [6683].
(doi:10.1038/s41467-021-27053-6).
Abstract
Emerging ice-sheet modeling suggests once initiated, retreat of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) can continue for centuries. Unfortunately, the short observational record cannot resolve the tipping points, rate of change, and timescale of responses. Iceberg-rafted debris data from Iceberg Alley identify eight retreat phases after the Last Glacial Maximum that each destabilized the AIS within a decade, contributing to global sea-level rise for centuries to a millennium, which subsequently re-stabilized equally rapidly. This dynamic response of the AIS is supported by (i) a West Antarctic blue ice record of ice-elevation drawdown >600 m during three such retreat events related to globally recognized deglacial meltwater pulses, (ii) step-wise retreat up to 400 km across the Ross Sea shelf, (iii) independent ice sheet modeling, and (iv) tipping point analysis. Our findings are consistent with a growing body of evidence suggesting the recent acceleration of AIS mass loss may mark the beginning of a prolonged period of ice sheet retreat and substantial global sea level rise.
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Accepted/In Press date: 2 November 2021
Published date: 18 November 2021
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
Funding for this research was provided by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG–Priority Programme 527, Grant We2039/14-1 (M.E.W.). N.R.G is supported by fellowship VUW1501 from the Royal Society Te Aparangi. C.J.F. and C.S.M.T. and Z.A.T. are supported by their respective Australian Research Council (ARC) fellowships as well as ARC grant DP210103621 (to all). Fieldwork at the Patriot Hills site was undertaken under ARC Linkage Project (LP120200724), supported by Linkage Partner Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions whose support we gratefully acknowledge.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 476096
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/476096
ISSN: 2041-1723
PURE UUID: 5ba1e116-0d0b-45aa-ae4f-94bd09e37803
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Date deposited: 12 Apr 2023 14:06
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 04:10
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Contributors
Author:
Michael E. Weber
Author:
Nicholas R. Golledge
Author:
Chris J. Fogwill
Author:
Chris S.M. Turney
Author:
Zoë A. Thomas
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