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West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat driven by Holocene warm water incursions

Author

Listed:
  • Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand

    (British Antarctic Survey, High Cross)

  • James A. Smith

    (British Antarctic Survey, High Cross)

  • David A. Hodell

    (Cambridge University)

  • Mervyn Greaves

    (Cambridge University)

  • Christopher R. Poole

    (University of Leicester
    University College London)

  • Sev Kender

    (Camborne School of Mines
    British Geological Survey)

  • Mark Williams

    (University of Leicester)

  • Thorbjørn Joest Andersen

    (Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen)

  • Patrycja E. Jernas

    (University of Tromsø — The Arctic University of Norway)

  • Henry Elderfield

    (Cambridge University)

  • Johann P. Klages

    (Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung)

  • Stephen J. Roberts

    (British Antarctic Survey, High Cross)

  • Karsten Gohl

    (Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung)

  • Robert D. Larter

    (British Antarctic Survey, High Cross)

  • Gerhard Kuhn

    (Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung)

Abstract

Glaciological and oceanographic observations coupled with numerical models show that warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) incursions onto the West Antarctic continental shelf cause melting of the undersides of floating ice shelves. Because these ice shelves buttress glaciers feeding into them, their ocean-induced thinning is driving Antarctic ice-sheet retreat today. Here we present a multi-proxy data based reconstruction of variability in CDW inflow to the Amundsen Sea sector, the most vulnerable part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, during the Holocene epoch (from 11.7 thousand years ago to the present). The chemical compositions of foraminifer shells and benthic foraminifer assemblages in marine sediments indicate that enhanced CDW upwelling, controlled by the latitudinal position of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds, forced deglaciation of this sector from at least 10,400 years ago until 7,500 years ago—when an ice-shelf collapse may have caused rapid ice-sheet thinning further upstream—and since the 1940s. These results increase confidence in the predictive capability of current ice-sheet models.

Suggested Citation

  • Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand & James A. Smith & David A. Hodell & Mervyn Greaves & Christopher R. Poole & Sev Kender & Mark Williams & Thorbjørn Joest Andersen & Patrycja E. Jernas & Henry Elderfield & Jo, 2017. "West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat driven by Holocene warm water incursions," Nature, Nature, vol. 547(7661), pages 43-48, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:547:y:2017:i:7661:d:10.1038_nature22995
    DOI: 10.1038/nature22995
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    Cited by:

    1. Adam D. Sproson & Yusuke Yokoyama & Yosuke Miyairi & Takahiro Aze & Rebecca L. Totten, 2022. "Holocene melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet driven by tropical Pacific warming," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Federica Donda & Michele Rebesco & Vedrana Kovacevic & Alessandro Silvano & Manuel Bensi & Laura Santis & Yair Rosenthal & Fiorenza Torricella & Luca Baradello & Davide Gei & Amy Leventer & Alix Post , 2024. "Footprint of sustained poleward warm water flow within East Antarctic submarine canyons," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.

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