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Ice retreat in Wilkes Basin of East Antarctica during a warm interglacial

Author

Listed:
  • T. Blackburn

    (University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC))

  • G. H. Edwards

    (University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC))

  • S. Tulaczyk

    (University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC))

  • M. Scudder

    (University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC))

  • G. Piccione

    (University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC))

  • B. Hallet

    (University of Washington)

  • N. McLean

    (University of Kansas)

  • J. C. Zachos

    (University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC))

  • B. Cheney

    (University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC))

  • J. T. Babbe

    (University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC))

Abstract

Efforts to improve sea level forecasting on a warming planet have focused on determining the temperature, sea level and extent of polar ice sheets during Earth’s past interglacial warm periods1–3. About 400,000 years ago, during the interglacial period known as Marine Isotopic Stage 11 (MIS11), the global temperature was 1 to 2 degrees Celsius greater2 and sea level was 6 to 13 metres higher1,3. Sea level estimates in excess of about 10 metres, however, have been discounted because these require a contribution from the East Antarctic Ice Sheet3, which has been argued to have remained stable for millions of years before and includes MIS114,5. Here we show how the evolution of 234U enrichment within the subglacial waters of East Antarctica recorded the ice sheet’s response to MIS11 warming. Within the Wilkes Basin, subglacial chemical precipitates of opal and calcite record accumulation of 234U (the product of rock–water contact within an isolated subglacial reservoir) up to 20 times higher than that found in marine waters. The timescales of 234U enrichment place the inception of this reservoir at MIS11. Informed by the 234U cycling observed in the Laurentide Ice Sheet, where 234U accumulated during periods of ice stability6 and was flushed to global oceans in response to deglaciation7, we interpret our East Antarctic dataset to represent ice loss within the Wilkes Basin at MIS11. The 234U accumulation within the Wilkes Basin is also observed in the McMurdo Dry Valleys brines8–10, indicating11 that the brine originated beneath the adjacent East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The marine origin of brine salts10 and bacteria12 implies that MIS11 ice loss was coupled with marine flooding. Collectively, these data indicate that during one of the warmest Pleistocene interglacials, the ice sheet margin at the Wilkes Basin retreated to near the precipitate location, about 700 kilometres inland from the current position of the ice margin, which—assuming current ice volumes—would have contributed about 3 to 4 metres13 to global sea levels.

Suggested Citation

  • T. Blackburn & G. H. Edwards & S. Tulaczyk & M. Scudder & G. Piccione & B. Hallet & N. McLean & J. C. Zachos & B. Cheney & J. T. Babbe, 2020. "Ice retreat in Wilkes Basin of East Antarctica during a warm interglacial," Nature, Nature, vol. 583(7817), pages 554-559, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:583:y:2020:i:7817:d:10.1038_s41586-020-2484-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2484-5
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. James R. Jordan & B. W. J. Miles & G. H. Gudmundsson & S. S. R. Jamieson & A. Jenkins & C. R. Stokes, 2023. "Increased warm water intrusions could cause mass loss in East Antarctica during the next 200 years," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Stewart S. R. Jamieson & Neil Ross & Guy J. G. Paxman & Fiona J. Clubb & Duncan A. Young & Shuai Yan & Jamin Greenbaum & Donald D. Blankenship & Martin J. Siegert, 2023. "An ancient river landscape preserved beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Mutsumi Iizuka & Osamu Seki & David J. Wilson & Yusuke Suganuma & Keiji Horikawa & Tina Flierdt & Minoru Ikehara & Takuya Itaki & Tomohisa Irino & Masanobu Yamamoto & Motohiro Hirabayashi & Hiroyuki M, 2023. "Multiple episodes of ice loss from the Wilkes Subglacial Basin during the Last Interglacial," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Tao Li & Laura F. Robinson & Graeme A. MacGilchrist & Tianyu Chen & Joseph A. Stewart & Andrea Burke & Maoyu Wang & Gaojun Li & Jun Chen & James W. B. Rae, 2023. "Enhanced subglacial discharge from Antarctica during meltwater pulse 1A," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Eliza J. Dawson & Dustin M. Schroeder & Winnie Chu & Elisa Mantelli & Hélène Seroussi, 2022. "Ice mass loss sensitivity to the Antarctic ice sheet basal thermal state," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Ilaria Crotti & Aurélien Quiquet & Amaelle Landais & Barbara Stenni & David J. Wilson & Mirko Severi & Robert Mulvaney & Frank Wilhelms & Carlo Barbante & Massimo Frezzotti, 2022. "Wilkes subglacial basin ice sheet response to Southern Ocean warming during late Pleistocene interglacials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    8. David K. Hutchinson & Laurie Menviel & Katrin J. Meissner & Andrew McC. Hogg, 2024. "East Antarctic warming forced by ice loss during the Last Interglacial," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.

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