Advance of East Antarctic outlet glaciers during the Hypsithermal: Implications for the volume state of the Antarctic ice sheet under global warming

Journal Article · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Geology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1991)019<1059:AOEAOG>2.3.CO;2· OSTI ID:5963776

Domack, E W ^[1]; Jull, A J.T. ^[2]; Nakao, Seizo ^[3]

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1. Hamilton College, Clinton, NY (United States)
2. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson (United States)
3. Geological Survey of Japan, Ibaraki (Japan)

The authors present the first circum-East Antarctic chronology for the Holocene, based on 17 radiocarbon dates generated by the accelerator method. Marine sediments form around East Antarctica contain a consistent, high-resolution record of terrigenous (ice-proximal) and biogenic (open-marine) sedimentation during Holocene time. This record demonstrates that biogenic sedimentation beneath the open-marine environment on the continental shelf has been restricted to approximately the past 4 ka, whereas a period of terrigenous sedimentation related to grounding line advance of ice tongues and ice shelves took place between 7 and 4 ka. An earlier period of open-marine (biogenic sedimentation) conditions following the late Pleistocene glacial maximum is recognized from the Prydz Bay (Ocean Drilling Program) record between 10.7 and 7.3 ka. Clearly, the response of outlet systems along the periphery of the East Antarctic ice sheet during the mid-Holocene was expansion. This may have been a direct consequence of climate warming during an Antarctic Hypsithermal. Temperature-accumulation relations for the Antarctic indicate that warming will cause a significant increase in accumulation rather than in ablation. Models that predict a positive mass balance (growth) of the Antarctic ice sheet under global warming are supported by the mid-Holocene data presented herein.

• OSTI ID: 5963776
• Journal Information: Geology; (United States), Journal Name: Geology; (United States) Vol. 19:11; ISSN GLGYB; ISSN 0091-7613
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540110
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
AGE ESTIMATION
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
ANTARCTICA
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14
CARBON ISOTOPES
CENOZOIC ERA
CLIMATE MODELS
CLIMATIC CHANGE
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SHELF
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
GEOLOGIC AGES
GLACIERS
ICE
ICE CAPS
ISOTOPE DATING
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUCLEI
PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
PALEONTOLOGY
POLAR REGIONS
QUATERNARY PERIOD
RADIOISOTOPES
SEDIMENTATION
SEDIMENTS
VOLUME
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES