Reactivation of Kamb Ice Stream tributaries triggers century-scale reorganization of Siple Coast ice flow in West Antarctica
Abstract
Ongoing, centennial-scale flow variability within the Ross ice streams of West Antarctica suggests that the present-day positive mass balance in this region may reverse in the future. Here we use a three-dimensional ice sheet model to simulate ice flow in this region over 250 years. The flow responds to changing basal properties, as a subglacial till layer interacts with water transported in an active subglacial hydrological system. We show that a persistent weak bed beneath the tributaries of the dormant Kamb Ice Stream is a source of internal ice flow instability, which reorganizes all ice streams in this region, leading to a reduced (positive) mass balance within decades and a net loss of ice within two centuries. This hitherto unaccounted for flow variability could raise sea level by 5 mm this century. Furthermore, better constraints on future sea level change from this region will require improved estimates of geothermal heat flux and subglacial water transport.
- Authors:
-
- Univ. of Cambridge, Cambridge (United Kingdom)
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Univ. of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States)
- Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, CA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1255085
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-15-27433
Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NE/E005950/1; NE/J005800/1; 0338295; ANT-0838885; AC52-06NA25396
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 42; Journal Issue: 20; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES; 97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
Citation Formats
Bougamont, M., Christoffersen, P., Price, S. F., Fricker, H. A., Tulaczyk, S., and Carter, S. P. Reactivation of Kamb Ice Stream tributaries triggers century-scale reorganization of Siple Coast ice flow in West Antarctica. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1002/2015GL065782.
Bougamont, M., Christoffersen, P., Price, S. F., Fricker, H. A., Tulaczyk, S., & Carter, S. P. Reactivation of Kamb Ice Stream tributaries triggers century-scale reorganization of Siple Coast ice flow in West Antarctica. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL065782
Bougamont, M., Christoffersen, P., Price, S. F., Fricker, H. A., Tulaczyk, S., and Carter, S. P. Wed .
"Reactivation of Kamb Ice Stream tributaries triggers century-scale reorganization of Siple Coast ice flow in West Antarctica". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL065782. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1255085.
@article{osti_1255085,
title = {Reactivation of Kamb Ice Stream tributaries triggers century-scale reorganization of Siple Coast ice flow in West Antarctica},
author = {Bougamont, M. and Christoffersen, P. and Price, S. F. and Fricker, H. A. and Tulaczyk, S. and Carter, S. P.},
abstractNote = {Ongoing, centennial-scale flow variability within the Ross ice streams of West Antarctica suggests that the present-day positive mass balance in this region may reverse in the future. Here we use a three-dimensional ice sheet model to simulate ice flow in this region over 250 years. The flow responds to changing basal properties, as a subglacial till layer interacts with water transported in an active subglacial hydrological system. We show that a persistent weak bed beneath the tributaries of the dormant Kamb Ice Stream is a source of internal ice flow instability, which reorganizes all ice streams in this region, leading to a reduced (positive) mass balance within decades and a net loss of ice within two centuries. This hitherto unaccounted for flow variability could raise sea level by 5 mm this century. Furthermore, better constraints on future sea level change from this region will require improved estimates of geothermal heat flux and subglacial water transport.},
doi = {10.1002/2015GL065782},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
number = 20,
volume = 42,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 21 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Wed Oct 21 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
Other availability
Search WorldCat to find libraries that may hold this journal
Cited by: 20 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science
Web of Science
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.
Works referenced in this record:
Volume loss from Antarctic ice shelves is accelerating
journal, March 2015
- Paolo, F. S.; Fricker, H. A.; Padman, L.
- Science, Vol. 348, Issue 6232
Melting and freezing beneath the Ross ice streams, Antarctica
journal, January 2004
- Joughin, Ian; Tulaczyk, Slawek; MacAyeal, Douglas R.
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 50, Issue 168
Observations beneath Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica and implications for its retreat
journal, June 2010
- Jenkins, Adrian; Dutrieux, Pierre; Jacobs, Stanley S.
- Nature Geoscience, Vol. 3, Issue 7
Consistent approximations and boundary conditions for ice-sheet dynamics from a principle of least action
journal, January 2010
- Dukowicz, John K.; Price, Stephen F.; Lipscomb, William H.
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 56, Issue 197
Shear measurements across the northern margin of Whillans Ice Stream
journal, January 2007
- Van Der Veen, C. J.; Jezek, K. C.; Stearns, L.
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 53, Issue 180
Century-scale discharge stagnation and reactivation of the Ross ice streams, West Antarctica
journal, January 2007
- Hulbe, C.; Fahnestock, M.
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 112, Issue F3
Basal hydraulic system of a West Antarctic ice stream: constraints from borehole observations
journal, January 1997
- Engelhardt, Hermann; Kamb, Barclay
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 43, Issue 144
Heat Flux Anomalies in Antarctica Revealed by Satellite Magnetic Data
journal, July 2005
- Maule, C. F.
- Science, Vol. 309, Issue 5733
Bed reflectivity beneath inactive ice streams in West Antarctica
journal, January 2003
- Catania, Ginny A.; Conway, Howard B.; Gades, Anthony M.
- Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 36
Subglacial conditions during and after stoppage of an Antarctic Ice Stream: Is reactivation imminent?: REACTIVATION OF KAMB ICE STREAM?
journal, July 2005
- Vogel, S. W.; Tulaczyk, S.; Kamb, B.
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 32, Issue 14
Energy balance of ice streams
journal, January 2000
- Raymond, C. F.
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 46, Issue 155
Post-stagnation behavior in the upstream regions of Ice Stream C, West Antarctica
journal, January 2001
- Price, S. F.; Bindschadler, R. A.; Hulbe, C. L.
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 47, Issue 157
Spatial variation of radar-derived basal conditions on Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctica
journal, January 2009
- Jacobel, Robert W.; Welch, Brian C.; Osterhouse, David
- Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 50, Issue 51
Sequential stagnation of Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctica
journal, January 2006
- Catania, G. A.; Scambos, T. A.; Conway, H.
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 33, Issue 14
Subglacial Lake Whillans — Ice-penetrating radar and GPS observations of a shallow active reservoir beneath a West Antarctic ice stream
journal, May 2012
- Christianson, Knut; Jacobel, Robert W.; Horgan, Huw J.
- Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 331-332
Subglacial hydrology and the formation of ice streams
journal, January 2014
- Kyrke-Smith, T. M.; Katz, R. F.; Fowler, A. C.
- Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 470, Issue 2161
Grounding-line dynamics and margin lakes
journal, January 2014
- Fried, M. J.; Hulbe, C. L.; Fahnestock, M. A.
- Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 55, Issue 66
Tributaries of West Antarctic Ice Streams Revealed by RADARSAT Interferometry
journal, October 1999
- Joughin, I.
- Science, Vol. 286, Issue 5438
Committed sea-level rise for the next century from Greenland ice sheet dynamics during the past decade
journal, May 2011
- Price, S. F.; Payne, A. J.; Howat, I. M.
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 108, Issue 22
Variability in the mass flux of the Ross ice streams, West Antarctica, over the last millennium
journal, January 2012
- Catania, Ginny; Hulbe, Christina; Conway, Howard
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 58, Issue 210
Changes in the margin of Ice Stream C, Antarctica
journal, January 2000
- Jacobel, R. W.; Scambos, T. A.; Nereson, N. A.
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 46, Issue 152
Deformation-induced melting in the margins of the West Antarctic ice streams
journal, May 2014
- Suckale, Jenny; Platt, John D.; Perol, Thibaut
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, Vol. 119, Issue 5
Static grounding lines and dynamic ice streams: Evidence from the Siple Coast, West Antarctica: SIPLE COAST GROUNDING LINE
journal, September 2006
- Horgan, H. J.; Anandakrishnan, S.
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 33, Issue 18
Variable deceleration of Whillans Ice Stream, West Antarctica
journal, February 2014
- Beem, L. H.; Tulaczyk, S. M.; King, M. A.
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, Vol. 119, Issue 2
Basal mechanics of Ice Stream B, west Antarctica: 2. Undrained plastic bed model
journal, January 2000
- Tulaczyk, Slawek; Kamb, W. Barclay; Engelhardt, Hermann F.
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 105, Issue B1
Extensive dynamic thinning on the margins of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets
journal, September 2009
- Pritchard, Hamish D.; Arthern, Robert J.; Vaughan, David G.
- Nature, Vol. 461, Issue 7266
Shallow shelf approximation as a “sliding law” in a thermomechanically coupled ice sheet model
journal, January 2009
- Bueler, Ed; Brown, Jed
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 114, Issue F3
Dynamic patterns of ice stream flow in a 3-D higher-order ice sheet model with plastic bed and simplified hydrology
journal, January 2011
- Bougamont, M.; Price, S.; Christoffersen, P.
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 116, Issue F4
A new three-dimensional higher-order thermomechanical ice sheet model: Basic sensitivity, ice stream development, and ice flow across subglacial lakes
journal, January 2003
- Pattyn, Frank
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 108, Issue B8
Velocity and stress fields in grounded glaciers: a simple algorithm for including deviatoric stress gradients
journal, January 1995
- Blatter, Heinz
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 41, Issue 138
A decade of West Antarctic subglacial lake interactions from combined ICESat and CryoSat-2 altimetry
journal, February 2014
- Siegfried, Matthew R.; Fricker, Helen A.; Roberts, Mackenzie
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 41, Issue 3
Inferring surface heat flux distributions guided by a global seismic model: particular application to Antarctica
journal, June 2004
- Shapiro, N.
- Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 223, Issue 1-2
Stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet in a warming world
journal, July 2011
- Joughin, Ian; Alley, Richard B.
- Nature Geoscience, Vol. 4, Issue 8
Switch of flow direction in an Antarctic ice stream
journal, October 2002
- Conway, H.; Catania, G.; Raymond, C. F.
- Nature, Vol. 419, Issue 6906
Transmission of stress between an ice stream and interstream ridge
journal, January 2001
- Whillans, I. M.; van der Veen, C. J.
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 47, Issue 158
The supply of subglacial meltwater to the grounding line of the Siple Coast, West Antarctica
journal, January 2012
- Carter, S. P.; Fricker, H. A.
- Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 53, Issue 60
Flow speed within the Antarctic ice sheet and its controls inferred from satellite observations: FLOW SPEED IN THE ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET
journal, July 2015
- Arthern, Robert J.; Hindmarsh, Richard C. A.; Williams, C. Rosie
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, Vol. 120, Issue 7
Positive Mass Balance of the Ross Ice Streams, West Antarctica
journal, January 2002
- Joughin, I.
- Science, Vol. 295, Issue 5554
Thermal regime and dynamics of the West Antarctic ice sheet
journal, January 2004
- Engelhardt, Hermann
- Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 39
Thermal effects on the location of ice stream margins
journal, June 1998
- Jacobson, H. P.; Raymond, C. F.
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 103, Issue B6
The influence of subglacial hydrology on the flow of Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctica: ICE STREAM SUBGLACIAL HYDROLOGY
journal, February 2013
- van der Wel, Narelle; Christoffersen, Poul; Bougamont, Marion
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, Vol. 118, Issue 1
A Reconciled Estimate of Ice-Sheet Mass Balance
journal, November 2012
- Shepherd, A.; Ivins, E. R.; A., G.
- Science, Vol. 338, Issue 6111
Stagnation of Ice Stream C, West Antarctica by water piracy
journal, February 1997
- Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; Alley, Richard B.
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 24, Issue 3
On the mechanics of ice-stream shear margins
journal, January 2004
- Schoof, Christian
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 50, Issue 169
Response of subglacial sediments to basal freeze-on 2. Application in numerical modeling of the recent stoppage of Ice Stream C, West Antarctica: SUBGLACIAL RESPONSE TO BASAL FREEZE-ON, 2
journal, April 2003
- Bougamont, Marion; Tulaczyk, Slawek; Joughin, Ian
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 108, Issue B4
A subglacial water-flow model for West Antarctica
journal, January 2009
- Le Brocq, A. M.; Payne, A. J.; Siegert, M. J.
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 55, Issue 193
Antarctic snow accumulation mapped using polarization of 4.3-cm wavelength microwave emission
journal, January 2006
- Arthern, Robert J.; Winebrenner, Dale P.; Vaughan, David G.
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 111, Issue D6
Ice velocity changes in the Ross and Ronne sectors observed using satellite radar data from 1997 and 2009
journal, January 2012
- Scheuchl, B.; Mouginot, J.; Rignot, E.
- The Cryosphere, Vol. 6, Issue 5
Regular Patterns in Frictional Resistance of Ice-Stream Beds Seen by Surface Data Inversion
journal, November 2013
- Sergienko, O. V.; Hindmarsh, R. C. A.
- Science, Vol. 342, Issue 6162
WISSARD at Subglacial Lake Whillans, West Antarctica: scientific operations and initial observations
journal, January 2014
- Tulaczyk, Slawek; Mikucki, Jill A.; Siegfried, Matthew R.
- Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 55, Issue 65
Numerical investigations of the slow-down of Whillans Ice Stream, West Antarctica: is it shutting down like Ice Stream C?
journal, January 2003
- Bougamont, Marion; Tulaczyk, Slawek; Joughin, Ian
- Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 37
Changes in the configuration of ice stream flow from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
journal, March 1996
- Jacobel, Robert W.; Scambos, Theodore A.; Raymond, Charles F.
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 101, Issue B3
Dilatant till layer near the onset of streaming flow of Ice Stream C, West Antarctica, determined by AVO (amplitude vs offset) analysis
journal, January 2003
- Anandakrishnan, Sridhar
- Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 36
Movement of Water in Glaciers
journal, January 1972
- Shreve, R. L.
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 11, Issue 62
Timing of stagnation of Ice Stream C, West Antarctica, from short-pulse radar studies of buried surface crevasses
journal, January 1993
- Retzlaff, Rory; Bentley, Charles R.
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 39, Issue 133
Response of subglacial sediments to basal freeze-on 1. Theory and comparison to observations from beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet: SUBGLACIAL RESPONSE TO BASAL FREEZE-ON, 1
journal, April 2003
- Christoffersen, Poul; Tulaczyk, Slawek
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 108, Issue B4
Force balance along an inland tributary and onset to Ice Stream D, West Antarctica
journal, January 2002
- Price, Stephen F.; Bindschadler, Robert A.; Hulbe, Christina L.
- Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 48, Issue 160
Dynamics of ice stream temporal variability: Modes, scales, and hysteresis: ICE STREAM TEMPORAL VARIABILITY
journal, May 2013
- Robel, A. A.; DeGiuli, E.; Schoof, C.
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, Vol. 118, Issue 2
Ice Stream C, Antarctica, sticky spots detected by microearthquake monitoring
journal, January 1994
- Anandakrishnan, S.; Alley, R. B.
- Annals of Glaciology, Vol. 20
Basal Zone of the West Antarctic Ice Streams and its Role in Lubrication of Their Rapid Motion
book, January 2001
- Kamb, Barclay
- The West Antarctic Ice Sheet: Behavior and Environment
Ice Stream Shear Margins
book, March 2013
- Raymond, C. F.; Echelmeyer, K. A.; Whillans, I. M.
- The West Antarctic Ice Sheet: Behavior and Environment
Works referencing / citing this record:
Contrasting Hydrological Controls on Bed Properties During the Acceleration of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica
journal, January 2019
- Bougamont, M.; Christoffersen, P.; Nias, I.
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, Vol. 124, Issue 1
Tremor during ice stream stick-slip
journal, January 2015
- Lipovsky, B. P.; Dunham, E. M.
- The Cryosphere Discussions, Vol. 9, Issue 5
Antarctic subglacial lakes drain through sediment-floored canals: theory and model testing on real and idealized domains
journal, January 2017
- Carter, Sasha P.; Fricker, Helen A.; Siegfried, Matthew R.
- The Cryosphere, Vol. 11, Issue 1
Episodic ice velocity fluctuations triggered by a subglacial flood in West Antarctica
journal, March 2016
- Siegfried, Matthew R.; Fricker, Helen A.; Carter, Sasha P.
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 6
Spatially Variable Geothermal Heat Flux in West Antarctica: Evidence and Implications
journal, October 2017
- Begeman, Carolyn Branecky; Tulaczyk, Slawek M.; Fisher, Andrew T.
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 44, Issue 19
Tremor during ice-stream stick slip
journal, January 2016
- Lipovsky, B. P.; Dunham, E. M.
- The Cryosphere, Vol. 10, Issue 1
Contrasting hydrological controls on bed properties during the acceleration of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica
text, January 2019
- Bougamont, Marion; Christoffersen, Poul; Nias, Isabel
- Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
Antarctic subglacial lakes drain through sediment-floored canals: Theory and model testing on real and idealized domains
posted_content, April 2016
- Carter, Sasha P.; Fricker, Helen A.; Siegfried, Matthew R.
- The Cryosphere