Glacial geology of the Hudson Mountains, Amundsen Sea sector, West Antarctica

Johnson, Joanne S.; Nichols, Keir A.; Riley, Teal R.; Venturelli, Ryan A.; Hodgson, Dominic A.; Balco, Greg; Hall, Brenda; Smith, James A.; Woodward, John

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109027

Title: Glacial geology of the Hudson Mountains, Amundsen Sea sector, West Antarctica

Journal Article · 03 January 2025 · Quaternary Science Reviews

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109027 · OSTI ID:2513971

Johnson, Joanne S. ^[1];

^[2];

^[1]; Venturelli, Ryan A. ^[3]; Hodgson, Dominic A. ^[1]; Balco, Greg ^[4]; Hall, Brenda ^[5]; Smith, James A. ^[1];

^[6]

British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge (United Kingdom)
Imperial College, London (United Kingdom)
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Berkeley Geochronology Center (BGC), CA (United States)
University of Maine, Orono, ME (United States)
Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (United Kingdom)

The Hudson Mountains are situated in the eastern Amundsen Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, adjacent to Pine Island Glacier. They form a volcanic field of 17 stratovolcanoes and parasitic vents, preserved as nunataks. Two former tributaries of Pine Island Glacier (Larter and Lucchitta glaciers) flow through the mountains. Here we present a detailed study of the glacial geology of the area. We describe field observations and measurements of geomorphological features from 15 of the nunataks, meltwater ponds found on the surface of three nunataks and supraglacial features (ice dolines) from two sites near the present grounding line. Together these provide constraints on the past ice sheet extent, flow pathways and thermal regime, and enhance our understanding of the present hydrological regime – all of which are important as context for the observed modern ice sheet behaviour. We find evidence suggesting that all nunataks in the Hudson Mountains were covered by ice during the Last Glacial Maximum (defined here as 26.5-19 ka) and have since deglaciated. Faceted and polished erratic cobbles and boulders of exotic lithologies (syenites, alkali granites, granites, granodiorites, tonalites and gabbros) are numerous and perched on nunatak surfaces. A marked difference between the dominant erratic lithologies on nunataks adjacent to Pine Island Glacier (granite) and Lucchitta Glacier (granodiorite-tonalite) indicates that the ice sheet was transporting clasts from at least two distinct upstream source regions. The similarity in degree of weathering suggests, however, that all the erratics were transported by one phase of (warm-based) glaciation; their presence on or close to the summits of all except one nunatak indicates that the ice sheet during that time was at least 700 m thicker than present. These results are consistent with ice sheet model simulations which suggest that all nunataks in the Hudson Mountains were completely submerged by the Last Glacial Maximum ice sheet.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); Natural Environment Research Council (NERC); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344

OSTI ID:: 2513971

Report Number(s):: LLNL--JRNL-867352; 1102617

Journal Information:: Quaternary Science Reviews, Journal Name: Quaternary Science Reviews Vol. 350; ISSN 0277-3791

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Glacial geology of the Hudson Mountains, Amundsen Sea sector, West Antarctica

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