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Geothermal control on flow patterns in the Last Glacial Maximum ice sheet of Iceland
Author(s) -
Bourgeois Olivier,
Dauteuil Olivier,
VlietLanoë Brigitte Van
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9837(200001)25:1<59::aid-esp48>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - geology , ice stream , ice sheet , meltwater , glacial period , geomorphology , lineation , geothermal gradient , antarctic ice sheet , ice divide , geothermal heating , geophysics , sea ice , oceanography , tectonics , paleontology , cryosphere , geothermal energy
Because it is located both on the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge and on a mantle plume, Iceland is a region of intense tectonics and volcanism. During the last glaciation, the island was covered by an ice sheet approximately 1000 m thick. A reconstruction of the ice flow lines, based on glacial directional features, shows that the ice sheet was partly drained through fast‐flowing streams. Fast flow of the ice streams has been recorded in megascale lineations and flutes visible on the currently deglaciated bedrock, and is confirmed by simple mass balance considerations. Locations of the major drainage routes correlate with locations of geothermal anomalies, suggesting that ice stream activity was favoured by lubrication of the bed by meltwater produced in regions of high geothermal heat flux. Similar control of ice flow by geothermal activity is expected in ice sheets currently covering tectonically and volcanically active area such as the West Antarctic ice sheet. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.