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Switch‐off of a major enhanced ice flow unit in East Antarctica
Author(s) -
Rippin David M.,
Siegert Martin J.,
Bamber Jonathan L.,
Vaughan David G.,
Corr Hugh F. J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl026648
Subject(s) - antarctic ice sheet , geology , glacial period , interglacial , ice stream , depth sounding , ice sheet , cryosphere , climatology , geomorphology , oceanography , sea ice
The East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) is the largest reservoir of ice on the planet by an order of magnitude. Compared with the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), it is traditionally considered to be relatively stable, with only minor adjustments to its configuration over glacial‐interglacial cycles. Here, we present the results of a radio‐echo sounding survey from Coats Land, East Antarctica, which suggests that parts of the EAIS outlet drainage system may have changed significantly since the Last Glacial Maximum. We have identified an enhanced flow unit from buckled internal layering and smooth bed morphology that is no longer active. We believe this feature to have shut down at some point since the Last Glacial Maximum, ∼20 ka BP.