Subglacial conditions during and after stoppage of an Antarctic Ice Stream: Is reactivation imminent?

S. W. Vogel; S. Tulaczyk; B. Kamb; H. Engelhardt; F. D. Carsey; A. E. Behar; A. L. Lane; I. Joughin

doi:10.1029/2005GL022563

Subglacial conditions during and after stoppage of an Antarctic Ice Stream: Is reactivation imminent?

S. W. Vogel, S. Tulaczyk, B. Kamb, H. Engelhardt, F. D. Carsey, A. E. Behar, A. L. Lane, I. Joughin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

53 Scopus citations

Abstract

Borehole observations from the base of the West-Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) reveal the presence of a 10 to 15 m thick accretionary basal ice layer in the upstream area of Kamb Ice Stream (KIS). This ice layer has formed over a time of several thousand years by freeze-on of subglacial water to the ice base and has recorded during this time basal conditions upstream of its current location. Analysis of samples and videos sequences from boreholes drilled to the bottom of KIS confirms that KIS-stoppage was due to basal freeze-on and that relubrication of the ice stream is well underway. These results further suggest that ice stream cyclicity may be shorter than expected (1000s of years) and that a restart of KIS may be imminent within decades to centuries.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1-4
Number of pages	4
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	32
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL022563
State	Published - Jul 28 2005
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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10.1029/2005GL022563

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title = "Subglacial conditions during and after stoppage of an Antarctic Ice Stream: Is reactivation imminent?",

abstract = "Borehole observations from the base of the West-Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) reveal the presence of a 10 to 15 m thick accretionary basal ice layer in the upstream area of Kamb Ice Stream (KIS). This ice layer has formed over a time of several thousand years by freeze-on of subglacial water to the ice base and has recorded during this time basal conditions upstream of its current location. Analysis of samples and videos sequences from boreholes drilled to the bottom of KIS confirms that KIS-stoppage was due to basal freeze-on and that relubrication of the ice stream is well underway. These results further suggest that ice stream cyclicity may be shorter than expected (1000s of years) and that a restart of KIS may be imminent within decades to centuries.",

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T1 - Subglacial conditions during and after stoppage of an Antarctic Ice Stream

T2 - Is reactivation imminent?

AU - Vogel, S. W.

AU - Tulaczyk, S.

AU - Kamb, B.

AU - Engelhardt, H.

AU - Carsey, F. D.

AU - Behar, A. E.

AU - Lane, A. L.

AU - Joughin, I.

PY - 2005/7/28

Y1 - 2005/7/28

N2 - Borehole observations from the base of the West-Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) reveal the presence of a 10 to 15 m thick accretionary basal ice layer in the upstream area of Kamb Ice Stream (KIS). This ice layer has formed over a time of several thousand years by freeze-on of subglacial water to the ice base and has recorded during this time basal conditions upstream of its current location. Analysis of samples and videos sequences from boreholes drilled to the bottom of KIS confirms that KIS-stoppage was due to basal freeze-on and that relubrication of the ice stream is well underway. These results further suggest that ice stream cyclicity may be shorter than expected (1000s of years) and that a restart of KIS may be imminent within decades to centuries.

AB - Borehole observations from the base of the West-Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) reveal the presence of a 10 to 15 m thick accretionary basal ice layer in the upstream area of Kamb Ice Stream (KIS). This ice layer has formed over a time of several thousand years by freeze-on of subglacial water to the ice base and has recorded during this time basal conditions upstream of its current location. Analysis of samples and videos sequences from boreholes drilled to the bottom of KIS confirms that KIS-stoppage was due to basal freeze-on and that relubrication of the ice stream is well underway. These results further suggest that ice stream cyclicity may be shorter than expected (1000s of years) and that a restart of KIS may be imminent within decades to centuries.

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Subglacial conditions during and after stoppage of an Antarctic Ice Stream: Is reactivation imminent?

Abstract

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