Rapid subglacial erosion beneath Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica

Andrew M. Smith; Charles R. Bentley; Robert George Bingham; Tom A. Jordan

doi:10.1029/2012GL051651

Rapid subglacial erosion beneath Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica

Andrew M. Smith, Charles R. Bentley, Robert George Bingham, Tom A. Jordan

Geography & Environment

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Abstract

We present measurements of ice thickness, gravimetry and surface elevation on Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica, separated by a period of 49 years. At one station, on the main trunk of the glacier we measured a surface elevation lowering with no significant change in ice thickness. We interpret these as indicating subglacial erosion of 31.8 ± 13.4 m at this location, at a mean rate over the measurement period of 0.6 ± 0.3 m a-1, and suggest that a current erosion rate of ~1 m a-1 is possible. Our results emphasize that locally, basal processes can have a significant effect on ice sheet changes, particularly where fast-flowing ice has an easily erodible bed.

Original language	English
Article number	L12501
Number of pages	5
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	39
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL051651
Publication status	Published - 2012

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10.1029/2012GL051651

2012 Smith GRL PIGerosion
An edited version of this paper was published by AGU. Copyright (2012) American Geophysical Union Smith, AM, Bentley, CR, Bingham, RG & Jordan, TA, (2012), Rapid subglacial erosion beneath Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica, Geophysical Research Letters, 39, L12501, DOI: 10.1029/2012GL051651. To view the published open abstract, go to http://dx.doi.org and enter the DOI.
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Stability of ice sheets
Robert George Bingham (Coordinator), Julian B.T. Scott (Coordinator) & Douglas Watson Fraser Mair (Coordinator)
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title = "Rapid subglacial erosion beneath Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica",

abstract = "We present measurements of ice thickness, gravimetry and surface elevation on Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica, separated by a period of 49 years. At one station, on the main trunk of the glacier we measured a surface elevation lowering with no significant change in ice thickness. We interpret these as indicating subglacial erosion of 31.8 ± 13.4 m at this location, at a mean rate over the measurement period of 0.6 ± 0.3 m a-1, and suggest that a current erosion rate of ~1 m a-1 is possible. Our results emphasize that locally, basal processes can have a significant effect on ice sheet changes, particularly where fast-flowing ice has an easily erodible bed.",

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AU - Bentley, Charles R.

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AU - Jordan, Tom A.

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N2 - We present measurements of ice thickness, gravimetry and surface elevation on Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica, separated by a period of 49 years. At one station, on the main trunk of the glacier we measured a surface elevation lowering with no significant change in ice thickness. We interpret these as indicating subglacial erosion of 31.8 ± 13.4 m at this location, at a mean rate over the measurement period of 0.6 ± 0.3 m a-1, and suggest that a current erosion rate of ~1 m a-1 is possible. Our results emphasize that locally, basal processes can have a significant effect on ice sheet changes, particularly where fast-flowing ice has an easily erodible bed.

AB - We present measurements of ice thickness, gravimetry and surface elevation on Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica, separated by a period of 49 years. At one station, on the main trunk of the glacier we measured a surface elevation lowering with no significant change in ice thickness. We interpret these as indicating subglacial erosion of 31.8 ± 13.4 m at this location, at a mean rate over the measurement period of 0.6 ± 0.3 m a-1, and suggest that a current erosion rate of ~1 m a-1 is possible. Our results emphasize that locally, basal processes can have a significant effect on ice sheet changes, particularly where fast-flowing ice has an easily erodible bed.

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DO - 10.1029/2012GL051651

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VL - 39

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 12

M1 - L12501

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Rapid subglacial erosion beneath Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica

Abstract

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