Dynamic Behaviour of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet During Pliocene Warmth

Authors

Carys P. Cook, Imperial College London
Tina Van De Flierdt, Columbia UniversityFollow
Trevor Williams, Kochi UniversityFollow
Sidney R. Hemming, Columbia University
Masao Iwai, CSICFollow
Munemasa Kobayashi, Pusan National University
Francisco J. Jimenez-Espejo, Victoria University of WellingtonFollow
Carlota Escutia, University of SouthamptonFollow
Jhon Jairo González, University of OtagoFollow
Boo Keun Khim, University of California at San Diego
Robert M. McKay, University of TokyoFollow
Sandra Passchier, Montclair State UniversityFollow
Steven M. Bohaty, Texas A and M UniversityFollow
Christina R. Riesselman, RWTH Aachen UniversityFollow
Lisa Tauxe, University of BirminghamFollow
Saiko Sugisaki, Utrecht UniversityFollow
Alberto Lopez Galindo, Colorado School of Mines
Molly O. Patterson, Stanford University
Francesca Sangiorgi, Universidad de SalamancaFollow
Elizabeth L. Pierce, Western Michigan University
Henk Brinkhuis, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea ResearchFollow
Adam Klaus, Daito Bunka University
Annick Fehr, University of South FloridaFollow
James A.P. Bendle, City University of New YorkFollow
Peter K. Bijl, Goethe University FrankfurtFollow
Stephanie A. Carr, University of BremenFollow
Robert B. Dunbar, Stanford UniversityFollow
José Abel Flores, Geological Survey ofFollow
Travis G. Hayden, UiT The Arctic University of NorwayFollow
Kota Katsuki, Tongji UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2013

Abstract

Warm intervals within the Pliocene epoch (5.33-2.58 million years ago) were characterized by global temperatures comparable to those predicted for the end of this century and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations similar to today. Estimates for global sea level highstands during these times imply possible retreat of the East Antarctic ice sheet, but ice-proximal evidence from the Antarctic margin is scarce. Here we present new data from Pliocene marine sediments recovered offshore of Adélie Land, East Antarctica, that reveal dynamic behaviour of the East Antarctic ice sheet in the vicinity of the low-lying Wilkes Subglacial Basin during times of past climatic warmth. Sedimentary sequences deposited between 5.3 and 3.3 million years ago indicate increases in Southern Ocean surface water productivity, associated with elevated circum-Antarctic temperatures. The geochemical provenance of detrital material deposited during these warm intervals suggests active erosion of continental bedrock from within the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, an area today buried beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet. We interpret this erosion to be associated with retreat of the ice sheet margin several hundreds of kilometres inland and conclude that the East Antarctic ice sheet was sensitive to climatic warmth during the Pliocene.

DOI

10.1038/ngeo1889

MSU Digital Commons Citation

Cook, Carys P.; Van De Flierdt, Tina; Williams, Trevor; Hemming, Sidney R.; Iwai, Masao; Kobayashi, Munemasa; Jimenez-Espejo, Francisco J.; Escutia, Carlota; González, Jhon Jairo; Khim, Boo Keun; McKay, Robert M.; Passchier, Sandra; Bohaty, Steven M.; Riesselman, Christina R.; Tauxe, Lisa; Sugisaki, Saiko; Galindo, Alberto Lopez; Patterson, Molly O.; Sangiorgi, Francesca; Pierce, Elizabeth L.; Brinkhuis, Henk; Klaus, Adam; Fehr, Annick; Bendle, James A.P.; Bijl, Peter K.; Carr, Stephanie A.; Dunbar, Robert B.; Flores, José Abel; Hayden, Travis G.; and Katsuki, Kota, "Dynamic Behaviour of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet During Pliocene Warmth" (2013). Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 248.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/earth-environ-studies-facpubs/248