Relative Sea-Level Rise Around East Antarctica During Oligocene Glaciation

Authors

Paolo Stocchi, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research - NIOZ
Carlota Escutia, Utrecht UniversityFollow
Alexander J.P. Houben, CSICFollow
Bert L.A. Vermeersen, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research
Peter K. Bijl, Utrecht UniversityFollow
Henk Brinkhuis, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea ResearchFollow
Robert M. DeConto, University of Urbino
Simone Galeotti, Pennsylvania State University
Sandra Passchier, Texas A and M UniversityFollow
David Pollard, RWTH Aachen University
Adam Klaus, Columbia University
Annick Fehr, University of BirminghamFollow
Trevor Williams, University of SouthamptonFollow
James A.P. Bendle, Colorado School of MinesFollow
Steven M. Bohaty, Stanford UniversityFollow
Stephanie A. Carr, Universidad de SalamancaFollow
Robert B. Dunbar, Stanford UniversityFollow
Jose Abel Flores, Kochi UniversityFollow
Jhon J. Gonzàlez, Nagoya UniversityFollow
Travis G. Hayden, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral ResourcesFollow
Masao Iwai, Victoria University of WellingtonFollow
Francisco J. Jimenez-Espejo, Daito Bunka UniversityFollow
Kota Katsuki, University of South FloridaFollow
Gee Soo Kong, City University of New York
Robert M. McKay, Goethe University FrankfurtFollow
Mutsumi Nakai, United States Geological SurveyFollow
Matthew P. Olney, University of BremenFollow
Stephen F. Pekar, City University of New YorkFollow
Jörg Pross, Geological Survey of India
Christina Riesselman, UiT The Arctic University of NorwayFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2013

Abstract

During the middle and late Eocene (∼48-34 Myr ago), the Earth's climate cooled1,2 and an ice sheet built up on Antarctica. The stepwise expansion of ice on Antarctica3,4induced crustal deformation and gravitational perturbations around the continent. Close to the ice sheet, sea level rose5,6despite an overall reduction in the mass of the ocean caused by the transfer of water to the ice sheet. Here we identify the crustal response to ice-sheet growth by forcing a glacial-hydro isostatic adjustment model7 with an Antarctic ice-sheet model. We find that the shelf areas around East Antarctica first shoaled as upper mantle material upwelled and a peripheral forebulge developed. The inner shelf subsequently subsided as lithosphere flexure extended outwards from the ice-sheet margins. Consequently the coasts experienced a progressive relative sea-level rise. Our analysis of sediment cores from the vicinity of the Antarctic ice sheet are in agreement with the spatial patterns of relative sea-level change indicated by our simulations. Our results are consistent with the suggestion8 that near-field processes such as local sea-level change influence the equilibrium state obtained by an icesheet grounding line.

DOI

10.1038/NGEO1783

MSU Digital Commons Citation

Stocchi, Paolo; Escutia, Carlota; Houben, Alexander J.P.; Vermeersen, Bert L.A.; Bijl, Peter K.; Brinkhuis, Henk; DeConto, Robert M.; Galeotti, Simone; Passchier, Sandra; Pollard, David; Klaus, Adam; Fehr, Annick; Williams, Trevor; Bendle, James A.P.; Bohaty, Steven M.; Carr, Stephanie A.; Dunbar, Robert B.; Flores, Jose Abel; Gonzàlez, Jhon J.; Hayden, Travis G.; Iwai, Masao; Jimenez-Espejo, Francisco J.; Katsuki, Kota; Kong, Gee Soo; McKay, Robert M.; Nakai, Mutsumi; Olney, Matthew P.; Pekar, Stephen F.; Pross, Jörg; and Riesselman, Christina, "Relative Sea-Level Rise Around East Antarctica During Oligocene Glaciation" (2013). Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 509.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/earth-environ-studies-facpubs/509