Reproducing unexpected LGM ice-stream retreat behaviour in a dynamic numerical model of Marguerite Bay, Antarctica

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• Dr Stewart Jamieson, Durham University
• Wednesday 16 January 2013, 16:30-17:30
• Scott Polar Research Institute, main lecture theatre.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Steven Palmer.

N.B. re-scheduled from earlier date

Geophysical mapping of the sea floor in Marguerite Bay, Antarctica, has led to the identification of a series of grounding zone wedges which represent the locations of palaeo grounding lines during retreat from maximum ice stream extent. This data indicates that during rapid retreat following the LGM , the ice stream grounding line stabilised multiple times on a bed that deepens inland. According to the marine ice sheet instability theory, these stabilisations should not be expected. We use a numerical flowband model which can robustly calculate groundine line behaviour over time to reproduce the retreat pattern inferred from the seafloor. We conduct a series of sensitivity tests to determine what controlled grounding line motion and stability, and to understand what drove wider retreat behaviour in Marguerite Bay. Our findings have implications for understanding past retreat dynamics in other regions, and for making future predictions of ice sheet stability.

This talk is part of the Scott Polar Research Institute - Polar Physical Sciences Seminar series.

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• AUB_Cambridge Seminars
• Climate Science Seminars within Cambridge
• Department of Geography
• Scott Polar Research Institute - Polar Physical Sciences Seminar
• Scott Polar Research Institute, main lecture theatre
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