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Acceleration of Antarctica Glaciers at High Subglacial Heat Flow

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Abstract

High subglacial heat flow and volcanic activity in West Antarctica contribute to instability and accelerated flow into the ocean of the West Antarctic ice sheet. In this case, a catastrophic rise in sea level by tens of centimeters – the first meters can occur in a very short geological time (years-decades) due to the rapid sliding of large masses of ice in West Antarctica into the ocean. If the Pine Island (50 cm sea level rise) or Thwaites (65 cm sea level rise) glaciers slide into the ocean, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will lose support from these glaciers and may begin to collapse. In this case, the sea level will rise by a few meters. Based on Glen’s rheological law for a two-dimensional model of the movement of ice as a nonlinear viscous fluid, the flow velocities of a 3000 m thick glacier were calculated under conditions of adhesion to the bed (~20 m/year) and under conditions of sliding along the bedrock when the lower edge of the glacier melts due to increased heat flow from below (~3000 m/year). These velocities are in good agreement with the velocities of the Pine Island, Thwaites, Amery, Denman and Totten glaciers. The rapid movement of some outlet glaciers in East Antarctica is also likely caused by melting of their bases, suggesting increased subglacial heat flow in these areas of East Antarctica.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the Reviewer for constructive comments which helped to improve the manuscript.

Funding

The work was carried out partly within the framework of  the state assignment of the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences no. FMWE-2021-0004, partly within the framework of the state assignment of the Institute of Earthquake Prediction Theory and Mathematical Geophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences no. AAAA-A19-119011490131-3 and partly within the framework of the state assignment of Geothermal Research and Renewable Energy, Branch of Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences no. 121121700223-8.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997, Moscow, Russia

    L. I. Lobkovsky

  2. Institute of Earthquake Prediction Theory and Mathematical Geophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997, Moscow, Russia

    A. A. Baranov

  3. Geothermal Research and Renewable Energy, Branch of Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 367030, Makhachkala, Russia

    M. M. Ramazanov

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  1. L. I. Lobkovsky
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  2. A. A. Baranov
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  3. M. M. Ramazanov
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Correspondence to A. A. Baranov.

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Lobkovsky, L.I., Baranov, A.A. & Ramazanov, M.M. Acceleration of Antarctica Glaciers at High Subglacial Heat Flow. Dokl. Earth Sc. 515, 586–591 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1028334X23603188

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