Fine‐Scale Geothermal Heat Flow in Antarctica Can Increase Simulated Subglacial Melt Estimates

McCormack, Felicity; Roberts, Jason L.; Dow, Christine F.; Stål, Tobias; Halpin, Jacqueline A.; Reading, Anya M.; Siegert, Martín J.

doi:10.1029/2022gl098539

Cited by 18 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Small‐scale variations in the solid earth, for example, GHF (McCormack et al., 2022) and topography (MacKie et al., 2020) may have large impacts on ice‐sheet dynamics. For consistent mapping at a continent scale, improved coverage is needed to fill remaining data gaps, and to improve data quality in areas with, low resolution, less accurate or poorly geolocated data.…”

Section: Future Directions In Antarctic Subglacial Sedimentary Basins...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Antarctic Sedimentary Basins and Their Influence on Ice‐Sheet Dynamics

Aitken,

Li,

Kulessa

et al. 2023

Reviews of Geophysics

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Knowledge of Antarctica’s sedimentary basins builds our understanding of the coupled evolution of tectonics, ice, ocean, and climate. Sedimentary basins have properties distinct from basement‐dominated regions that impact ice‐sheet dynamics, potentially influencing future ice‐sheet change. Despite their importance, our knowledge of Antarctic sedimentary basins is restricted. Remoteness, the harsh environment, the overlying ice sheet, ice shelves and sea ice all make fieldwork challenging. Nonetheless, in the past decade the geophysics community has made great progress in internationally coordinated data collection and compilation with parallel advances in data processing and analysis supporting a new insight into Antarctica’s subglacial environment. Here, we summarize recent progress in understanding Antarctica’s sedimentary basins. We review advances in the technical capability of radar, potential fields, seismic and electromagnetic techniques to detect and characterize basins beneath ice and advances in integrated multi‐data interpretation including machine‐learning approaches. These new capabilities permit a continent‐wide mapping of Antarctica’s sedimentary basins and their characteristics, aiding definition of the tectonic development of the continent. Crucially, Antarctica’s sedimentary basins interact with the overlying ice sheet through dynamic feedbacks that have the potential to contribute to rapid ice‐sheet change. Looking ahead, future research directions include techniques to increase data coverage within logistical constraints, and resolving major knowledge gaps, including insufficient sampling of the ice‐sheet bed and poor definition of subglacial basin structure and stratigraphy. Translating the knowledge of sedimentary basin processes into ice‐sheet modelling studies is critical to underpin better capacity to predict future change.

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Section: Future Directions In Antarctic Subglacial Sedimentary Basins...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Antarctic Sedimentary Basins and Their Influence on Ice‐Sheet Dynamics

Aitken,

Li,

Kulessa

et al. 2023

Reviews of Geophysics

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Small-scale variations in the solid earth, for example heat flux [McCormack et al, 2022] and topography [MacKie et al, 2020] may have large impacts on ice sheet dynamics. For consistent mapping at a continent scale, improved coverage is needed both to fill remaining data gaps, and in areas with typically older, low resolution, less accurate or poorly geolocated data.…”

Section: Sedimentary Basin Definition and Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antarctica's sedimentary basins and their influence on ice sheet dynamics

Aitken

Kulessa

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…A challenge of current models is the limited knowledge and resolution available when accounting for the effects of variable crustal radiogenic heat production, which can account for 26%–40% of total heat flow (Hasterok & Chapman, 2007, 2011), and may vary significantly on small length‐scales. Interpolations derived from large‐scale models from univariate data will fail to represent local variations, and yet these are critical for controlling ice‐sheet dynamics (McCormack et al., 2022; Reading et al., 2022). Therefore, a way forward is to generate high‐resolution crustal models that can capture the variations in crustal properties and structure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crustal Heterogeneity of Antarctica Signals Spatially Variable Radiogenic Heat Production

Li,

Aitken

2024

Geophysical Research Letters

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Geothermal heat flow (GHF) is a key basal boundary condition for Antarctic ice‐sheet flow. Large‐scale variations are resolved by several recent models but knowledge of the smaller‐scale variations, crucial for ice sheet dynamics, is limited by unresolved variations in crustal radiogenic heat production. To define this at continent‐scale we use 3D gravity inversion constrained by seismic Moho estimates to identify variations in crustal composition and geometry beneath thick ice. Geochemically‐defined empirical relationships between density and heat production capture the global average trend and its variability, and allow to estimate from upper‐crust density spatial variations in radiogenic heat production. Significant variations are observed typically 1.2–1.6 μW/m3, and as high as 2 μW/m3 in West Antarctica. The contribution to GHF from these heat‐production variations is similarly variable, typically 16–24 mW/m2 and up to 60 mW/m2. The mapped variations are significant for correctly representing GHF in Antarctica.

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Fine‐Scale Geothermal Heat Flow in Antarctica Can Increase Simulated Subglacial Melt Estimates

Cited by 18 publications

References 59 publications

Antarctic Sedimentary Basins and Their Influence on Ice‐Sheet Dynamics

Antarctic Sedimentary Basins and Their Influence on Ice‐Sheet Dynamics

Antarctica's sedimentary basins and their influence on ice sheet dynamics

Crustal Heterogeneity of Antarctica Signals Spatially Variable Radiogenic Heat Production

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