Enhanced subglacial discharge from Antarctica during meltwater pulse 1A

Tao Li; Laura F. Robinson; Graeme MacGilchrist; Tianyu Chen; Joseph A. Stewart; Andrea Burke; Maoyu Wang; Jun Chen; James W. B. Rae

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-42974-0

Enhanced subglacial discharge from Antarctica during meltwater pulse 1A

Tao Li^*, Laura F. Robinson, Graeme MacGilchrist, Tianyu Chen, Joseph A. Stewart, Andrea Burke, Maoyu Wang, Jun Chen, James W. B. Rae

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Subglacial discharge from the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) likely played a crucial role in the loss of the ice sheet and the subsequent rise in sea level during the last deglaciation. However, no direct proxy is currently available to document subglacial discharge from the AIS, which leaves significant gaps in our understanding of the complex interactions between subglacial discharge and ice-sheet stability. Here we present deep-sea coral ²³⁴U/²³⁸U records from the Drake Passage in the Southern Ocean to track subglacial discharge from the AIS. Our findings reveal distinctively higher seawater ²³⁴U/²³⁸U values from 15,400 to 14,000 years ago, corresponding to the period of the highest iceberg-rafted debris flux and the occurrence of the meltwater pulse 1A event. This correlation suggests a causal link between enhanced subglacial discharge, synchronous retreat of the AIS, and the rapid rise in sea levels. The enhanced subglacial discharge and subsequent AIS retreat appear to have been preconditioned by a stronger and warmer Circumpolar Deep Water, thus underscoring the critical role of oceanic heat in driving major ice-sheet retreat.

Original language	English
Article number	7327
Number of pages	10
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42974-0
Publication status	Published - 13 Nov 2023

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Final published version, 2.16 MBLicence: CC BY

CO2 and climate change: CO2 and climate change: deciphering the role of the high-latitude oceans
MacGilchrist, G. (PI)
Medical Research Council
17/09/22 → 16/09/26
Project: Standard

Enhanced subglacial discharge from Antarctica during meltwater pulse 1A (dataset)
Li, T. (Creator), Robinson, L. F. (Creator), MacGilchrist, G. A. (Creator), Chen, T. (Creator), Stewart, J. A. (Creator), Burke, A. (Creator), Wang, M. (Creator), Li, G. (Creator), Chen, J. (Creator) & Rae, J. W. B. (Creator), Zenodo, 2023
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8433805
Dataset

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title = "Enhanced subglacial discharge from Antarctica during meltwater pulse 1A",

abstract = "Subglacial discharge from the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) likely played a crucial role in the loss of the ice sheet and the subsequent rise in sea level during the last deglaciation. However, no direct proxy is currently available to document subglacial discharge from the AIS, which leaves significant gaps in our understanding of the complex interactions between subglacial discharge and ice-sheet stability. Here we present deep-sea coral 234U/238U records from the Drake Passage in the Southern Ocean to track subglacial discharge from the AIS. Our findings reveal distinctively higher seawater 234U/238U values from 15,400 to 14,000 years ago, corresponding to the period of the highest iceberg-rafted debris flux and the occurrence of the meltwater pulse 1A event. This correlation suggests a causal link between enhanced subglacial discharge, synchronous retreat of the AIS, and the rapid rise in sea levels. The enhanced subglacial discharge and subsequent AIS retreat appear to have been preconditioned by a stronger and warmer Circumpolar Deep Water, thus underscoring the critical role of oceanic heat in driving major ice-sheet retreat.",

author = "Tao Li and Robinson, {Laura F.} and Graeme MacGilchrist and Tianyu Chen and Stewart, {Joseph A.} and Andrea Burke and Maoyu Wang and Jun Chen and Rae, {James W. B.}",

note = "This research is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41991325, T.L. and T.C.), the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB40010200, T.L. and T.C.), the European Research Council, the Natural Environmental Research Council, the U.S. National Science Foundation (PLR-1425989, G.A.M), the UK Research and Innovation (MR/W013835/1, G.A.M), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration Trust, and the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy.",

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doi = "10.1038/s41467-023-42974-0",

language = "English",

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journal = "Nature Communications",

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T1 - Enhanced subglacial discharge from Antarctica during meltwater pulse 1A

AU - Li, Tao

AU - Robinson, Laura F.

AU - MacGilchrist, Graeme

AU - Chen, Tianyu

AU - Stewart, Joseph A.

AU - Burke, Andrea

AU - Wang, Maoyu

AU - Chen, Jun

AU - Rae, James W. B.

N1 - This research is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41991325, T.L. and T.C.), the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB40010200, T.L. and T.C.), the European Research Council, the Natural Environmental Research Council, the U.S. National Science Foundation (PLR-1425989, G.A.M), the UK Research and Innovation (MR/W013835/1, G.A.M), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration Trust, and the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy.

PY - 2023/11/13

Y1 - 2023/11/13

N2 - Subglacial discharge from the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) likely played a crucial role in the loss of the ice sheet and the subsequent rise in sea level during the last deglaciation. However, no direct proxy is currently available to document subglacial discharge from the AIS, which leaves significant gaps in our understanding of the complex interactions between subglacial discharge and ice-sheet stability. Here we present deep-sea coral 234U/238U records from the Drake Passage in the Southern Ocean to track subglacial discharge from the AIS. Our findings reveal distinctively higher seawater 234U/238U values from 15,400 to 14,000 years ago, corresponding to the period of the highest iceberg-rafted debris flux and the occurrence of the meltwater pulse 1A event. This correlation suggests a causal link between enhanced subglacial discharge, synchronous retreat of the AIS, and the rapid rise in sea levels. The enhanced subglacial discharge and subsequent AIS retreat appear to have been preconditioned by a stronger and warmer Circumpolar Deep Water, thus underscoring the critical role of oceanic heat in driving major ice-sheet retreat.

AB - Subglacial discharge from the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) likely played a crucial role in the loss of the ice sheet and the subsequent rise in sea level during the last deglaciation. However, no direct proxy is currently available to document subglacial discharge from the AIS, which leaves significant gaps in our understanding of the complex interactions between subglacial discharge and ice-sheet stability. Here we present deep-sea coral 234U/238U records from the Drake Passage in the Southern Ocean to track subglacial discharge from the AIS. Our findings reveal distinctively higher seawater 234U/238U values from 15,400 to 14,000 years ago, corresponding to the period of the highest iceberg-rafted debris flux and the occurrence of the meltwater pulse 1A event. This correlation suggests a causal link between enhanced subglacial discharge, synchronous retreat of the AIS, and the rapid rise in sea levels. The enhanced subglacial discharge and subsequent AIS retreat appear to have been preconditioned by a stronger and warmer Circumpolar Deep Water, thus underscoring the critical role of oceanic heat in driving major ice-sheet retreat.

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DO - 10.1038/s41467-023-42974-0

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SN - 2041-1723

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JO - Nature Communications

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Enhanced subglacial discharge from Antarctica during meltwater pulse 1A

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CO2 and climate change: CO2 and climate change: deciphering the role of the high-latitude oceans

Datasets

Enhanced subglacial discharge from Antarctica during meltwater pulse 1A (dataset)

Cite this