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Rapid Thinning of Pine Island Glacier in the Early Holocene

Johnson, J.S.; Bentley, M.J.; Smith, J.A.; Finkel, R.C.; Rood, D.H.; Gohl, K.; Balco, G.; Larter, R.D.; Schaefer, J.M.

Rapid Thinning of Pine Island Glacier in the Early Holocene Thumbnail


Authors

J.S. Johnson

J.A. Smith

R.C. Finkel

D.H. Rood

K. Gohl

G. Balco

R.D. Larter

J.M. Schaefer



Abstract

Pine Island Glacier, a major outlet of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, has been undergoing rapid thinning and retreat for the past two decades. We demonstrate, using glacial-geological and geochronological data, that Pine Island Glacier (PIG) also experienced rapid thinning during the early Holocene, around 8000 years ago. Cosmogenic 10Be concentrations in glacially transported rocks show that this thinning was sustained for decades to centuries at an average rate of more than 100 centimeters per year, which is comparable with contemporary thinning rates. The most likely mechanism was a reduction in ice shelf buttressing. Our findings reveal that PIG has experienced rapid thinning at least once in the past and that, once set in motion, rapid ice sheet changes in this region can persist for centuries.

Citation

Johnson, J., Bentley, M., Smith, J., Finkel, R., Rood, D., Gohl, K., …Schaefer, J. (2014). Rapid Thinning of Pine Island Glacier in the Early Holocene. Science, 343(6174), 999-1001. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1247385

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 5, 2014
Online Publication Date Feb 20, 2014
Publication Date Feb 28, 2014
Deposit Date Jun 18, 2014
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Science
Print ISSN 0036-8075
Electronic ISSN 1095-9203
Publisher American Association for the Advancement of Science
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 343
Issue 6174
Pages 999-1001
DOI https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1247385

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Accepted Journal Article (1.1 Mb)
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Copyright Statement
This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the AAAS for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Science 343, 2014, doi: 10.1126/science.1247385.





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