The first physical evidence of subglacial volcanism under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

2017/09/07 by Nels Iverson, Ross Lieblappen, Nelia Dunbar +3 · 5 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Medicine · #Cryospheric studies and observations #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #Winter Sports Injuries and Performance

paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-11515-3

openalex publication_date 2017/09/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

The West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS) is highly vulnerable to collapsing because of increased ocean and surface temperatures. New evidence from ice core tephra shows that subglacial volcanism can breach the surface of the ice sheet and may pose a great threat to WAIS stability. Micro-CT analyses on englacial ice core tephra along with detailed shard morphology characterization and geochemical analysis suggest that two tephra layers were derived from subglacial to emergent volcanism that erupted through the WAIS. These tephra were erupted though the center of the ice sheet, deposited near WAIS Divide and preserved in the WDC06A ice core. The sources of these tephra layers were likely to be nearby subglacial volcanoes, Mt. Resnik, Mt. Thiel, and/or Mt. Casertz. A widespread increase in ice loss from WAIS could trigger positive feedback by decreasing ice mass and increasing decompression melting under the WAIS, increasing volcanism. Both tephra were erupted during the last glacial period and a widespread increase in subglacial volcanism in the future could have a considerable effect on the stability of the WAIS and resulting sea level rise.

Citations

• The WAIS Divide deep ice core WD2014 chronology – Part 2: Annual-layer counting (0–31 ka BP)
• Dynamics, stratigraphy and proximal dispersal of supraglacial tephra during the ice-confined 2004 eruption at Grímsvötn Volcano, Iceland
• The WAIS Divide deep ice core WD2014 chronology – Part 1: Methane synchronization (68–31 ka BP) and the gas age–ice age difference

Cited by

• Magma Chamber Response to Ice Unloading: Applications to Volcanism in the West Antarctic Rift System
• Chapter 7.4 Active volcanoes in Marie Byrd Land
• Evidence of an active volcanic heat source beneath the Pine Island Glacier
• Chapter 1.4 Antarctic volcanism: active volcanism overview
• Geography of Antarctica [wikipedia]

Related

• A new volcanic province: an inventory of subglacial volcanoes in West Antarctica
• Magma Chamber Response to Ice Unloading: Applications to Volcanism in the West Antarctic Rift System
• Influence of West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse on Antarctic surface climate
• Evidence of an active volcanic heat source beneath the Pine Island Glacier
• Widespread seawater intrusions beneath the grounded ice of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica