Past and Future Grounding-Line Retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

1999/10/08 by H. Conway, Brenda L. Hall, George H. Denton +2 · 3 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #Cryospheric studies and observations #Tree-ring climate responses

paper · doi:10.1126/science.286.5438.280

openalex publication_date 1999/10/08 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

The history of deglaciation of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) gives clues about its future. Southward grounding-line migration was dated past three locations in the Ross Sea Embayment. Results indicate that most recession occurred during the middle to late Holocene in the absence of substantial sea level or climate forcing. Current grounding-line retreat may reflect ongoing ice recession that has been under way since the early Holocene. If so, the WAIS could continue to retreat even in the absence of further external forcing.

Cited by

• Full-depth englacial vertical ice sheet velocities measured using phase-sensitive radar
• The Ross Sea Dipole – temperature, snow accumulation and sea ice variability in the Ross Sea region, Antarctica, over the past 2700 years
• Roosevelt Island, Antarctica [wikipedia]