Climate-controlled submarine landslides on the Antarctic continental margin

Jenny A. Gales (), Robert M. McKay, Laura De Santis, Michele Rebesco, Jan Sverre Laberg, Amelia E Shevenell, David Harwood, R. Mark Leckie, Denise K. Kulhanek, Maxine King, Molly Patterson, Renata G. Lucchi, Sookwan Kim, Sunghan Kim, Justin Dodd, Julia Seidenstein, Catherine Prunella and Giulia M. Ferrante
Additional contact information
Jenny A. Gales: University of Plymouth
Robert M. McKay: Victoria University of Wellington
Laura De Santis: National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics—OGS
Michele Rebesco: National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics—OGS
Jan Sverre Laberg: UIT—The Arctic University of Norway
Amelia E Shevenell: University of South Florida
David Harwood: University of Nebraska
R. Mark Leckie: University of Massachusetts
Denise K. Kulhanek: Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel
Maxine King: University of Plymouth
Molly Patterson: Binghamton University, State University of New York
Renata G. Lucchi: National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics—OGS
Sookwan Kim: Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology
Sunghan Kim: Korea Polar Research Institute
Justin Dodd: Northern Illinois University
Julia Seidenstein: University of Massachusetts
Catherine Prunella: University of South Florida
Giulia M. Ferrante: National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics—OGS

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Antarctica’s continental margins pose an unknown submarine landslide-generated tsunami risk to Southern Hemisphere populations and infrastructure. Understanding the factors driving slope failure is essential to assessing future geohazards. Here, we present a multidisciplinary study of a major submarine landslide complex along the eastern Ross Sea continental slope (Antarctica) that identifies preconditioning factors and failure mechanisms. Weak layers, identified beneath three submarine landslides, consist of distinct packages of interbedded Miocene- to Pliocene-age diatom oozes and glaciomarine diamicts. The observed lithological differences, which arise from glacial to interglacial variations in biological productivity, ice proximity, and ocean circulation, caused changes in sediment deposition that inherently preconditioned slope failure. These recurrent Antarctic submarine landslides were likely triggered by seismicity associated with glacioisostatic readjustment, leading to failure within the preconditioned weak layers. Ongoing climate warming and ice retreat may increase regional glacioisostatic seismicity, triggering Antarctic submarine landslides.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38240-y

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