Enhanced subglacial discharge from Antarctica during meltwater pulse 1A

Tao Li (), Laura F. Robinson, Graeme A. MacGilchrist, Tianyu Chen, Joseph A. Stewart, Andrea Burke, Maoyu Wang, Gaojun Li, Jun Chen and James W. B. Rae
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Tao Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Laura F. Robinson: University of Bristol
Graeme A. MacGilchrist: Princeton University
Tianyu Chen: Nanjing University
Joseph A. Stewart: University of Bristol
Andrea Burke: University of St Andrews
Maoyu Wang: Nanjing University
Gaojun Li: Nanjing University
Jun Chen: Nanjing University
James W. B. Rae: University of St Andrews

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42974-0

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