Potential Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat driven by hydrofracturing and ice cliff failure

Geological data indicate that global mean sea level has fluctuated on 103 to 106 yr time scales during the last ∼25 million years, at times reaching 20 m or more above modern. If correct, this implies substantial variations in the size of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). However, most climate and ice sheet models have not been able to simulate significant EAIS retreat from continental size, given that atmospheric CO2 levels were relatively low throughout this period. Here, we use a continental ice sheet model to show that mechanisms based on recent observations and analysis have the potential to resolve this model–data conflict. In response to atmospheric and ocean temperatures typical of past warm…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: ANT 1043018, AGS 1203910/1203792, ANT 0424589, OCE 1202632
• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Award: NNX-10-AI04G