Glaciovolcanic evidence for a polythermal Neogene East Antarctic Ice Sheet

Abstract

Research Article| January 01, 2014 Glaciovolcanic evidence for a polythermal Neogene East Antarctic Ice Sheet John L. Smellie; John L. Smellie * 1Department of Geology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK *E-mail: jls55@le.ac.uk. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Sergio Rocchi; Sergio Rocchi 2Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Thomas I. Wilch; Thomas I. Wilch 3Department of Geological Sciences, Albion College, Albion, Michigan 49224, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Maurizio Gemelli; Maurizio Gemelli 2Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Gianfranco Di Vincenzo; Gianfranco Di Vincenzo 4Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 56127 Pisa, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar William McIntosh; William McIntosh 5New Mexico Geochronology Laboratory and Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Nelia Dunbar; Nelia Dunbar 5New Mexico Geochronology Laboratory and Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Kurt Panter; Kurt Panter 6Department of Geology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Andrew Fargo Andrew Fargo 5New Mexico Geochronology Laboratory and Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information John L. Smellie * 1Department of Geology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK Sergio Rocchi 2Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy Thomas I. Wilch 3Department of Geological Sciences, Albion College, Albion, Michigan 49224, USA Maurizio Gemelli 2Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy Gianfranco Di Vincenzo 4Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 56127 Pisa, Italy William McIntosh 5New Mexico Geochronology Laboratory and Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA Nelia Dunbar 5New Mexico Geochronology Laboratory and Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA Kurt Panter 6Department of Geology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403, USA Andrew Fargo 5New Mexico Geochronology Laboratory and Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA *E-mail: jls55@le.ac.uk. Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 30 May 2013 Revision Received: 12 Sep 2013 Accepted: 01 Oct 2014 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2013 Geological Society of America Geology (2014) 42 (1): 39–41. https://doi.org/10.1130/G34787.1 Article history Received: 30 May 2013 Revision Received: 12 Sep 2013 Accepted: 01 Oct 2014 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation John L. Smellie, Sergio Rocchi, Thomas I. Wilch, Maurizio Gemelli, Gianfranco Di Vincenzo, William McIntosh, Nelia Dunbar, Kurt Panter, Andrew Fargo; Glaciovolcanic evidence for a polythermal Neogene East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Geology 2014;; 42 (1): 39–41. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G34787.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract A paradigm has existed for more than 30 years that the basal thermal regime of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in Victoria Land made a fundamental transition from wet-based to cold-based either at ca. 14 Ma or after ca. 2.5 Ma. The basal thermal regime is important because it determines the potential for unstable behavior in an ice sheet. We have studied the environmental characteristics of subglacially erupted volcanic centers scattered along 800 km of the Ross Sea flank of the Transantarctic Mountains. The volcanoes preserve evidence for the coeval paleo-ice thicknesses and contain features diagnostic of both wet-based and cold-based ice conditions. By dating the sequences we are able to demonstrate that the basal thermal regime varied spatially and with time between ca. 12 Ma and present. It was polythermal overall and probably comprised a coarse temperature patchwork of frozen-bed and thawed-bed ice, similar to the East Antarctic Ice Sheet today. Thus, an important shift is required in the prevailing paradigm describing its temporal evolution. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.