Large‐scale ice flow over a viscous basal sediment: Theory and application to ice stream B, Antarctica

Abstract

Recent seismic studies of ice stream B, Antarctica and field analysis of mid‐latitude glacial deposits suggest that deformable basal sediments (e.g., water‐saturated till) are important in determining ice sheet flow. If the ratio of till viscosity to effective ice viscosity is small, vertical shear associated with horizontal flow is confined to the deforming bed alone. Ice flow over a deformable bed is thus akin to that of floating ice shelves, because ice shelves flow over inviscid seawater. For some Antarctic ice streams, and possibly for portions of the late Wisconsin ice sheets in North America and Eurasia, basal drag associated with deforming basal sediment does not induce significant vertical gradients of horizontal velocity. Instead, basal drag affects the flow as if it were a horizontal body force balanced by longitudinal and transverse deviatoric stress gradients. Comparison of the observed flow of ice stream B to finite element simulations incorporating a viscous basal till suggest that a simple till rheology is sufficient to explain the current velocity profile. These simulations also highlight the importance of horizontal deviatoric stress in regions where driving stress and basal stress do not locally balance. While bed deformation is critical to ice stream existence, sensitivity tests suggest that ice shelf back pressure is still a crucial control affecting ice stream response to atmospheric and oceanic climate.