On calculating glacial isostatic adjustment

Abstract

Modeling the earth's fluid and elastic response to the melting of the glaciers of the last ice age is the most direct way to infer the earth's radial viscosity profile. Here, we compare two methods for calculating the viscoelastic response to surface loading. In one, the elastic equation of motion is converted to a viscoelastic equation using the Correspondence Principle. In the other, elastic deformation is added to the viscous flow as isostatic adjustment proceeds. The two modeling methods predict adjustment histories that are different enough to potentially impact the interpretation of the observed glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). The differences arise from buoyancy and whether fluid displacements are subjected to hydrostatic pre-stress. The methods agree if they use the same equations and boundary conditions. The origin of the differences is determined by varying the boundary conditions and pre-stress application.