Abstract
Terra Nova, 22, 297–302, 2010 Abstract Although deglaciation after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) caused a considerable isostatic rebound of orogens worldwide, the effect of this uplift on glacier mass balance has never been quantified. Here, we propose that postglacial rebound promotes the re-advance of glaciers by enlarging their accumulation areas, and test our hypothesis for the European Alps. Using a three-dimensional numerical model with a rheologically layered lithosphere and a reconstructed LGM ice distribution, we show that deglaciation caused up to ∼128 m of rebound between 21 and 13 ka. The rebound-induced increase in the total glacier accumulation area is 50% at the onset of the Younger Dryas. This shows that postglacial rebound results in a positive glacier mass balance, which may explain the discrepancy between the equilibrium line altitudes derived from different sources in the central Alps.
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