Reconstructions of western Ross Sea palaeo‐ice‐stream grounding zones from high‐resolution acoustic stratigraphy

Abstract

This study analyses acoustic profiles of two mid‐shelf troughs, the JOIDES Basin and Pennell Trough in the western Ross Sea, Antarctica. These troughs are subglacial erosion features formed by repeated advance of streaming ice onto the Ross Sea continental shelf. Sediment wedge formations, interpreted to have been deposited at the most seaward grounding zone during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), are observed within the mid‐shelf region of these troughs. By correlating high‐resolution acoustic profiles with core samples, we resolve the stratigraphy of these wedge formations to assess the relationships between bathymetry, subglacial sediment distribution and palaeo‐ice‐stream configuration. The grounding zone wedge geometries were controlled by the pre‐existing topography. The JOIDES and Pennell Troughs were only partially infilled during the LGM. Axial diamict progradation from the landward margin of the troughs indicates enhanced flow (debris supply) along the axis of ice flow. Differences in grounding zone geometries indicate a decrease in basal debris deposition and/or supply during ice recession. The lack of a recessional ice‐shelf facies indicates that either the ice shelf was absent during retreat, or that there was no melt‐out of basal debris.