Grounding Zone Research Articles

Thwaites Glacier thins and retreats fastest where ice-shelf channels intersect its grounding zone

Abstract. Antarctic ice shelves buttress the flow of the ice sheet but are vulnerable to increased basal melting from contact with a warming ocean and increased mass loss from calving due to changing flow patterns. Channels and similar features at the bases of ice shelves have been linked to enhanced basal melting and observed to intersect the grounding zone, where the greatest melt rates are often observed. The ice shelf of Thwaites Glacier is especially vulnerable to basal melt and grounding zone retreat because the glacier has a retrograde bed leading to a deep trough below the grounded ice sheet. We use digital surface models from 2010–2022 to investigate the evolution of its ice-shelf channels, grounding zone position, and the interactions between them. We find that the highest sustained rates of grounding zone retreat (up to 0.7 km yr−1) are associated with high basal melt rates (up to ∼250 m yr−1) and are found where ice-shelf channels intersect the grounding zone, especially atop steep local retrograde slopes where subglacial channel discharge is expected. We find no areas with sustained grounding zone advance, although some secular retreat was distal from ice-shelf channels. Pinpointing other locations with similar risk factors could focus assessments of vulnerability to grounding zone retreat.

Recent sedimentology at the grounding zone of the Kamb Ice stream, West Antarctica and implications for ice shelf extent

Sediment accumulating beneath floating ice contains a record of ice dynamics in polar regions where in situ observations are rare. In 2019 a hole was melted through a 590m-thick region of the Ross Ice Shelf ∼5 km seawards of the Kamb Ice Stream (KIS) grounding line (82.7841°S, 155.2626°W) to access the seafloor. Imagery from a remotely operated vehicle (ROV, Icefin) shows ocean current-generated ripples likely formed by tidal flow parallel to the grounding line (GL). Observed current speeds <0.15 m s−1 suggest these bedforms may be relict. Larger, dm-scale, ‘furrows’ parallel to the former direction of KIS flow may relate to past grounding line processes. A 0.49 m-long gravity core collected from the seafloor contains weakly stratified diamicton. The sediment matrix comprises variable mixtures of reworked Tertiary biogenic silica, predominantly diatoms, and arkose material. Sediment εNd values of ∼7 are consistent with derivation from the WAIS, as is the U-Pb age distribution and modelled late Holocene ice flows. Ramped pyrolysis 14C analysis shows all fractions are either >30 ka or 14C dead. By contrast, 210Pb-210 activity of >30 Bq Kg−1 indicates deposition within the last 120 years. The combination of features suggests rapid rainout deposition from melting of a sediment-laden basal debris layer as the GL retreated, followed by some reworking by ocean currents and little modern accumulation. Although Tertiary diatoms are abundant, unambiguously Late Quaternary forms are absent and we speculate on the implications for Ross Ice Shelf stability. [239 wds]

Characteristics of dynamic thickness change across diverse outlet glacier geometries and basal conditions

Abstract Outlet glaciers in Greenland are undergoing retreat and diffusive thinning in response to external forcings, but the rates and magnitudes of these responses differ from glacier to glacier for unclear reasons. We test how changes in ice overburden pressure and basal lubrication affect diffusive thinning rates and their spatial patterns by conducting numerical experiments over various idealized Greenland-like glacier domains. We find that ~10 km frontal retreat over a decade can produce sustained thinning rates as large as 16 m a−1 due to ice overburden pressure changes, at outlet glaciers with high basal drag (&gt;60 kPa) and lateral resistive stress (&gt;70 kPa). Localized basal lubrication perturbations induce upstream thinning and downstream thickening up to 12 m a−1; the duration of the lubrication forcing generally has a greater effect than its intensity on induced thickness changes. Lastly, episodic grounding line retreats over a rough bed produce a stepped time series of thinning broadly consistent with observations of dynamic elevation change on multiple Greenland glaciers. Our findings highlight the critical role of the total grounding zone – not ice front position – through the resistive stress change in relation to total glacier thinning.

Supraglacial lake evolution and its drivers in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica

Abstract Supraglacial lakes on Antarctic ice shelves can have far-reaching implications for ice-sheet stability, highlighting the need to understand their dynamics, controls and role in the ice-sheet mass budget. We combine a detailed satellite-based record of seasonal lake evolution in Dronning Maud Land with a high-resolution simulation from the regional climate model Modèle Atmosphérique Régional to identify drivers of lake variability between 2014 and 2021. Correlations between summer lake extents and climate parameters reveal complex relationships that vary both in space and time. Shortwave radiation contributes positively to the energy budget during summer melt seasons, but summers with enhanced longwave radiation are more prone to surface melting and ponding, which is further enhanced by advected heat from summer precipitation. In contrast, previous winter precipitation has a negative effect on summer lake extents, presumably by increasing albedo and pore space, delaying the accumulation of meltwater. Downslope katabatic or föhn winds promote ponding around the grounding zones of some ice shelves. At a larger scale, we find that summers during periods of negative southern annular mode are associated with increased ponding in Dronning Maud Land. The high variability in seasonal lake extents indicates that these ice shelves are highly sensitive to future warming or intensified extreme events.

Rift propagation signals the last act of the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf despite low basal melt rates

Abstract Rift propagation, rather than basal melt, drives the destabilization and disintegration of the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf. Since 2016, rifts have episodically advanced throughout the central ice-shelf area, with rapid propagation events occurring during austral spring. The ice shelf's speed has increased by ~70% during this period, transitioning from a rate of 1.65 m d−1 in 2019 to 2.85 m d−1 by early 2023 in the central area. The increase in longitudinal strain rates near the grounding zone has led to full-thickness rifts and melange-filled gaps since 2020. A recent sea-ice break out has accelerated retreat at the western calving front, effectively separating the ice shelf from what remained of its northwestern pinning point. Meanwhile, a distributed set of phase-sensitive radar measurements indicates that the basal melting rate is generally small, likely due to a widespread robust ocean stratification beneath the ice–ocean interface that suppresses basal melt despite the presence of substantial oceanic heat at depth. These observations in combination with damage modeling show that, while ocean forcing is responsible for triggering the current West Antarctic ice retreat, the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf is experiencing dynamic feedbacks over decadal timescales that are driving ice-shelf disintegration, now independent of basal melt.

Melting of Totten Glacier, East Antarctica since the Last Glacial Maximum Revealed by Beryllium Isotope Ratios of Marine Sediment

The Totten Glacier of East Antarctica drains a basin containing about 3.5 m of sea-level rise equivalent ice. While Totten Glacier is generally considered somewhat more stable than the rapidly retreating sectors of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, such as the Amundsen Sea Embayment and Getz Ice Shelf, our understanding of its intricate dynamics and interaction with the Southern Ocean since the Last Glacial Maximum remains incomplete. Situated in a precarious position grounded below sea level, Totten Glacier represents a critical yet enigmatic component of East Antarctic ice dynamics. Its susceptibility to marine ice sheet instability raises concerns, as positive feedback from grounding line retreat could trigger irreversible ice discharge or even complete collapse. A meticulous reconstruction of the retreat history of the Totten Glacier is imperative to comprehensively grasp the glacier's response to present and future climate changes.Here, we present a beryllium isotope ratio analysis of marine sediment from the continental slope proximal to Totten Glacier, the first such record from this location, supplemented by grain size data from the same sediment core. The results, when evaluated together with nearby proxy records, reveal that the initial deglaciation of the Totten Glacier sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet began at ca. 21 ka BP. The rapid deglaciation from ca. 7 ka BP that followed is determined to be caused by the intrusion of modified Circumpolar Deep Water, leading to melting at the grounding zone of the Totten Glacier and causing instability of the glacier system. The southward shift and intensification of Antarctic easterlies may be one of the causes of this intrusion. These results contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the dynamical response of marine-terminating glaciers to climate variability during the last deglaciation.

Grounding Zones: The “Inland” Dynamic Interface Between Seawater, Outlet Glaciers, Subglacial Meltwater Routing, and Ice‐Shelf Processes

AbstractProjections of sea‐level rise from ice‐sheet shrinkage in a warming world have large uncertainties, linked to limited knowledge of changes at the ocean‐ice sheet interface. This interface most typically is modeled as a grounding line, across which still‐connected ice flows into the ocean to float as an ice shelf, or where icebergs calve from a cliff before the ice begins to float. But, extensive and rapidly increasing evidence shows that this is really a grounding zone, and that processes in this grounding zone omitted from many models could exert major controls on sea‐level rise.

Shelf-break glaciation and an extensive ice shelf beyond northwest Greenland at the Last Glacial Maximum

The analysis of seafloor glacial landforms can provide important constraints on the past behaviour of ice sheets, including their extent at the Last Glacial Maximum and the controls on their subsequent retreat. The continental shelf and slope offshore of northwest Greenland have been sparsely surveyed, however, limiting our understanding of ice sheet extent and dynamics in this sector during the pre-satellite era. Here we use newly acquired high-resolution geophysical data to map and interpret the distribution of glacial landforms across the hitherto unexplored banks of northern Melville Bay and the adjacent slope and deep-sea basin. In contrast to previous conceptual models, our seafloor observations suggest that shelf-break glaciation was attained along the entire northwest Greenland margin at the Last Glacial Maximum, including beyond the shallow banks. The landforms that we map on the continental slope provide strong support for the existence of an ice shelf spanning northern Baffin Bay. Sub-ice shelf keel scours in water depths of down to 1220 m reveal that this ice shelf was at least 1100 m thick at its grounding zone. The orientation of sub-ice shelf landforms suggests that the ice shelf was fed mainly by the supply of ice to northern Baffin Bay from the Lancaster Sound Ice Stream of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The Baffin Bay ice shelf buttressed several large ice streams of the Greenland, Innuitian and Laurentide ice sheets at the Last Glacial Maximum, and its break-up may have contributed to instigating the deglacial retreat of these ice streams from the shelf edge.

Return to the Ross Ice Shelf Project (RISP), Site J-9 (1977–1979): perspectives of West Antarctic Ice Sheet history from Miocene and Holocene benthic foraminifera

Abstract. In 1977–1978 and 1978–1979, the Ross Ice Shelf Project (RISP) recovered sediments from beneath the largest ice shelf in Antarctica at Site J-9 (∼82° S, 168° W), ∼450 km from open marine waters at the calving front of the Ross Ice Shelf and 890 km from the South Pole, one of the southernmost sites for marine sediment recovery in Antarctica. One important finding was the discovery of an active macrofauna, including crustaceans and fish, sustained below the ice shelf far from open waters. The sediment has a thin, unconsolidated upper unit (up to 20 cm thick) and a texturally similar but compacted lower unit (&gt;1 m thick) containing reworked early, middle, and late Miocene diatom and calcareous benthic foraminiferal assemblages. A probable post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) disconformity separates the upper unit containing a dominantly agglutinated foraminiferal assemblage, from the lower unit consisting mostly of reworked Miocene calcareous benthic species, including Trifarina fluens, Elphidium magellanicum, Globocassidulina subglobosa, Gyroidina sp., and Nonionella spp. The presence of the polar planktic foraminiferal species Neogloboquadrina pachyderma and the endemic Antarcticella antarctica supports the late Miocene diatom age for the matrix of the lower unit. The microfossil assemblages indicate periods of ice sheet collapse and open-water conditions south of Site J-9 during warm intervals of the early, middle, and late Miocene, including the Miocene Climatic Optimum (∼17–14.7 Ma), demonstrating the dynamic nature of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) and Ross Ice Shelf during the Neogene. The foraminiferal assemblage of the upper unit is unique to the Ross Sea and suggests the influence of a sub-ice-shelf water mass proximal to the retreating post-LGM grounding zone. This unique assemblage is strongly dominated by the bathyal, cold-water agglutinated genus Cyclammina.

Tipping point in ice-sheet grounding-zone melting due to ocean water intrusion

Marine ice sheets are highly sensitive to submarine melting in their grounding zones, where they transition between grounded and floating ice. Recently published studies of the complex hydrography of grounding zones suggest that warm ocean water can intrude large distances beneath the ice sheet, with dramatic consequences for ice dynamics. Here we develop a model to capture the feedback between intruded ocean water, the melting it induces and the resulting changes in ice geometry. We reveal a sensitive dependence of the grounding-zone dynamics on this feedback: as the grounding zone widens in response to melting, both temperature and flow velocity in the region increase, further enhancing melting. We find that increases in ocean temperature can lead to a tipping point being passed, beyond which ocean water intrudes in an unbounded manner beneath the ice sheet, via a process of runaway melting. Additionally, this tipping point may not be easily detected with early warning indicators. Although completely unbounded intrusions are not expected in practice, this suggests a mechanism for dramatic changes in grounding-zone behaviour, which are not currently included in ice-sheet models. We consider the susceptibility of present-day Antarctic grounding zones to this process, finding that both warm and cold water cavity ice shelves may be vulnerable. Our results point towards a stronger sensitivity of ice-sheet melting, and thus higher sea-level-rise contribution in a warming climate, than has been previously understood.

Seawater Intrusion in the Observed Grounding Zone of Petermann Glacier Causes Extensive Retreat

AbstractUnderstanding grounding line dynamics is critical for projecting glacier evolution and sea level rise. Observations from satellite radar interferometry reveal rapid grounding line migration forced by oceanic tides that are several kilometers larger than predicted by hydrostatic equilibrium, indicating the transition from grounded to floating ice is more complex than previously thought. Recent studies suggest seawater intrusion beneath grounded ice may play a role in driving rapid ice loss. Here, we investigate its impact on the evolution of Petermann Glacier, Greenland, using an ice sheet model. We compare model results with observed changes in grounding line position, velocity, and ice elevation between 2010 and 2022. We match the observed retreat, speed up, and thinning using 3‐km‐long seawater intrusion that drive peak ice melt rates of 50 m/yr; but we cannot obtain the same agreement without seawater intrusion. Including seawater intrusion in glacier modeling will increase the sensitivity to ocean warming.

Widespread seawater intrusions beneath the grounded ice of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica

Warm water from the Southern Ocean has a dominant impact on the evolution of Antarctic glaciers and in turn on their contribution to sea level rise. Using a continuous time series of daily-repeat satellite synthetic-aperture radar interferometry data from the ICEYE constellation collected in March-June 2023, we document an ice grounding zone, or region of tidally controlled migration of the transition boundary between grounded ice and ice afloat in the ocean, at the main trunk of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica, a strong contributor to sea level rise with an ice volume equivalent to a 0.6-m global sea level rise. The ice grounding zone is 6 km wide in the central part of Thwaites with shallow bed slopes, and 2 km wide along its flanks with steep basal slopes. We additionally detect irregular seawater intrusions, 5 to 10 cm in thickness, extending another 6 km upstream, at high tide, in a bed depression located beyond a bedrock ridge that impedes the glacier retreat. Seawater intrusions align well with regions predicted by the GlaDS subglacial water model to host a high-pressure distributed subglacial hydrology system in between lower-pressure subglacial channels. Pressurized seawater intrusions will induce vigorous melt of grounded ice over kilometers, making the glacier more vulnerable to ocean warming, and increasing the projections of ice mass loss. Kilometer-wide, widespread seawater intrusion beneath grounded ice may be the missing link between the rapid, past, and present changes in ice sheet mass and the slower changes replicated by ice sheet models.

The role of ice-sheet dynamics in the Miocene-Pliocene depositional systems of the Ross Sea, Antarctica

The dynamics of the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) have profound implications for the evolution of the Antarctic continental margin, global ocean currents, and climate changes. Marine sediments from the Antarctic continental margins recorded the history of the advance and retreat of the AIS. In this study, we present an integrated analysis of the sedimentary characteristics of the Early Miocene to Late Miocene of the Ross Sea by using 2D seismic reflection data and cores from International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 374 Sites U1521, U1522, and U1524. The characteristics of the seismic facies and sediments show that the expansion and grounding of the ice sheets across the continental shelf significantly influenced the depositional processes, leading to increased glacial erosion, the formation of prograding wedges, mass transport deposits (MTDs), and mixed (turbidite-contourite) depositional systems since the Early Miocene. The seaward migration of the continental shelf edge and the steepening of the continental slope were mainly influenced by the glaciation of extreme expansion of the AIS. Marked increases in the prograding wedge and MTD are associated with extensive sediment reworking and deposition at the grounding zones and along the continental slope as a result of ice sheet expansion. The development of the mixed (turbidite-contourite) depositional systems was the result of extensive sediment reworking and deposition by gravity flows and bottom currents on the continental slope and the rise. This research provides new insights into the complexity of the ice sheet and the sensibility of marginal sediments in responding to the past climate changes in Antarctica.

Ground-penetration radar detection of Root-mass in a Tree Groove in Southwestern Nigeria

In this study, we present the results of a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey aimed at imaging the lateral root systems of a section of a tree groove lined by the Tectona Grandis (Teak) species. This was to set the basis for deploying a multi-frequency GPR system for the non-invasive monitoring of rootmass development and evaluation of plant development and health. The survey involved a single GPR Transect with a total length of 60.1 m established along the middle of a line of matured Teak trees. Data was collected at 250 MHz, 500 MHz and 1000 MHz, simultaneously using a wheel-triggered Utsi Trivue system. Data processing involved a dewow, static corrections, gain application and background removal. A root zone consisting of two layers was delineated and a total of 159 hyperbolae were interpreted as roots. The roots were limited to the shallow subsurface, the upper 1.1 m of a potential root zone 1.6 m deep. Imaged roots generally occur in clusters that create much disturbance of the otherwise continuous reflections in the root zone. Often, roots may be laterally offset from the location of tree bases on the Transect. We further identified a potential set of laterally migrating roots in a zone of undisturbed ground outside the main groove indicating the lateral reach of the usually shallow roots of the Teak tree. The results set the basis for further work in root-mass estimation and monitoring tree health within our team.

STATE-OF-THE-ART APPLICATION OF THE LOG-PILING METHOD IN THE ROLE OF SHALLOW GROUND IMPROVEMENT FOR LIQUEFACTION MITIGATION

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;This research paper focuses on evaluating the log piling technique as a sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solution for reducing soil liquefaction risks during earthquakes. Although this method has been used extensively in Japan, mainly aiming for complete soil layer penetration, its economic viability is questionable in cases requiring very deep soil improvements. The study highlights that shallow ground improvement can notably enhance the seismic behavior of the soil-improvement-structure system, as evidenced by the reduced total and penetration settlements caused by liquefaction. The paper presents a methodology for determining the optimal dimensions of the modified ground zone using both small and medium-scale 1-g shaking table tests.&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The small-scale tests involve a detailed parametric study, examining variables like improvement width, pile spacing, and the depth-to-thickness ratio of the improved layer. Medium-scale tests, on the other hand, are geared towards identifying the minimum effective pile length. This approach provides a practical guideline for engineers to implement log piling for small residential buildings. Additionally, the paper utilizes finite element method (FEM) effective stress analysis, incorporating a PLAXIS 2D-based constitutive model (PM4Sand) calibrated with laboratory undrained cyclic torsional tests. This model accounts for the changes in effective stress during seismic activities. Finally, the study correlates its numerical findings with the results from the 1-g shaking table experiments, offering a well-rounded perspective on the effectiveness of log piling in mitigating liquefaction risks during seismic events&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Ice base slope effects on the turbulent ice shelf-ocean boundary current

Abstract Efforts to parameterize ice shelf basal melting within climate models are limited by an incomplete understanding of the influence of ice base slope on the turbulent ice shelf-ocean boundary current (ISOBC). Here we examine the relationship between ice base slope, boundary current dynamics, and melt rate using 3-D, turbulence-permitting large-eddy simulations (LES) of an idealized ice shelf-ocean boundary current forced solely by melt-induced buoyancy. The range of simulated slopes (3-10%) is appropriate to the grounding zone of small Antarctic ice shelves and to the flanks of relatively wide ice base channels, and the initial conditions are representative of warm-cavity ocean conditions. In line with previous studies, the simulations feature the development of an Ekman boundary layer adjacent to the ice, overlaying a broad pycnocline. The time-averaged flow within the pycnocline is in thermal wind balance, with a mean shear that is only weakly dependent on the ice base slope angle α, resulting in a mean gradient Richardson number 〈Rig〉 that decreases approximately linearly with sinα. Combining this inverse relationship with a linear approximation to the density profile, we derive formulations for the friction velocity, thermal forcing, and melt rate in terms of slope angle and total buoyancy input. This theory predicts that melt rate varies like the square root of slope, which is consistent with the LES results and differs from a previously proposed linear trend. The derived scalings provide a potential framework for incorporating slope-dependence into parameterizations of mixing and melting at the base of ice shelves.

Drivers of anomalous surface melting over Ingrid Christensen Coast, East Antarctica

Antarctica contains 90% of the Earth's ice; if it melts, it can significantly contribute to the rise in global sea levels. Over Antarctica, short-term atmospheric warming events have led to significant surface melt in summer. Understanding the conditions of such warming events and subsequent surface melt is highly prioritized in Polar Research. The austral summer of 2016-17 witnessed the largest melt duration of the 21st century over Ingrid Christensen Coast (ICC), East Antarctica. Being situated on the grounded ice near four research stations, understanding the melt over the region has both scientific and operational importance. Here, we investigate the drivers of four major melt events identified over ICC for the austral summer of 2016-17 using the reanalysis dataset, ERA5. The first melt event, coinciding with the season's highest air temperature, was triggered by high turbulent heat flux from strong katabatic winds, while the rest of the events were triggered by low-level, liquid cloud-induced longwave radiation. During the melt events, anomalous high pressure ridges were present over the continent causing low pressure systems to remain stationary for an extended period and direct warm, moist air towards the ICC, facilitating melting. The present study observed melting occurring above the grounding zone, and if such melting extends to a larger scale beyond ice shelves, it could raise significant concerns regarding the hydrodynamics and stability of ice sheets in the future.

The staggered retreat of grounded ice in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)

Abstract. The retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) in the Ross Sea after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was more significant than for any other Antarctic sector. Here we combined the available chronology of retreat with new mapping of seismically resolvable grounding zone wedges (GZWs). Mapping GZWs is important because they record the locations of former stillstands in the extent of grounded ice for individual ice streams during the overall retreat. Our analysis shows that the longest stillstands occurred early in the deglacial period and had millennial durations. Stillstands ended abruptly with retreat distances measured in the tens to hundreds of kilometers creating deep embayments in the extent of grounded ice across the Ross Sea. The location of embayments shifted through time. The available chronological data show that cessation of WAIS and East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) stillstands was highly asynchronous across at least 5000 years. There was a general shift to shorter stillstands throughout the deglacial period. The asynchronous collapse of individual catchments during the deglacial period suggests that the Ross Sea sector would have contributed to multiple episodes of relatively small-amplitude sea-level rise as the WAIS and EAIS retreated from the region. The high sinuosity of the modern grounding zone in the Ross Sea suggests that this style of retreat persists.

Synchronous retreat of Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers in response to external forcings in the presatellite era

Today, relatively warm Circumpolar Deep Water is melting Thwaites Glacier at the base of its ice shelf and at the grounding zone, contributing to significant ice retreat. Accelerating ice loss has been observed since the 1970s; however, it is unclear when this phase of significant melting initiated. We analyzed the marine sedimentary record to reconstruct Thwaites Glacier's history from the early Holocene to present. Marine geophysical surveys were carried out along the floating ice-shelf margin to identify core locations from various geomorphic settings. We use sedimentological data and physical properties to define sedimentary facies at seven core sites. Glaciomarine sediment deposits reveal that the grounded ice in the Amundsen Sea Embayment had already retreated to within ~45 km of the modern grounding zone prior to ca. 9,400 y ago. Sediments deposited within the past 100+ y record abrupt changes in environmental conditions. On seafloor highs, these shifts document ice-shelf thinning initiating at least as early as the 1940s. Sediments recovered from deep basins reflect a transition from ice proximal to slightly more distal conditions, suggesting ongoing grounding-zone retreat since the 1950s. The timing of ice-shelf unpinning from the seafloor for Thwaites Glacier coincides with similar records from neighboring Pine Island Glacier. Our work provides robust new evidence that glacier retreat in the Amundsen Sea was initiated in the mid-twentieth century, likely associated with climate variability.

Spatial variations of DOM in a diverse range of lakes across various frozen ground zones in China: Insights into molecular composition

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a significant role in aquatic biogeochemical processes and the carbon cycle. As global climate warming continues, it is anticipated that the composition of DOM in lakes will be altered. This could have significant ecological and environmental implications, particularly in frozen ground zones. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the spatial variations and molecular composition of DOM in lakes within various frozen ground zones. In this study, we examined the spatial variations of in-lake DOM both quantitatively, focusing on dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and qualitatively, by evaluating optical properties and conducting molecular characterization using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). Lakes in cold regions retained more organic carbon compared to those in warmer regions, the comparison of the mean value of DOC concentration of all sampling sites in the same frozen ground zone showed that the highest mean lake DOC concentration found in the permafrost zone at 21.4 ± 19.3 mg/L. We observed decreasing trends in E2:E3 and MLBL, along with increasing trends in SUVA254 and AImod, along the gradually warming ground. These trends suggest lower molecular weight, reduced aromaticity, and increased molecular lability of in-lake DOM in the permafrost zone compared to other frozen ground zones. Further FT-ICR MS characterization revealed significant molecular-level heterogeneity of DOM, with the lowest abundance of assigned DOM molecular formulas found in lakes within permafrost zones. In all studied zones, the predominant molecular formulas in-lake DOM were compounds consisted by CHO elements, accounting for 40.1 % to 63.1 % of the total. Interestingly, the percentage of CHO exhibited a gradual decline along the warming ground, while there was an increasing trend in nitrogen-containing compounds (CHON%). Meanwhile, a substantial number of polyphenols were identified, likely due to the higher rates of DOM mineralization and the transport of terrestrial DOM derived from vascular plants under the elevated temperature and precipitation conditions in the warming region. In addition, sulfur-containing compounds (CHOS and CHNOS) associated with synthetic surfactants and agal derivatives were consistently detected, and their relative abundances exhibited higher values in seasonal and short-frozen ground zones. This aligns with the increased anthropogenic disturbances to the lake's ecological environment in these two zones. This study reported the first description of in-lake DOM at the molecular level in different frozen ground zones. These findings underline that lakes in the permafrost zone serve as significant hubs for carbon processing. Investigating them may expand our understanding of carbon cycling in inland waters.