Ice Stream Onset Zones Research Articles

The mixed‐bed glacial landform imprint of the North Sea Lobe in the western North Sea

AbstractDuring the last glacial cycle an intriguing feature of the British‐Irish Ice Sheet was the North Sea Lobe (NSL); fed from the Firth of Forth and which flowed south and parallel to the English east coast. The controls on the formation and behaviour of the NSL have long been debated, but in the southern North Sea recent work suggests the NSL formed a dynamic, oscillating terrestrial margin operating over a deforming bed. Further north, however, little is known of the behaviour of the NSL or under what conditions it operated. This paper analyses new acoustic, sedimentary and geomorphic data in order to evaluate the glacial landsystem imprint and deglacial history of the NSL offshore from NE England.Subglacial tills (AF2/3) form a discontinuous mosaic interspersed with bedrock outcrops across the seafloor, with the partial excavation and advection of subglacial sediment during both advance and retreat producing mega‐scale glacial lineations and grounding zone wedges. The resultant ‘mixed‐bed’ glacial landsystem is the product of a dynamic switch from a terrestrial piedmont‐lobe margin with a net surplus of sediment to a partially erosive, quasi‐stable, marine‐terminating, ice stream lobe as the NSL withdrew northwards.Glaciomarine sediments (AF4) drape the underlying subglacial mixed‐bed imprint and point to a switch to tidewater conditions between 19.9 and 16.5 ka cal BP as the North Sea became inundated. The dominant controls on NSL recession during this period were changing ice flux through the Firth of Forth ice stream onset zone and water depths at the grounding line; the development of the mixed‐bed landsystem being a response to grounding line instability. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Relationship between mega-scale glacial lineations and iceberg ploughmarks on the Bjørnøyrenna Palaeo-Ice Stream bed, Barents Sea

Mega-scale glacial lineations (MSGLs) are ridge-groove corrugations aligned in the direction of the former ice flow, tens of kilometers long and up to a few hundred meters wide. They are the most striking subglacial features on the beds of former ice streams and play an important role in modulating ice flow through their influence on bed roughness and subglacial hydrology. Despite the importance of MSGLs, their formation remains enigmatic. Most studies have tended to focus on assemblages of MSGLs and their relationship to other landforms up-ice (e.g. drumlins or bedrock features in ice stream onset zones) but fewer studies have examined their characteristics and transition to other landforms towards ice stream grounding lines. In this paper we investigate the relationship between an assemblage of MSGLs and ploughmarks on the bed of the former Bjørnøyrenna Ice Stream in the SW Barents Sea, which occurs in the central part of the ice stream bed. A sample of MSGLs is used to test their potential origin, based on their metrics (width, length) and diagnostic characteristics predicted by formation theories. Results show a down-flow depth decrease of the MSGL grooves, and a shallowing tendency once they transition into ploughmarks. Their width shows an increasing tendency, which we link mostly to the strong divergence of the trough (and ice flow) downstream. The prominent continuity from linear to curvilinear features demonstrates that the grooves associated with MSGLs transition into iceberg ploughmarks. This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that the MSGLs have formed through a mechanism of “groove-ploughing”, at least in part. The continuity from MSGLs to iceberg ploughmarks resulted from detachment of large icebergs from the grounded ice wall or grounded ice shelf and their ploughing away from the ice margin.

Past ice flow in Wahlenbergfjorden and its implications for late Quaternary ice sheet dynamics in northeastern Svalbard

Wahlenbergfjorden is a fjord situated in the western part of Nordaustlandet in northern Svalbard. It leads into the 400 m deep Hinlopen Strait located between Nordaustlandet and Spitsbergen. High-resolution multibeam bathymetric and sub-bottom data, as well as sediment cores are used to study the past extent and dynamics of glaciers in Wahlenbergfjorden and western Nordaustlandet. The submarine landform assemblage in Wahlenbergfjorden consists of landforms characteristic of subglacial, ice marginal and proglacial conditions. Glacial lineations indicate that Wahlenbergfjorden was occupied by streaming ice during the LGM and most likely acted as an ice stream onset zone. Westward ice flow in the fjord merged with the ice stream in Hinlopen Strait. Absence of ice recessional landforms in outer Wahlenbergfjorden suggests relatively fast deglaciation, possibly by flotation of the glacier front in the deeper parts of the fjord. The inner part of Wahlenbergfjorden and Palanderbukta are characterized by De Geer moraines, indicating episodic retreat of a grounded glacier front. In Palanderbukta, longer still stands of the glacier terminus resulted in the formation of larger terminal moraine ridges. The inner part of Wahlenbergfjorden was deglaciated prior to 11.3 ± 55 Cal. ka BP. The submarine landform assemblages in front of Bodleybreen, Etonbreen, Idunbreen, Frazerbreen and Aldousbreen confirm that these glaciers have surged at least once during the Holocene.

The role of ice stream dynamics in deglaciation

AbstractSince the mid‐Pleistocene transition, deglaciation has occurred only after ice sheets have grown large while experiencing several precession and obliquity cycles, indicating that large ice sheets are more sensitive to Milankovitch forcing than small ice sheets are. Observations and model simulations suggest that the development of ice streams in the Laurentide Ice Sheet played an as yet unknown role in deglaciations. In this study, we propose a mechanism by which ice streams may enhance deglaciation and render large ice sheets more sensitive to Milankovitch forcing. We use an idealized configuration of the Parallel Ice Sheet Model that permits the formation of ice streams. When the ice sheet is large and ice streams are sufficiently developed, an upward shift in equilibrium line altitude, commensurate with Milankovitch forcing, results in rapid deglaciation, while the same shift applied to an ice sheet without fully formed ice streams results in continued ice sheet growth or slower deglaciation. Rapid deglaciation in ice sheets with significant streaming behavior is caused by ice stream acceleration and the attendant enhancement of calving and surface melting at low elevations. Ice stream acceleration is ultimately the result of steepening of the ice surface and increased driving stresses in ice stream onset zones, which come about due to the dependence of surface mass balance on elevation. These ice sheet simulations match the broad features of geomorphological observations and add ice stream dynamics that are missing from previous model studies of deglaciation.

Ice-stream landform assemblage in Kveithola, western Barents Sea margin

Distinct assemblages of landforms are produced by retreating ice streams (e.g. Stokes & Clark 1999; Wellner et al. 2006). The composition of landforms is governed by ice-stream retreat dynamics, implying that ice-stream dynamics can be reconstructed from these geomorphic patterns. This method has been used to decipher the retreat dynamics of an ice stream that occupied the Kveithola Trough on the western Barents Sea margin, presumably during the Late Weichselian deglaciation (Rebesco et al. 2011; Ruther et al. 2012; Bjarnadottir et al. 2013). Kveithola Trough contains a diverse assemblage of landforms related to the presence and withdrawal of an ice stream, as well as to postglacial processes (Fig. 1a, b), described in detail by Bjarnadottir et al. (2013). Here, the acoustic-stratigraphic units defined by Bjarnadottir et al. (2013) are used, with a focus on seafloor morphology relating to the ice-stream landform assemblage. Fig. 1. Multibeam swath bathymetry from Kveithola Trough, western Barents Sea. ( a ) Swath-bathymetric image showing trough geomorphology. White polygons indicate locations of detail images (c–f). White lines indicate profiles in Figures 2 and 3. VE×8. ( b ) Location of study area (red box; map from IBCAO v. 3.0). ( c ) Oblique view of ice-stream onset zone, showing drumlins and channels. VE×20. ( d ) Oblique image showing multiple generations of grounding-line fans downstream of a GZW. VE×20. ( e ) Oblique view of MSGLs on/beneath GZWs. VE×35. ( f ) Oblique view of diverging MSGLs, shelf edge and gullies on upper slope. VE×16. Images (c–f) are viewed from the black stippled lines. Acquisition system Kongsberg Simrad EM300. Frequency 30 kHz. Grid-cell size 10 m. Kveithola is on the western margin of the Barents Sea, 40 km NW of Bear Island (Fig. 1b). The trough is c. 90–120 km long, 10–15 km wide (slightly wider at the seaward end) and 200–700 …

The glacial history of the southern Svartenhuk Halvø, West Greenland

This paper presents a new, detailed geomorphological and sedimentological appraisal of the southern Svartenhuk Halvo, a remote area of West Greenland that has only been subjected to limited geomorphological and sedimentological research. Despite this, it is of importance as several studies have suggested it remained an ice-free enclave during the Last Glacial Maximum. This previous work, based on biostratigraphic and chronological evidence, has provided evidence for the ‘Svartenhuk Marine Event’, a period of ice free conditions and marine deposition into a higher than present relative sea-level during the previous interglacial (MIS 5a–e). This has been correlated to other interglacial deposits in West Greenland. New geomorphological and sedimentological investigations from this study present compelling arguments for the glaciation of southern Svartenhuk Halvo by valley glaciers and mountain ice caps, questioning the status of this peninsula as an ice-free enclave. Ice directional indicators and clast lithological results suggest ice covering Svartenhuk Halvo was sourced from the higher altitude interior of the peninsula and expanded to the present coastline. In a number of valleys, sedimentological evidence points to at least two glacial advances with subglacial till production through the reworking of glaciomarine sediments, and ice contact and glacier-fed delta deposition during phases of ice retreat. The geomorphological and sedimentological context of the sediments (Gilbert type deltas), coupled with evidence for eskers and kettled/pitted delta surfaces, suggests these features formed under glacial and not interglacial conditions. This is supported by new radiocarbon dates which suggest outlet glacier advance and retreat across the area towards the end of MIS 3 and possibly into the Early Holocene. Svartenhuk Halvo was not overrun by the main Greenland Ice Sheet during the last glacial cycle, but the development of an independent ice cap and local outlet glaciers across this region may have been instrumental in determining the dynamic evolution of the Uummannaq ice stream onset zone during the last glacial cycle.

Ice stream influence on West Greenland Ice Sheet dynamics during the Last Glacial Maximum

AbstractThis paper investigates the processes governing bedrock bedform evolution in ice sheet and ice stream areas in central West Greenland, and explores the evidence for a cross‐shelf ice stream at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). To the east of Sisimiut the formation of streamlined bedforms with high elongation ratios and high bedform density has been controlled by geological structure and topography in slow‐flowing ice sheet areas. At the coast, the effects of regional flow convergence, caused by coastal fjord orientation, routed ice into the Sisimiut/Itilleq area where it formed an ice stream onset zone. This funnelled ice into an offshore trough (Holsteinsborg Dyb), resulting in a southwesterly regional ice flow direction and the formation of a topographically routed ice stream (Holsteinsborg Isbrae). To the south of this, striae and bedform evidence show that local valley glaciers initially flowed east to west across the coast, but were later redirected by the Itilleq Fjord ice which turned southwestward due to diffluent flow and deflection by Holsteinsborg Isbrae. Roches moutonnées in this area have low elongation ratios and high bedform density, but do not provide unequivocal support for ice streaming, as they are a product of both bedrock structure and changes in ice flow direction, rather than enhanced flow velocities. Cosmogenic surface exposure ages limit maximum ice sheet surface elevation to ca. 755–810 m above sea level in this region. Such ice thickness enabled Holsteinsborg Isbrae to reach the mid/outer continental shelf during the LGM, and to contribute to the formation of a trough mouth fan and the Outer Hellefisk moraines. Initial deglaciation across this region was driven by rising sea level and increasing air temperatures prior to the Bølling Interstadial at ca. 14.5 cal. ka BP. Between 12 and 10 cal. ka BP both increased air and ocean temperatures post the Younger Dryas, and peak sea‐level rise up to the marine limit, caused accelerated thinning and marginal retreat through calving, although dating evidence suggests ice streams remained along the inner shelf/coast boundary until at least ca. 10 cal. ka BP, their longevity maintained by increased ice thickness and ice discharge. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Radar surveys of the Rutford Ice Stream onset zone, West Antarctica: indications of flow (in)stability?

AbstractWe present 1 and 100 MHz ground-based radar data from the onset region of Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica, which indicate the form and internal structure of isochrones. In the flow-parallel lines, modelled isochrone patterns reproduce the gross pattern of the imaged near-surface layers, assuming steady-state flow velocity from GPS records and the current accumulation rate for the last 200 years. We interpret this as indicating overall stability in flow in the onset region of Rutford Ice Stream throughout this period. However, in the cross-flow lines some local variability in accumulation is seen in areas close to the ice-stream margin where a number of tributaries converge towards the ice-stream onset zone. Episodic surface lowering events are observed followed by rapid fill episodes. The fill events indicate deposition towards the northwest, most likely generated by storm winds, which blow at an oblique angle to ice flow. More problematic is explaining the generation of episodic surface lowering in this area. We speculate this may be due to: changing ice-flow direction in the complex tributary area of the onset zone; a change in basal sediments or sedimentary landforms; a change in basal melt rates or water supply; or episodic lake drainage events in the fjord systems of the Ellsworth Subglacial Highlands. The study highlights the difficulty of assessing flow stability in the complex onset regions of West Antarctic ice streams.

Megagrooves and streamlined bedrock in NW Scotland: The role of ice streams in landscape evolution

New multibeam bathymetry data, onshore high-resolution elevation data (NEXTMap) and fieldwork in the Ullapool area of NW Scotland reveal large-scale megagrooves and streamlined bedrock forms in a well-defined ∼ 20 km wide zone. The landsystem is typical of a coherent flow corridor within a grounded ice sheet on bedrock-dominated terrain. We describe the morphology of the large-scale features, discuss their likely formation, and consider the wider implications for ice-sheet dynamics. Based on the strongly convergent bedform distribution, the presence of megagrooves and highly elongate bedrock forms, we interpret the erosional landscape to be the signature of a fast-flowing tributary that once fed the The Minch palaeo-ice stream — a major artery of the last British–Irish ice sheet. The exact genesis of bedrock megagrooves remains uncertain, although focused subglacial abrasion is likely to have carved most of the shallow, strongly parallel, features; whilst glacial meltwater may have carved or modified others. Bedform morphometry is used to discriminate zones reflecting the degree of glacial streamlining (elongation ratios < 5:1 or > 5:1). We interpret these zones to represent the transition from potentially cold-based slow ice-sheet flow to warm-based fast flow. Based on these results, and the presence of ribbed moraines, we suggest a bedform continuum model for onset zones of palaeo-ice streams on rigid beds. Rapid spatial bedform evolution is suggested to reflect an increase in subglacial erosive power that may be diagnostic of palaeo-ice-sheet thermal boundaries (i.e. from cold- to warm-based), and is also consistent with the expected downstream increase in ice velocity within an ice-stream onset zone. Finally, this study speculates on the role played by basal meltwater in ice-stream initiation and the role of ice streams and their tributaries in landscape evolution.

Bedrock megagrooves in Assynt, NW Scotland

Geological mapping in Assynt, NW Scotland, has identified three areas of large-scale, linear, bedrock grooving. These closely spaced, subparallel, megagrooves occur predominantly on Cambrian quartzite, are not structurally controlled, and trend generally in the direction of palaeo-ice flow. On the basis of geomorphological evidence, most notably erosional relationships and s-forms, it is proposed that the megagrooves formed at the base of the last (Main Late Devensian) ice sheet and are chiefly the result of high-energy subglacial meltwater erosion. The unusual concentration of bedrock-cut Nye channels in Assynt indicates the presence of large volumes of meltwater beneath the last ice sheet in this region of NW Scotland. This high discharge of meltwater was probably accompanied by localized fast ice-sheet flow, akin to present-day ice streams. It is suggested that bedrock megagrooves may be the geomorphological signature of ice-stream onset zones.

A groove-ploughing theory for the production of mega-scale glacial lineations, and implications for ice-stream mechanics

AbstractMega-scale glacial lineations (MSGLs) are longitudinally aligned corrugations (ridge–groove structures 6–100 km long) in sediment produced subglacially. They are indicators of fast flow and a common signature of ice-stream beds. We develop a qualitative theory that accounts for their formation, and use numerical modelling, and observations of ice-stream beds to provide supporting evidence. Ice in contact with a rough (scale of 10–103 m) bedrock surface will mimic the form of the bed. Because of flow acceleration and convergence in ice-stream onset zones, the ice-base roughness elements experience transverse strain, transforming them from irregular bumps into longitudinally aligned keels of ice protruding downwards. Where such keels slide across a soft sedimentary bed, they plough through the sediments, carving elongate grooves, and deforming material up into intervening ridges. This explains MSGLs and has important implications for ice-stream mechanics. Groove ploughing provides the means to acquire new lubricating sediment and to transport large volumes of it downstream. Keels may provide basal drag in the force budget of ice streams, thereby playing a role in flow regulation and stability. We speculate that groove ploughing permits significant ice-stream widening, thus facilitating high-magnitude ice discharge.