scholarly journals Sea Level Fingerprints in a Region of Complex Earth Structure: The Case of WAIS

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 1881-1892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carling C. Hay ◽  
Harriet C. P. Lau ◽  
Natalya Gomez ◽  
Jacqueline Austermann ◽  
Evelyn Powell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Elastic Response ◽  
Earth Model ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Viscous Effects ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Sea level fingerprints associated with rapid melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) have generally been computed under the assumption of a purely elastic response of the solid Earth. The authors investigate the impact of viscous effects on these fingerprints by computing gravitationally self-consistent sea level changes that adopt a 3D viscoelastic Earth model in the Antarctic region consistent with available geological and geophysical constraints. In West Antarctica, the model is characterized by a thin (~65 km) elastic lithosphere and sublithospheric viscosities that span three orders of magnitude, reaching values as low as approximately 4 × 1018 Pa s beneath WAIS. Calculations indicate that sea level predictions in the near field of WAIS will depart significantly from elastic fingerprints in as little as a few decades. For example, when viscous effects are included, the peak sea level fall predicted in the vicinity of WAIS during a melt event will increase by about 20% and about 50%, relative to the elastic case, for events of duration 25 and 100 yr, respectively. The results have implications for studies of sea level change due to both ongoing mass loss from WAIS over the next century and future, large-scale collapse of WAIS on centennial-to-millennial time scales.

scholarly journals Antarctic Ice-Sheet Volume at 18000 Years B.P. and Holocene Sea-Level Changes at the West Antarctic Margin

1979 ◽  
Vol 24 (90) ◽  
pp. 213-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig S. Lingle ◽  
James A. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Ice Shelf ◽  
Relative Sea Level ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
The Antarctic

AbstractThe Antarctic ice sheet has been reconstructed at 18000 years b.p. by Hughes and others (in press) using an ice-flow model. The volume of the portion of this reconstruction which contributed to a rise of post-glacial eustatic sea-level has been calculated and found to be (9.8±1.5) × 106 km3. This volume is equivalent to 25±4 m of eustatic sea-level rise, defined as the volume of water added to the ocean divided by ocean area. The total volume of the reconstructed Antarctic ice sheet was found to be (37±6) × 106 km3. If the results of Hughes and others are correct, Antarctica was the second largest contributor to post-glacial eustatic sea-level rise after the Laurentide ice sheet. The Farrell and Clark (1976) model for computation of the relative sea-level changes caused by changes in ice and water loading on a visco-elastic Earth has been applied to the ice-sheet reconstruction, and the results have been combined with the changes in relative sea-level caused by Northern Hemisphere deglaciation as previously calculated by Clark and others (1978). Three families of curves have been compiled, showing calculated relative sea-level change at different times near the margin of the possibly unstable West Antarctic ice sheet in the Ross Sea, Pine Island Bay, and the Weddell Sea. The curves suggest that the West Antarctic ice sheet remained grounded to the edge of the continental shelf until c. 13000 years b.p., when the rate of sea-level rise due to northern ice disintegration became sufficient to dominate emergence near the margin predicted otherwise to have been caused by shrinkage of the Antarctic ice mass. In addition, the curves suggest that falling relative sea-levels played a significant role in slowing and, perhaps, reversing retreat when grounding lines approached their present positions in the Ross and Weddell Seas. A predicted fall of relative sea-level beneath the central Ross Ice Shelf of as much as 23 m during the past 2000 years is found to be compatible with recent field evidence that the ice shelf is thickening in the south-east quadrant.

scholarly journals Modelling sea-level fingerprints of glaciated regions with low mantle viscosity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 783-795
Author(s):  
Alan Bartholet ◽  
Glenn A. Milne ◽  
Konstantin Latychev
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Viscoelastic Model ◽  
Elastic Response ◽  
Earth Model ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Relative Sea Level ◽  
Global Average ◽  
Low Viscosity ◽  
Mantle Viscosity

Abstract. Global patterns of sea-level change – often termed “sea-level fingerprints” – associated with future changes in ice/water mass re-distribution are a key component in generating regional sea-level projections. Calculation of these fingerprints is commonly based on the assumption that the isostatic response of the Earth is dominantly elastic on century timescales. While this assumption is accurate for regions underlain by mantle material with viscosity close to that of global average estimates, recent work focusing on the West Antarctic region has shown that this assumption can lead to significant error where the viscosity is significantly lower than typical global average values. Here, we test this assumption for fingerprints associated with glaciers and ice caps. We compare output from a (1D) elastic Earth model to that of a 3D viscoelastic model that includes low-viscosity mantle in three glaciated regions: Alaska, southwestern Canada, and the southern Andes (Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI) regions 1, 2, and 17, respectively). This comparison indicates that the error incurred by ignoring the non-elastic response is of the order of 1 mm in most areas (or about 1 % of the barystatic signal) over the 21st century with values reaching the centimetre level in glaciated regions. However, in glaciated regions underlain by low-viscosity mantle, the non-elastic deformation can result in relative sea-level changes with magnitudes of up to several tens of centimetres (or several times the barystatic value). The magnitude and spatial pattern of this non-elastic signal is sensitive to variations in both the projected ice history and regional viscosity structure, indicating the need for loading models with high spatial resolution and improved constraints on regional Earth viscosity structure to accurately simulate sea-level fingerprints in these regions. The anomalously low mantle viscosity in these regions also amplifies the glacial isostatic adjustment signal associated with glacier changes during the 20th century, causing it to be an important (and even dominant) contributor to the modelled relative sea-level changes over the 21st century.

scholarly journals Antarctic Ice-Sheet Volume at 18000 Years B.P. and Holocene Sea-Level Changes at the West Antarctic Margin

1979 ◽  
Vol 24 (90) ◽  
pp. 213-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig S. Lingle ◽  
James A. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Ice Shelf ◽  
Relative Sea Level ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
The Antarctic

AbstractThe Antarctic ice sheet has been reconstructed at 18000 years b.p. by Hughes and others (in press) using an ice-flow model. The volume of the portion of this reconstruction which contributed to a rise of post-glacial eustatic sea-level has been calculated and found to be (9.8±1.5) × 106km3. This volume is equivalent to 25±4 m of eustatic sea-level rise, defined as the volume of water added to the ocean divided by ocean area. The total volume of the reconstructed Antarctic ice sheet was found to be (37±6) × 106km3. If the results of Hughes and others are correct, Antarctica was the second largest contributor to post-glacial eustatic sea-level rise after the Laurentide ice sheet. The Farrell and Clark (1976) model for computation of the relative sea-level changes caused by changes in ice and water loading on a visco-elastic Earth has been applied to the ice-sheet reconstruction, and the results have been combined with the changes in relative sea-level caused by Northern Hemisphere deglaciation as previously calculated by Clark and others (1978). Three families of curves have been compiled, showing calculated relative sea-level change at different times near the margin of the possibly unstable West Antarctic ice sheet in the Ross Sea, Pine Island Bay, and the Weddell Sea. The curves suggest that the West Antarctic ice sheet remained grounded to the edge of the continental shelf untilc. 13000 years b.p., when the rate of sea-level rise due to northern ice disintegration became sufficient to dominate emergence near the margin predicted otherwise to have been caused by shrinkage of the Antarctic ice mass. In addition, the curves suggest that falling relative sea-levels played a significant role in slowing and, perhaps, reversing retreat when grounding lines approached their present positions in the Ross and Weddell Seas. A predicted fall of relative sea-level beneath the central Ross Ice Shelf of as much as 23 m during the past 2000 years is found to be compatible with recent field evidence that the ice shelf is thickening in the south-east quadrant.

Future sea-level changes due to West Antarctic ice sheet fluctuations

Nature ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 269 (5625) ◽  
pp. 206-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Clark ◽  
C. S. Lingle
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic

scholarly journals The impact of 3-D Earth structure on far-field sea level following interglacial West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse

2021 ◽  
Vol 273 ◽  
pp. 107256
Author(s):  
Evelyn M. Powell ◽  
Linda Pan ◽  
Mark J. Hoggard ◽  
Konstantin Latychev ◽  
Natalya Gomez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Earth Structure ◽  
Far Field ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Coupled marine-ice-sheet/Earth dynamics using a dynamically consistent ice-sheet model and a self-gravitating viscous Earth model

2001 ◽  
Vol 47 (157) ◽  
pp. 258-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Le Meur ◽  
Richard C. A. Hindmarsh
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Ross Sea ◽  
Viscoelastic Model ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Earth Model ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Physical Mechanisms ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Ice Sheet Dynamics ◽  
Earth Dynamics

AbstractWe use a self-gravitating viscoelastic model of the Earth and a dynamically consistent marine ice-sheet model to study the relationships between marine ice-sheet dynamics, relative sea level, basal topography and bedrock dynamics. Our main conclusion is that sea-level change and lithospheric coupling are likely to have played limited roles in the postglacial retreat of marine ice sheets. The postglacial rise in sea level would only have caused at the most around 100 km of grounding-line retreat for an ice sheet of similar dimensions to the West Antarctic ice sheet, compared with the several hundred km of retreat which has occurred in the Ross Sea. There is no evidence that reverse slopes lead to instability. Incorporating coupling with lithospheric dynamics does not produce markedly different effects. The implication of these studies is that marine ice-sheet retreat is the result of physical mechanisms other than lithospheric coupling and sea-level rise.

scholarly journals On the geophysical processes impacting palaeo-sea-level observations

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuke Yokoyama ◽  
Anthony Purcell
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Sea Level Change ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Ice Volume ◽  
Level Change ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Geophysical Processes

AbstractPast sea-level change represents the large-scale state of global climate, reflecting the waxing and waning of global ice sheets and the corresponding effect on ocean volume. Recent developments in sampling and analytical methods enable us to more precisely reconstruct past sea-level changes using geological indicators dated by radiometric methods. However, ice-volume changes alone cannot wholly account for these observations of local, relative sea-level change because of various geophysical factors including glacio-hydro-isostatic adjustments (GIA). The mechanisms behind GIA cannot be ignored when reconstructing global ice volume, yet they remain poorly understood within the general sea-level community. In this paper, various geophysical factors affecting sea-level observations are discussed and the details and impacts of these processes on estimates of past ice volumes are introduced.

Vulnerability of coastal areas to increased aquifer saturation due to climate change

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Gauvain ◽  
Ronan Abhervé ◽  
Jean-Raynald de Dreuzy ◽  
Luc Aquilina ◽  
Frédéric Gresselin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Western Coast ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
The Impact

<p>Like in other relatively flat coastal areas, flooding by aquifer overflow is a recurring problem on the western coast of Normandy (France). Threats are expected to be enhanced by the rise of the sea level and to have critical consequences on the future development and management of the territory. The delineation of the increased saturation areas is a required step to assess the impact of climate change locally. Preliminary models showed that vulnerability does not result only from the sea side but also from the continental side through the modifications of the hydrological regime.</p><p>We investigate the processes controlling these coastal flooding phenomena by using hydrogeological models calibrated at large scale with an innovative method reproducing the hydrographic network. Reference study sites selected for their proven sensitivity to flooding have been used to validate the methodology and determine the influence of the different geomorphological configurations frequently encountered along the coastal line.</p><p>Hydrogeological models show that the rise of the sea level induces an irregular increase in coastal aquifer saturations extending up to several kilometers inland. Back-littoral channels traditionally used as a large-scale drainage system against high tides limits the propagation of aquifer saturation upstream, provided that channels are not dominantly under maritime influence. High seepage fed by increased recharge occurring in climatic extremes may extend the vulnerable areas and further limit the effectiveness of the drainage system. Local configurations are investigated to categorize the influence of the local geological and geomorphological structures and upscale it at the regional scale.</p>

Reassessing the Contribution of West Antarctica to Last Interglacial Sea Level in Light of 3D Mantle Viscosity Structure

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Pan ◽  
Evelyn M. Powell ◽  
Konstantin Latychev ◽  
Jerry X. Mitrovica ◽  
Jessica R. Creveling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Low Viscosity ◽  
Global Mean Sea Level ◽  
Warming World

<p>Studies of peak global mean sea level (GMSL) during the Last Interglacial (LIG; 130-116 ka) commonly cite values ranging from ~2-5 m for the maximum contribution from grounded, marine-based sectors of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). However, this estimate neglects viscoelastic crustal uplift and the associated meltwater flux out of marine sectors as they are exposed, a contribution considered to be small and slowly-accumulating. This assumption should be revisited, as a range of evidence indicates that West Antarctica is underlain by shallow mantle of anomalously low viscosity. By incorporating this complex structure into a gravitationally self-consistent sea-level calculation, we find that GMSL differs substantially from previous estimates. Our results indicate that these estimates thus require a reassessment of the contribution to GMSL rise from WAIS collapse, as will ice sheet models that do not account for the uplift mechanism. This conclusion has important implications for the sea level budget not only during the LIG, but also for all previous interglacials and projections of GMSL change in the future warming world.  </p>

scholarly journals Atmospheric circulation changes and their impact on extreme sea levels around Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1067-1086 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Colberg ◽  
Kathleen L. McInnes ◽  
Julian O'Grady ◽  
Ron Hoeke
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Tide Gauge ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Sea Level Variability ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Extreme Sea Levels ◽  
Coastal Sea

Abstract. Projections of sea level rise (SLR) will lead to increasing coastal impacts during extreme sea level events globally; however, there is significant uncertainty around short-term coastal sea level variability and the attendant frequency and severity of extreme sea level events. In this study, we investigate drivers of coastal sea level variability (including extremes) around Australia by means of historical conditions as well as future changes under a high greenhouse gas emissions scenario (RCP 8.5). To do this, a multi-decade hindcast simulation is validated against tide gauge data. The role of tide–surge interaction is assessed and found to have negligible effects on storm surge characteristic heights over most of the coastline. For future projections, 20-year-long simulations are carried out over the time periods 1981–1999 and 2081–2099 using atmospheric forcing from four CMIP5 climate models. Changes in extreme sea levels are apparent, but there are large inter-model differences. On the southern mainland coast all models simulated a southward movement of the subtropical ridge which led to a small reduction in sea level extremes in the hydrodynamic simulations. Sea level changes over the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north are largest and positive during austral summer in two out of the four models. In these models, changes to the northwest monsoon appear to be the cause of the sea level response. These simulations highlight a sensitivity of this semi-enclosed gulf to changes in large-scale dynamics in this region and indicate that further assessment of the potential changes to the northwest monsoon in a larger multi-model ensemble should be investigated, together with the northwest monsoon's effect on extreme sea levels.

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