Recent ice melt above a mantle plume track is accelerating the uplift of Southeast Greenland
Abstract Around the periphery of the Greenland ice sheet, satellite-based observations of ground uplift record Earth’s response to past and recent unloading of Greenland’s ice mass. On the southeast coast, near the Kangerlussuaq glacier, rapid uplift exceeding 12 mm/yr cannot be explained using curr...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01968-6 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850103031609163776 |
|---|---|
| author | Maaike F. M. Weerdesteijn Clinton P. Conrad |
| author_facet | Maaike F. M. Weerdesteijn Clinton P. Conrad |
| author_sort | Maaike F. M. Weerdesteijn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Around the periphery of the Greenland ice sheet, satellite-based observations of ground uplift record Earth’s response to past and recent unloading of Greenland’s ice mass. On the southeast coast, near the Kangerlussuaq glacier, rapid uplift exceeding 12 mm/yr cannot be explained using current layered Earth deformation models. Here we find that 3D models with a weakened Earth structure, consistent with the passage of Greenland over the Iceland plume, can explain the rapid uplift of Southeast Greenland. This uplift is dominated by a viscous response that is accelerated by the low viscosities of the hot plume track. Recent mass loss, occurring during the last millennium and especially within the past few decades, drives most of the uplift. Holocene indicators recorded similarly rapid uplift following deglaciation that ended the last ice age. Such rapid uplift, occurring beneath marine terminating glaciers, can affect the future stability of entire ice catchment areas and will become increasingly important in the near future as deglaciation accelerates. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7ebabbcd62384c28b346a7760f0e3a70 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-7ebabbcd62384c28b346a7760f0e3a702025-08-20T02:39:38ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352024-12-015111510.1038/s43247-024-01968-6Recent ice melt above a mantle plume track is accelerating the uplift of Southeast GreenlandMaaike F. M. Weerdesteijn0Clinton P. Conrad1Department of Geophysics, University Centre in SvalbardCentre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics, University of OsloAbstract Around the periphery of the Greenland ice sheet, satellite-based observations of ground uplift record Earth’s response to past and recent unloading of Greenland’s ice mass. On the southeast coast, near the Kangerlussuaq glacier, rapid uplift exceeding 12 mm/yr cannot be explained using current layered Earth deformation models. Here we find that 3D models with a weakened Earth structure, consistent with the passage of Greenland over the Iceland plume, can explain the rapid uplift of Southeast Greenland. This uplift is dominated by a viscous response that is accelerated by the low viscosities of the hot plume track. Recent mass loss, occurring during the last millennium and especially within the past few decades, drives most of the uplift. Holocene indicators recorded similarly rapid uplift following deglaciation that ended the last ice age. Such rapid uplift, occurring beneath marine terminating glaciers, can affect the future stability of entire ice catchment areas and will become increasingly important in the near future as deglaciation accelerates.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01968-6 |
| spellingShingle | Maaike F. M. Weerdesteijn Clinton P. Conrad Recent ice melt above a mantle plume track is accelerating the uplift of Southeast Greenland Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Recent ice melt above a mantle plume track is accelerating the uplift of Southeast Greenland |
| title_full | Recent ice melt above a mantle plume track is accelerating the uplift of Southeast Greenland |
| title_fullStr | Recent ice melt above a mantle plume track is accelerating the uplift of Southeast Greenland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recent ice melt above a mantle plume track is accelerating the uplift of Southeast Greenland |
| title_short | Recent ice melt above a mantle plume track is accelerating the uplift of Southeast Greenland |
| title_sort | recent ice melt above a mantle plume track is accelerating the uplift of southeast greenland |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01968-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT maaikefmweerdesteijn recenticemeltaboveamantleplumetrackisacceleratingtheupliftofsoutheastgreenland AT clintonpconrad recenticemeltaboveamantleplumetrackisacceleratingtheupliftofsoutheastgreenland |