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Evidence of an active volcanic heat source beneath the Pine Island Glacier
- Source :
- Nature Communications, Vol 9, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2018), Nature Communications
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- Nature Portfolio, 2018.
-
Abstract
- Tectonic landforms reveal that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) lies atop a major volcanic rift system. However, identifying subglacial volcanism is challenging. Here we show geochemical evidence of a volcanic heat source upstream of the fast-melting Pine Island Ice Shelf, documented by seawater helium isotope ratios at the front of the Ice Shelf cavity. The localization of mantle helium to glacial meltwater reveals that volcanic heat induces melt beneath the grounded glacier and feeds the subglacial hydrological network crossing the grounding line. The observed transport of mantle helium out of the Ice Shelf cavity indicates that volcanic heat is supplied to the grounded glacier at a rate of ~ 2500 ± 1700 MW, which is ca. half as large as the active Grimsvötn volcano on Iceland. Our finding of a substantial volcanic heat source beneath a major WAIS glacier highlights the need to understand subglacial volcanism, its hydrologic interaction with the marine margins, and its potential role in the future stability of the WAIS.<br />The West Antarctic Ice Sheet sits atop an extensional rift system with volcano-like features, yet we do not know if any of these volcanoes are active, because identifying subglacial volcanism remains a challenge. Here, the authors find evidence in helium isotopes that a large volcanic heat source is emanating from beneath the fast-melting Pine Island Ice Glacier.
- Subjects :
- 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Science
Geochemistry
General Physics and Astronomy
Antarctic ice sheet
Volcanism
010502 geochemistry & geophysics
01 natural sciences
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Ice shelf
Article
Glacial period
lcsh:Science
Meltwater
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
geography
Multidisciplinary
Rift
geography.geographical_feature_category
Glacier
General Chemistry
Volcano
13. Climate action
lcsh:Q
Geology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20411723
- Volume :
- 9
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nature Communications
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....2bc64e71ea8205b5b7dce5ba14423950