Imperial College London
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ProfessorMartinSiegert

Faculty of Natural Sciences, The Grantham Institute for Climate Change

Visiting Professor
 
 
 
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Contact

 

+44 (0)20 7594 9666m.siegert Website

 
 
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Assistant

 

Ms Gosia Gayer +44 (0)20 7594 9666

 
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Location

 

Grantham Directors OfficeSherfield BuildingSouth Kensington Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Dow:2022:10.1038/s41561-022-01059-1,
author = {Dow, C and Ross, N and Jeofry, H and Siu, K and Siegert, M},
doi = {10.1038/s41561-022-01059-1},
journal = {Nature Geoscience},
pages = {892--898},
title = {Antarctic basal environment shaped by high-pressure flow through a subglacial river system},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01059-1},
volume = {15},
year = {2022}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The stability of ice sheets and their contributions to sea level are modulated by high-pressure water that lubricates the base of the ice, facilitating rapid flow into the ocean. In Antarctica, subglacial processes are poorly characterized, limiting understanding of ice-sheet flow and its sensitivity to climate forcing. Here, using numerical modelling and geophysical data, we provide evidence of extensive, up to 460 km long, dendritically organized subglacial hydrological systems that stretch from the ice-sheet interior to the grounded margin. We show that these channels transport large fluxes (~24 m3 s−1) of freshwater at high pressure, potentially facilitating enhanced ice flow above. The water exits the ice sheet at specific locations, appearing to drive ice-shelf melting in these areas critical for ice-sheet stability. Changes in subglacial channel size can affect the water depth and pressure of the surrounding drainage system up to 100 km either side of the primary channel. Our results demonstrate the importance of incorporating catchment-scale basal hydrology in calculations of ice-sheet flow and in assessments of ice-shelf melt at grounding zones. Thus, understanding how marginal regions of Antarctica operate, and may change in the future, requires knowledge of processes acting within, and initiating from, the ice-sheet interior.
AU  - Dow,C
AU  - Ross,N
AU  - Jeofry,H
AU  - Siu,K
AU  - Siegert,M
DO  - 10.1038/s41561-022-01059-1
EP  - 898
PY  - 2022///
SN  - 1752-0894
SP  - 892
TI  - Antarctic basal environment shaped by high-pressure flow through a subglacial river system
T2  - Nature Geoscience
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01059-1
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/100663
VL  - 15
ER  -
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