Rapid erosion beneath the Greenland ice sheet

Research Article| April 01, 2012 Rapid erosion beneath the Greenland ice sheet T. Cowton; T. Cowton 1School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar P. Nienow; P. Nienow 1School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar I. Bartholomew; I. Bartholomew 1School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar A. Sole; A. Sole 1School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar D. Mair D. Mair 2School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2012) 40 (4): 343–346. https://doi.org/10.1130/G32687.1 Article history received: 26 Jul 2011 rev-recd: 04 Nov 2011 accepted: 15 Nov 2011 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation T. Cowton, P. Nienow, I. Bartholomew, A. Sole, D. Mair; Rapid erosion beneath the Greenland ice sheet. Geology 2012;; 40 (4): 343–346. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G32687.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The Pleistocene ice sheets left a clear signature of erosion, but the rate at which ice sheets erode is difficult to determine from either paleolandscapes or observations of contemporary processes. Here we use two years of sediment flux data, derived from meltwaters emerging from an outlet glacier in west Greenland, to calculate an average rate of subglacial erosion across a catchment extending >50 km inland from the ice margin. Erosion in this zone occurs at 4.8 ± 2.6 mm a−1, a rate 1–2 orders of magnitude greater than previous estimates of erosion rate beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet. Our results suggest that where surface meltwaters are able to access the bed, the rate of erosion by ice sheets is in keeping with the rapid erosion observed at temperate alpine glaciers. During deglacial phases, when meltwater was abundant, ice sheet margins should therefore have acted as highly efficient agents of erosion. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.