Hein Andrew S, Woodward John, Marrero Shasta M, Dunning Stuart A, Steig Eric J, Freeman Stewart P H T, Stuart Finlay M, Winter Kate, Westoby Matthew J, Sugden David E
School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK.
Department of Geography, Northumbria University, Ellison Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK.
Nat Commun. 2016 Feb 3;7:10325. doi: 10.1038/ncomms10325.
Past fluctuations of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) are of fundamental interest because of the possibility of WAIS collapse in the future and a consequent rise in global sea level. However, the configuration and stability of the ice sheet during past interglacial periods remains uncertain. Here we present geomorphological evidence and multiple cosmogenic nuclide data from the southern Ellsworth Mountains to suggest that the divide of the WAIS has fluctuated only modestly in location and thickness for at least the last 1.4 million years. Fluctuations during glacial-interglacial cycles appear superimposed on a long-term trajectory of ice-surface lowering relative to the mountains. This implies that as a minimum, a regional ice sheet centred on the Ellsworth-Whitmore uplands may have survived Pleistocene warm periods. If so, it constrains the WAIS contribution to global sea level rise during interglacials to about 3.3 m above present.
由于未来西南极冰盖（WAIS）有可能崩塌并导致全球海平面上升，其过去的波动情况备受关注。然而，过去间冰期期间冰盖的形态和稳定性仍不确定。在此，我们展示了来自埃尔斯沃思山脉南部的地貌证据和多个宇宙成因核素数据，表明至少在过去140万年里，WAIS的分水岭在位置和厚度上仅有适度波动。冰期 - 间冰期循环期间的波动似乎叠加在相对于山脉冰面长期下降的轨迹上。这意味着，至少以埃尔斯沃思 - 惠特莫尔高地为中心的区域冰盖可能在更新世温暖期存活了下来。如果是这样，它将间冰期期间WAIS对全球海平面上升的贡献限制在比当前高出约3.3米。
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