A Prediction of Increase in Subglacial Volcanism Beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) as Future Deglaciation Caused by Ocean Circulation Proceeds

Abstract:

Many decades of aeromagnetic surveying (e.g. Behrendt, 1964; 2013; and others) over the West Antarctic Ice sheet (WAIS) have shown >1000 high amplitude, shallow source magnetic anomalies interpreted as as indicating subglacial volcanic centers of late Cenozoic age to presently active. Similar anomalies exist over exposed volcanic rocks bordering the WAIS in places.

Recent papers (e.g. Wouters et al., 2015; Paolo, et al.; 2015 and others) based on satellite altimetry have shown dramatic thinning and retreat of ice shelves, particularly those bordering the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas, caused by melting from circulation of warming sea water. Previous workers have shown that when ice shelves collapse, the ice streams previously dammed by them accelerate an order of magnitude higher velocity, and surface elevation decreases. GRACE satellite interpretations (e.g. Velicogna et al., and others) indicate mass loss of WAIS in recent years.

The bed elevation beneath the WAIS deepens inland from the Amundsen and Bellingshausen coasts, although high relief volcanic topography is present in a number of areas beneath the ice.

Crowley et a. (2015) have shown that glacial cycles may drive production of oceanic crust by lowering pressure in the mantle resulting in increased melting and magma production. Increased volcanism due to deglaciation in Iceland has apparently produced increased in volcanic activity there. Deglaciation of the Norwegian continental shelf has resulted in faulting of the sea floor and similar faulting has been reported of the Ross Sea shelf following deglaciation there.

I suggest here that as the WAIS collapses in the future resulting from climate change, an increase in volcanic activity beneath the ice might be expected. This may provide a feedback mechanism for increase in ice melting.