『Abstract
What happens beneath a glacier affects the way it flows and the
landforms left behind when it retreats. Direct observations from
beneath glaciers are, however, rare and the subglacial environment
remains poorly understood. We present new, repeat observations
from West Antarctica that show active processes beneath a modern
glacier which can normally only be postulated from the geological
record. We interpret erosion at a rate of 1 m a-1 beneath
a fast-flowing ice stream, followed by cessation of erosion and
the formation of a drumlin from mobilized sediment. We also interpret
both mobilization and increased compaction of basal sediment with
associated hydrological changes within the glacier bed. All these
changes occurred on time scales of a few years or less. This variability
suggests that an ice stream can reorganize its bed rapidly, and
that present models of ice dynamics may not simulate all the relevant
subglacial processes.
Keywords: subglacial environment; ice streams; drumlins; erosion』
Introduction
Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica
Rapid subglacial erosion
Drumlin formation
Hydrology changes within the glacier bed
Comments
Acknowledgments
References cited