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East Greenland Ice Sheet retreat history from Scoresby Sund and Storstrømmen Glacier during the last deglaciation

  • Jacob T.H. Anderson
  • , Nicolás E. Young
  • , Allie Balter-Kennedy
  • , Karlee K. Prince
  • , Caleb K. Walcott-George
  • , Brandon L. Graham
  • , Joanna Charton
  • , Jason P. Briner
  • , Joerg M. Schaefer
  • Columbia University
  • SUNY Buffalo
  • University of Kentucky
  • United States Geological Survey

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The lack of geological constraints on past ice-sheet change in marine-based sectors of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) following the Last Glacial Maximum limits our ability to assess (1) the drivers of ice-sheet change, and (2) the performance of ice-sheet models that are benchmarked against the paleo-record of GrIS change. Here, we provide new in situ10Be surface exposure chronologies of ice-sheet margin retreat from the outer Scoresby Sund and Storstrømmen Glacier regions in eastern and northeastern Greenland, respectively. Ice retreated from Rathbone Island, east of Scoresby Sund, by ∼ 14.1 ka, recording some of the earliest documentations of terrestrial deglaciation in Greenland. The mouth of Scoresby Sund deglaciated by ∼ 13.2 ka, and retreated at an average rate of ∼ 43 m yr-1 between 13.2 and 9.7 ka. Storstrømmen Glacier retreated from the outer coast to within ∼ 3 km of the modern ice margin between ∼ 12.7 and 8.6 ka at an average rate of ∼ 28 m yr-1. Retreat then slowed or reached a stillstand as ice retreated ∼ 3 km between ∼ 8.6 ka to the modern ice margin at ∼ 8.0 ka. These retreat rates are consistent with late glacial and Holocene estimates for marine-terminating outlet glaciers across East Greenland, and comparable to modern retreat rates observed at the largest ice streams in northeastern, and northwestern Greenland.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2263-2281
Number of pages19
JournalClimate of the Past
Volume21
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 18 2025

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