Post-LGM deglaciation in Pine Island Bay, West Antarctica

To date, understanding of ice sheet retreat within Pine Island Bay (PIB) following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was based on seven radiocarbon dates and only fragmentary seafloor geomorphic evidence. During the austral summer 2009–2010, restricted sea ice cover allowed for the collection of 27 sediment cores from the outer PIB trough region. Combining these cores with data from prior cruises, over 133 cores have been used to conduct a detailed sedimentological facies analysis. These results, augmented by 23 new radiocarbon dates, are used to reconstruct the post-LGM deglacial history of PIB.Our results record a clear retreat stratigraphy in PIB composed of, from top to base; terrigenous sandy silt (distal glacimarine), pebbly sandy mud (ice-proximal glacimarine), and till. Initial retreat from the outer-continental shelf began shortly after the LGM and before 16.4 k cal yr BP, as a likely response to rising sea level. Bedforms in outer PIB document episodic retreat in the form of back-stepping grounding zone wedges and are associated with proximal glacimarine sediments. A sub-ice shelf facies is observed in central PIB and spans ∼12.3–10.6 k cal yr BP. It is possible that widespread impingement of warm water onto the continental shelf caused an abrupt and widespread change from sub-ice shelf sedimentation to distal glacimarine sedimentation dominated by widespread dispersal of terrigenous silt between 7.8 and 7.0 k cal yr BP. The final phase of retreat ended before ∼1.3 k cal yr BP, when the grounding line migrated to a location near the current ice margin.

► Grounding line retreat in Pine Island Bay is constrained by 23 new radiocarbon ages.
► Deglaciation in Pine Island Bay began between the LGM and ∼16.4 k cal yr BP due to rising sea level.
► Eustasy and morphology controlled stepped retreat across flat central trough ∼16.4–12.3 kyr.
► Two ice shelves occupied Pine Island Bay. Impinging Warm Deep Water contributed to their demise.
► Underpinning by subglacial meltwater appears to have caused final ice sheet retreat 7.8–7.0 kyr.