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- C31C-0953: Flash Flood or Leaky Faucet? Quantifying Antarctic Subglacial Groundwater Exfiltration Through the Last Deglaciation
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Board 0953‚ Hall EFG (Poster Hall)NOLA CC
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Ellie Miller, Colorado School of Mines (First Author, Presenting Author)
Alexander Robel, Georgia Institute of Technology
Roger Creel, Texas A& M University
Ellianna Abrahams, Stanford University
Matthew Siegfried, Colorado School of Mines
Lucas Zoet, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Marion McKenzie, Colorado School of Mines
Rohaiz Haris, Colorado School of Mines
Ryan Venturelli, Colorado School of Mines
Ice sheets and the groundwater beneath them are closely connected. When ice sheets thin and retreat, groundwater deep underground can rise toward the surface—a process called groundwater exfiltration. Most research on Antarctic groundwater has focused on recent, satellite-era ice thinning (2003–2019), but Antarctica experienced much greater ice loss around 20,000 years ago, during the last deglaciation. By using geological records from 61 sites across Antarctica, combined with computer models, we reconstructed how groundwater moved beneath the ice over the past 20,000 years. We found that regions with rapid ice retreat—such as the Amundsen, Ross, and Weddell Seas—had intense pulses of upward groundwater flow lasting hundreds to thousands of years. In areas where the ice thinned more slowly, groundwater movement was steadier and less dramatic. These historical groundwater surges often matched or exceeded what we observe today. Since future ice losses could mirror those of the past, understanding how groundwater moves beneath ice sheets is vital. Our work highlights the need to include groundwater processes in models that predict ice-sheet changes, sea-level rise, and downstream impacts on ecosystems.
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