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Initiation of ice ages by creep instability and surging of the East Antarctic ice sheet

Nature volume 296, pages 127–130 (1982)Cite this article

Abstract

Creep or shear heating instability is shown to be a plausible means of initiating a surge of the East Antarctic ice sheet and plunging the Earth into an ice age. The occurrence of this instability requires only that the ice thickness exceed a critical value which may not be much larger than the present ice dome thickness. Creep instability can occur on the fast time scale of 100–1,000 yr required by inferences of past rapid cooling events and sudden rises of sea level before the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90024, USA

    Gerald Schubert

  2. Department of Geology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287, USA

    David A. Yuen

Authors
  1. Gerald Schubert
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  2. David A. Yuen
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Schubert, G., Yuen, D. Initiation of ice ages by creep instability and surging of the East Antarctic ice sheet. Nature 296, 127–130 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/296127a0

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