Coincident Lake Drainage and Grounding Line Retreat at Engelhardt Subglacial Lake, West Antarctica

Antarctica has an active subglacial hydrological system, with interconnected subglacial lakes fed by subglacial meltwater. Subglacial hydrology can influence basal sliding, inject freshwater into the sub-ice-shelf cavity, and impact sediment transport and deposition which can affect the stability of grounding lines (GLs). We used satellite altimetry data from the ICESat, ICESat-2, and CryoSat-2 missions to document the second recorded drainage of Engelhardt Subglacial Lake (SLE), which began in July 2021 and discharged more than 2.3 km3 of subglacial water into the Ross Ice Shelf cavity. We used differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry from RADARSAT-2 and TerraSAR-X alongside ICESat-2 repeat-track laser altimetry (RTLA) and REMA digital elevation model strips to detect 2–13 km of GL retreat since the previous drainage event in 2003–06. Combining these satellite observations, we evaluated the mechanism triggering SLE drainage, the cause of the observed GL retreat, and the interplay between subglacial hydrology and GL dynamics. We find that: (a) SLE drainage was initiated by influx from a newly identified upstream lake; (b) the observed GL retreat is mainly driven by the continued retreat of Engelhardt Ice Ridge and long-term dynamic thinning that caused a grounded ice plain to reach flotation; and (c) SLE drainage and GL retreat were largely independent. We also discuss the possible origins and influence of a 27 km grounded promontory found to protrude seaward from the GL. Our observations demonstrate the importance of high-resolution satellite data for improving the process-based understanding of dynamic and complex regions around the Antarctic Ice Sheet margins.

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