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Science 8 October 1999:
Vol. 286. no. 5438, pp. 280 - 283
DOI: 10.1126/science.286.5438.280
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Reports

Past and Future Grounding-Line Retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

H. Conway, 1 B. L. Hall, 2,3 G. H. Denton, 2 A. M. Gades, 1 E. D. Waddington 1

The history of deglaciation of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) gives clues about its future. Southward grounding-line migration was dated past three locations in the Ross Sea Embayment. Results indicate that most recession occurred during the middle to late Holocene in the absence of substantial sea level or climate forcing. Current grounding-line retreat may reflect ongoing ice recession that has been under way since the early Holocene. If so, the WAIS could continue to retreat even in the absence of further external forcing.

1 Geophysics Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
2 Institute for Quaternary Studies and Department of Geological Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
3 Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.

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