Comparing Glacial‐Geological Evidence and Model Simulations of Ice Sheet Change since the Last Glacial Period in the Amundsen Sea Sector of Antarctica

Since the Last Glacial Maximum ∼20,000 years ago, Antarctic Ice Sheet has undergone extensive changes, resulting in a much smaller present-day configuration. Improving our understanding of basic physical processes that played important roles during retreat is critical to providing more robust model projections future and sea-level rise. Here, limited-area nested ice sheet was applied last deglacial West Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE), at 5 km resolution. The response climate forcing examined two sites along flowlines Pine Island Glacier Pope Glacier, close Hudson Mountains Mount Murphy respectively, simulated responses compared with thinning histories derived from glacial-geological data. sensitivity results selected parameters also assessed. simulations predict broadly similar ocean both central eastern ASE, an initial rapid phase followed by slower modern Although there mismatch up 5,000 between timing observed thinning, modeling suggests upstream geological records surface elevation change reflect near grounding line. model-data could potentially be improved accounting for regional variations mantle viscosity, sea-surface heights basal sliding properties across continental shelf.