A team of international scientists involving the Durham University Geography department has unveiled a new map of the geological provinces hidden beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet. This comprehensive synthesis, published in Geophysical Research Letters, promises to advance our understanding of this critical component of the global climate system.
The new subglacial geology map provides an invaluable modernized framework for interpreting the solid Earth properties that shape the Greenland Ice Sheet’s past, present, and future behavior. Using a wealth of geophysical data, including seismic, gravity, magnetic, and topographic surveys, the researchers have meticulously delineated the boundaries of geological provinces across the island and, crucially, beneath the ice.
By combining diverse geophysical datasets, the researchers have been able to map Greenland’s subsurface structure in unprecedented detail, revealing a far more complex picture than was previously known. Notably, the team’s findings show that north of 72°N, Greenland’s geology is clearly more heterogeneous than previously thought. There are also three distinct subglacial regions identified in central and northern Greenland whose unique geophysical signatures do not align with the island’s marginal geology, suggesting the presence of as-yet-unknown geological provinces.
