Ice discharge intensities and provenance variations in the Amundsen Sea sector during Plio- and Pleistocene super-interglacials – indicators for past West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse?

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The future behaviour of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) remains one of the most critical unknowns in global climate and sea-level predictions (IPCC, 2014). Past super-warm periods during Plio- and Pleistocene epochs may serve as analogues for climate scenarios predicted for coming decades and centuries. Modeling studies suggest that temperature anomalies dur-ing these periods led to partial or full WAIS collapse. However, ice-proximal geological evi-dence for constraining potential collapses are yet lacking. During IODP Exp. 379 we collected drill cores from two sites covering these intervals. Specifically, ice discharge intensities (quantification of ice-rafted debris; IRD) will be investigated on 571 samples. Further, indica-tors for sediment provenance and potential collapse will subsequently be determined on se-lected samples by aiming to discriminate East and West Antarctic IRD sources (mineralogy and Ar-Ar dating). The analytical work for the project will be performed by student assistants with an option to compose final theses. The produced data will be used for data integration with IODP collaborators, synthesis, and final publication.