Formation of mega-scale glacial lineations observed beneath a West Antarctic ice stream
Here we present radar data from the bed of a West Antarctic ice stream that reveal the presence of mega-scale glacial lineations. We combine these data with previously published seismic data and show that these lineations develop in areas of dilatant deforming till and are part of a dynamic sedimentary system that undergoes significant change by erosion and deposition on decadal timescales. Wefind that the mega-scale glacial lineations are indistinguishable from those found on beds of palaeo-ice streams, providing conclusive evidence for the hypothesis that highly elongate bedforms are a characteristic of fast-flow regions in ice sheets.