Frictional Melt–Sustained Subglacial Hydrology Modulates Ice–Bed Coupling at an Antarctic Peninsula Outlet Glacier

Seasonal acceleration of Antarctic Peninsula outlet glaciers is commonly attributed to surface melt–driven basal lubrication and ocean forcing. However, the role of internally generated basal meltwater, independent of seasonal surface inputs, remains poorly constrained by observations, despite its potential to introduce year-round dynamic sensitivity that is not captured by seasonally forced frameworks. Here we investigate how non-seasonal subglacial hydrology influences the dynamics of Fleming Glacier, a rapidly evolving outlet glacier draining into Wordie Bay on the western Antarctic Peninsula.

Using time-resolved digital elevation models (2011–2024) together with satellite-derived surface velocity and basal drag estimates, we identify an actively evolving subglacial water reservoir beneath the fast-flowing lower trunk of the glacier. Episodic filling and drainage of this reservoir produce multi-meter surface height anomalies that are temporally coincident with changes in ice velocity and basal drag. These signals occur predominantly during austral winter and exhibit weak or absent annual periodicity, indicating that they are not driven by seasonally varying surface meltwater input.

Energy-budget considerations and spatial patterns of hydraulic potential suggest that the reservoir is sustained primarily by internally generated basal meltwater produced through frictional heating, rather than by surface or oceanic meltwater sources. Episodic drainage events transiently reduce effective pressure at the ice–bed interface, promoting short-lived acceleration and spatial reorganization of basal drag upstream of the grounding line.

Our results demonstrate that internally driven, non-seasonal subglacial hydrology can modulate ice–bed coupling on multi-year timescales, highlighting an additional mechanism of outlet glacier variability that operates independently of seasonal climate forcing.