Entrained debris records regrowth of the Greenland Ice Sheet after the last interglacial | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Entrained debris records regrowth of the Greenland Ice Sheet after the last interglacial Nicholas Holschuh, Knut Christianson, William Dienstfrey, Benjamin Hills, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7793579/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Geoscience → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Radio-echo sounding data capture intensely deformed structures deep within the ice sheet in Northern Greenland. Using technology developed for radar swath imaging, we measure the 3D scattering field of englacial structures and infer their physical properties. High amplitude, off-nadir backscattered energy shows these structures are not simply deformed meteoric layering as previously hypothesized, but contain distinct horizons of subglacially sourced debris (described here as "debris trains"). In many places, debris is transported through the ice column more than 1000 m off the ice sheet bed, modifying the strength of the ice and localizing deformation in ways not captured by current ice sheet models. These structures are found across Northern Greenland despite being absent in similar glaciological environments in Greenland and Antarctica. Based on their geometry, distribution, and composition, we argue they are a product of unique ice flow conditions experienced in Greenland during regrowth of a substantially reduced ice sheet during the last interglacial period. These results indicating the possibility for old ice recovery from within these structures. Earth and environmental sciences/Climate sciences/Cryospheric science Earth and environmental sciences/Climate sciences Greenland MIS 5e Englacial Debris Ice Penetrating Radar Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files XTrackScatteringSupplement.pdf Supplementary Discussion and Extended Data Figures Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Geoscience → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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