Subglacial discharge accelerates future retreat of Denman and Scott Glaciers, East Antarctica

Ice shelf basal melting is the primary mechanism driving mass loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet, yet it is unknown how the localized melt enhancement from subglacial discharge will affect future Antarctic glacial retreat. We develop a parameterization of ice shelf basal melt that accounts for both o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science Advances
Main Authors: Pelle, Tyler, Greenbaum, Jamin S., Dow, Christine F., Jenkins, Adrian, Morlighem, Mathieu
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2023
Subjects:
Antarctic
The Antarctic
East Antarctica
Denman Glacier
Antarc*
Antarctica
Ice Sheet
Ice Shelf
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi9014
https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.adi9014
Description
Summary:Ice shelf basal melting is the primary mechanism driving mass loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet, yet it is unknown how the localized melt enhancement from subglacial discharge will affect future Antarctic glacial retreat. We develop a parameterization of ice shelf basal melt that accounts for both ocean and subglacial discharge forcing and apply it in future projections of Denman and Scott Glaciers, East Antarctica, through 2300. In forward simulations, subglacial discharge accelerates the onset of retreat of these systems into the deepest continental trench on Earth by 25 years. During this retreat, Denman Glacier alone contributes 0.33 millimeters per year to global sea level rise, comparable to half of the contemporary sea level contribution of the entire Antarctic Ice Sheet. Our results stress the importance of resolving complex interactions between the ice, ocean, and subglacial environments in future Antarctic Ice Sheet projections.

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