Channelized Ice Melting in the Ocean Boundary Layer Beneath Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica

• Published in: Science
• Main Authors: Stanton, T. P., Shaw, W. J., Truffer, M., Corr, H. F. J., Peters, L. E., Riverman, K. L., Bindschadler, R., Holland, D. M., Anandakrishnan, S.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2013
• Subjects: Pine Island Glacier; Stanton; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Shelf; Pine Island
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1239373; https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.1239373

Active Ice How, exactly, does warm ocean water erode an ice shelf? In a field study of an ice shelf at Pine Island, Antarctica, Stanton et al. (p. 1236 ) collected data from radar, seismic surveys, and oceanographic sensors inserted in holes bored through the ice shelf. The results show that localized, intensive melting occurs in a complex network of discreet channels that are formed on the underside of the shelf. This pattern of melting may limit the absolute rate of ice-shelf mass loss.