Transition to marine ice cliff instability controlled by ice thickness gradients and velocity
Cliff collapse Tall ice cliffs at the edges of ice sheets can collapse under their own weight in spectacular fashion, a process that can considerably hasten ice sheet mass loss. Bassis et al. used a dynamic ice model to demonstrate that this kind of collapse can be slowed either by upstream thinning...
Published in: | Science |
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Main Authors: | , , , |
Other Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2021
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abf6271 https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1126/science.abf6271 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.abf6271 |
Summary: | Cliff collapse Tall ice cliffs at the edges of ice sheets can collapse under their own weight in spectacular fashion, a process that can considerably hasten ice sheet mass loss. Bassis et al. used a dynamic ice model to demonstrate that this kind of collapse can be slowed either by upstream thinning of the ice sheet or by the resistive forces from sea ice and calved debris (see the Perspective by Golledge and Lowry). Conversely, when there is upstream ice thickening, a transition to catastrophic collapse can occur. Science , abf6271, this issue p. 1342 see also abj3266, p. 1266 |
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