Is the East Antarctic ice sheet stable?
Abstract The Greenland and East and West Antarctic ice sheets are assessed as being the source of ice that produced an Eemian sea level 6 m higher than present sea level. The most probable source is total collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet accompanied by partial collapse of the adjacent sector...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
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crcambridgeupr:10.1016/j.yqres.2010.12.001 2024-06-09T07:38:14+00:00 Is the East Antarctic ice sheet stable? Pingree, Katherine Lurie, Max Hughes, Terence 2011 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2010.12.001 http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0033589410001444?httpAccept=text/xml http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0033589410001444?httpAccept=text/plain https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589400007274 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Quaternary Research volume 75, issue 3, page 417-429 ISSN 0033-5894 1096-0287 journal-article 2011 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2010.12.001 2024-05-15T13:02:49Z Abstract The Greenland and East and West Antarctic ice sheets are assessed as being the source of ice that produced an Eemian sea level 6 m higher than present sea level. The most probable source is total collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet accompanied by partial collapse of the adjacent sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in direct contact with the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This conclusion is reached by applying a simple formula relating the “floating fraction” of ice along flowlines to ice height above the bed. Increasing the floating fraction lowered ice elevations enough to contribute up to 4.7 m to global sea level. Adding 3.3 m resulting from total collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet accounts for the higher Eemian sea level. Partial gravitational collapse that produced the present ice drainage system of Amery Ice Shelf contributes 2.3 m to global sea level. These results cast doubt on the presumed stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, but destabilizing mechanisms remain largely unknown. Possibilities include glacial surges and marine instabilities at the respective head and foot of ice streams. Article in Journal/Newspaper Amery Ice Shelf Antarc* Antarctic Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Cambridge University Press Amery ENVELOPE(-94.063,-94.063,56.565,56.565) Amery Ice Shelf ENVELOPE(71.000,71.000,-69.750,-69.750) Antarctic East Antarctic Ice Sheet Greenland West Antarctic Ice Sheet Quaternary Research 75 3 417 429 |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract The Greenland and East and West Antarctic ice sheets are assessed as being the source of ice that produced an Eemian sea level 6 m higher than present sea level. The most probable source is total collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet accompanied by partial collapse of the adjacent sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in direct contact with the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This conclusion is reached by applying a simple formula relating the “floating fraction” of ice along flowlines to ice height above the bed. Increasing the floating fraction lowered ice elevations enough to contribute up to 4.7 m to global sea level. Adding 3.3 m resulting from total collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet accounts for the higher Eemian sea level. Partial gravitational collapse that produced the present ice drainage system of Amery Ice Shelf contributes 2.3 m to global sea level. These results cast doubt on the presumed stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, but destabilizing mechanisms remain largely unknown. Possibilities include glacial surges and marine instabilities at the respective head and foot of ice streams. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pingree, Katherine Lurie, Max Hughes, Terence |
spellingShingle |
Pingree, Katherine Lurie, Max Hughes, Terence Is the East Antarctic ice sheet stable? |
author_facet |
Pingree, Katherine Lurie, Max Hughes, Terence |
author_sort |
Pingree, Katherine |
title |
Is the East Antarctic ice sheet stable? |
title_short |
Is the East Antarctic ice sheet stable? |
title_full |
Is the East Antarctic ice sheet stable? |
title_fullStr |
Is the East Antarctic ice sheet stable? |
title_full_unstemmed |
Is the East Antarctic ice sheet stable? |
title_sort |
is the east antarctic ice sheet stable? |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2010.12.001 http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0033589410001444?httpAccept=text/xml http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0033589410001444?httpAccept=text/plain https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589400007274 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-94.063,-94.063,56.565,56.565) ENVELOPE(71.000,71.000,-69.750,-69.750) |
geographic |
Amery Amery Ice Shelf Antarctic East Antarctic Ice Sheet Greenland West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
geographic_facet |
Amery Amery Ice Shelf Antarctic East Antarctic Ice Sheet Greenland West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
genre |
Amery Ice Shelf Antarc* Antarctic Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Shelf |
genre_facet |
Amery Ice Shelf Antarc* Antarctic Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Shelf |
op_source |
Quaternary Research volume 75, issue 3, page 417-429 ISSN 0033-5894 1096-0287 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2010.12.001 |
container_title |
Quaternary Research |
container_volume |
75 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
417 |
op_container_end_page |
429 |
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1801371173330616320 |