Effect of a Basal Water Layer on the Dimensions of Ice Sheets
Abstract The effect of a basal water layer on the equilibrium dimensions of an ice sheet is examined. A thick water layer can decrease the equilibrium thickness of an ice sheet such as covers Antarctica (which contains no significant ablational areas) by a factor of the order of 2. Similar large cha...
Published in: | Journal of Glaciology |
---|---|
Main Author: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1966
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000019213 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000019213 |
Summary: | Abstract The effect of a basal water layer on the equilibrium dimensions of an ice sheet is examined. A thick water layer can decrease the equilibrium thickness of an ice sheet such as covers Antarctica (which contains no significant ablational areas) by a factor of the order of 2. Similar large changes in the equilibrium dimensions occur for ice-age ice sheets (which have extensive ablation areas). The extent of the ablation area of an ice-age ice sheet which may be covered with morainal debris is also calculated. |
---|