Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds
Abstract A common precursor to ice shelf disintegration, most notably that of Larsen B Ice Shelf, is unusually intense or prolonged surface melt and the presence of surface standing water. However, there has been little research into detailed patterns of melt on ice shelves or the nature of summer m...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102014000339 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102014000339 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0954102014000339 2024-10-20T14:05:06+00:00 Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds Luckman, Adrian Elvidge, Andrew Jansen, Daniela Kulessa, Bernd Kuipers Munneke, Peter King, John Barrand, Nicholas E. 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102014000339 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102014000339 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Antarctic Science volume 26, issue 6, page 625-635 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 journal-article 2014 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102014000339 2024-10-09T04:02:13Z Abstract A common precursor to ice shelf disintegration, most notably that of Larsen B Ice Shelf, is unusually intense or prolonged surface melt and the presence of surface standing water. However, there has been little research into detailed patterns of melt on ice shelves or the nature of summer melt ponds. We investigated surface melt on Larsen C Ice Shelf at high resolution using Envisat advanced synthetic aperture radar (ASAR) data and explored melt ponds in a range of satellite images. The improved spatial resolution of SAR over alternative approaches revealed anomalously long melt duration in western inlets. Meteorological modelling explained this pattern by föhn winds which were common in this region. Melt ponds are difficult to detect using optical imagery because cloud-free conditions are rare in this region and ponds quickly freeze over, but can be monitored using SAR in all weather conditions. Melt ponds up to tens of kilometres in length were common in Cabinet Inlet, where melt duration was most prolonged. The pattern of melt explains the previously observed distribution of ice shelf densification, which in parts had reached levels that preceded the collapse of Larsen B Ice Shelf, suggesting a potential role for föhn winds in promoting unstable conditions on ice shelves. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarctic Science Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Cambridge University Press Asar ENVELOPE(134.033,134.033,68.667,68.667) Cabinet Inlet ENVELOPE(-63.500,-63.500,-66.250,-66.250) Antarctic Science 26 6 625 635 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract A common precursor to ice shelf disintegration, most notably that of Larsen B Ice Shelf, is unusually intense or prolonged surface melt and the presence of surface standing water. However, there has been little research into detailed patterns of melt on ice shelves or the nature of summer melt ponds. We investigated surface melt on Larsen C Ice Shelf at high resolution using Envisat advanced synthetic aperture radar (ASAR) data and explored melt ponds in a range of satellite images. The improved spatial resolution of SAR over alternative approaches revealed anomalously long melt duration in western inlets. Meteorological modelling explained this pattern by föhn winds which were common in this region. Melt ponds are difficult to detect using optical imagery because cloud-free conditions are rare in this region and ponds quickly freeze over, but can be monitored using SAR in all weather conditions. Melt ponds up to tens of kilometres in length were common in Cabinet Inlet, where melt duration was most prolonged. The pattern of melt explains the previously observed distribution of ice shelf densification, which in parts had reached levels that preceded the collapse of Larsen B Ice Shelf, suggesting a potential role for föhn winds in promoting unstable conditions on ice shelves. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Luckman, Adrian Elvidge, Andrew Jansen, Daniela Kulessa, Bernd Kuipers Munneke, Peter King, John Barrand, Nicholas E. |
spellingShingle |
Luckman, Adrian Elvidge, Andrew Jansen, Daniela Kulessa, Bernd Kuipers Munneke, Peter King, John Barrand, Nicholas E. Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds |
author_facet |
Luckman, Adrian Elvidge, Andrew Jansen, Daniela Kulessa, Bernd Kuipers Munneke, Peter King, John Barrand, Nicholas E. |
author_sort |
Luckman, Adrian |
title |
Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds |
title_short |
Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds |
title_full |
Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds |
title_fullStr |
Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds |
title_full_unstemmed |
Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds |
title_sort |
surface melt and ponding on larsen c ice shelf and the impact of föhn winds |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102014000339 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102014000339 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(134.033,134.033,68.667,68.667) ENVELOPE(-63.500,-63.500,-66.250,-66.250) |
geographic |
Asar Cabinet Inlet |
geographic_facet |
Asar Cabinet Inlet |
genre |
Antarctic Science Ice Shelf Ice Shelves |
genre_facet |
Antarctic Science Ice Shelf Ice Shelves |
op_source |
Antarctic Science volume 26, issue 6, page 625-635 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102014000339 |
container_title |
Antarctic Science |
container_volume |
26 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
625 |
op_container_end_page |
635 |
_version_ |
1813442695488602112 |