A creep instability analysis of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
• Main Authors: Gary, P. W., Clarke, G. K. C., Peltier, W. R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1979
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Greenland; Wilkes Land; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e79-016; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e79-016

Creep instability, the runaway increase of temperature and deformation due to internal strain heating, is analysed with a very simple model of one-dimensional heat transfer to estimate the stability of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. Derived stability maps indicate that for the assumed rheology both ice sheets are completely stable; however, the stability of the coastal region of Wilkes Land in Antarctica is only marginal and cannot be accurately determined because of uncertainties in the data, especially basal shear stress.