Seawater softening of suture zones inhibits fracture propagation in Antarctic ice shelves
Abstract Suture zones are abundant on Antarctic ice shelves and widely observed to impede fracture propagation, greatly enhancing ice-shelf stability. Using seismic and radar observations on the Larsen C Ice Shelf of the Antarctic Peninsula, we confirm that such zones are highly heterogeneous, consi...
Published in: | Nature Communications |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
2019
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13539-x http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13539-x.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13539-x |
id |
crspringernat:10.1038/s41467-019-13539-x |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crspringernat:10.1038/s41467-019-13539-x 2023-05-15T14:06:20+02:00 Seawater softening of suture zones inhibits fracture propagation in Antarctic ice shelves Kulessa, Bernd Booth, Adam D. O’Leary, Martin McGrath, Daniel King, Edward C. Luckman, Adrian J. Holland, Paul R. Jansen, Daniela Bevan, Suzanne L. Thompson, Sarah S. Hubbard, Bryn AXA Research Fund RCUK | Natural Environment Research Council 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13539-x http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13539-x.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13539-x en eng Springer Science and Business Media LLC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 CC-BY Nature Communications volume 10, issue 1 ISSN 2041-1723 General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry journal-article 2019 crspringernat https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13539-x 2022-01-04T10:03:25Z Abstract Suture zones are abundant on Antarctic ice shelves and widely observed to impede fracture propagation, greatly enhancing ice-shelf stability. Using seismic and radar observations on the Larsen C Ice Shelf of the Antarctic Peninsula, we confirm that such zones are highly heterogeneous, consisting of multiple meteoric and marine ice bodies of diverse provenance fused together. Here we demonstrate that fracture detainment is predominantly controlled by enhanced seawater content in suture zones, rather than by enhanced temperature as previously thought. We show that interstitial seawater can reduce fracture-driving stress by orders of magnitude, promoting both viscous relaxation and the development of micro cracks, the incidence of which scales inversely with stress intensity. We show how simple analysis of viscous buckles in ice-penetrating radar data can quantify the seawater content of suture zones and their modification of the ice-shelf’s stress regime. By limiting fracture, enhancing stability and restraining continental ice discharge into the ocean, suture zones act as vital regulators of Antarctic mass balance. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Springer Nature (via Crossref) Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula The Antarctic Nature Communications 10 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Springer Nature (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
crspringernat |
language |
English |
topic |
General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry |
spellingShingle |
General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry Kulessa, Bernd Booth, Adam D. O’Leary, Martin McGrath, Daniel King, Edward C. Luckman, Adrian J. Holland, Paul R. Jansen, Daniela Bevan, Suzanne L. Thompson, Sarah S. Hubbard, Bryn Seawater softening of suture zones inhibits fracture propagation in Antarctic ice shelves |
topic_facet |
General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry |
description |
Abstract Suture zones are abundant on Antarctic ice shelves and widely observed to impede fracture propagation, greatly enhancing ice-shelf stability. Using seismic and radar observations on the Larsen C Ice Shelf of the Antarctic Peninsula, we confirm that such zones are highly heterogeneous, consisting of multiple meteoric and marine ice bodies of diverse provenance fused together. Here we demonstrate that fracture detainment is predominantly controlled by enhanced seawater content in suture zones, rather than by enhanced temperature as previously thought. We show that interstitial seawater can reduce fracture-driving stress by orders of magnitude, promoting both viscous relaxation and the development of micro cracks, the incidence of which scales inversely with stress intensity. We show how simple analysis of viscous buckles in ice-penetrating radar data can quantify the seawater content of suture zones and their modification of the ice-shelf’s stress regime. By limiting fracture, enhancing stability and restraining continental ice discharge into the ocean, suture zones act as vital regulators of Antarctic mass balance. |
author2 |
AXA Research Fund RCUK | Natural Environment Research Council |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kulessa, Bernd Booth, Adam D. O’Leary, Martin McGrath, Daniel King, Edward C. Luckman, Adrian J. Holland, Paul R. Jansen, Daniela Bevan, Suzanne L. Thompson, Sarah S. Hubbard, Bryn |
author_facet |
Kulessa, Bernd Booth, Adam D. O’Leary, Martin McGrath, Daniel King, Edward C. Luckman, Adrian J. Holland, Paul R. Jansen, Daniela Bevan, Suzanne L. Thompson, Sarah S. Hubbard, Bryn |
author_sort |
Kulessa, Bernd |
title |
Seawater softening of suture zones inhibits fracture propagation in Antarctic ice shelves |
title_short |
Seawater softening of suture zones inhibits fracture propagation in Antarctic ice shelves |
title_full |
Seawater softening of suture zones inhibits fracture propagation in Antarctic ice shelves |
title_fullStr |
Seawater softening of suture zones inhibits fracture propagation in Antarctic ice shelves |
title_full_unstemmed |
Seawater softening of suture zones inhibits fracture propagation in Antarctic ice shelves |
title_sort |
seawater softening of suture zones inhibits fracture propagation in antarctic ice shelves |
publisher |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13539-x http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13539-x.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13539-x |
geographic |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelf Ice Shelves |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelf Ice Shelves |
op_source |
Nature Communications volume 10, issue 1 ISSN 2041-1723 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13539-x |
container_title |
Nature Communications |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766278046459887616 |