Rifting processes and ice-flow modulation observed on Mertz Glacier, East Antarctica
We investigated the evolution of two major rifts cutting across Mertz Glacier Tongue, East Antarctica, using a combination of satellite images and 60 day sets of GPS data from two stations deployed either side of the western rift in 2007. The eastern rift began to open in the early 1990s, and the we...
Published in: | Journal of Glaciology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Int Glaciol Soc
2015
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00489/60023/63276.pdf https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J028 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00489/60023/ |
id |
ftarchimer:oai:archimer.ifremer.fr:60023 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftarchimer:oai:archimer.ifremer.fr:60023 2023-05-15T13:50:50+02:00 Rifting processes and ice-flow modulation observed on Mertz Glacier, East Antarctica Lescarmontier, L. Legresy, B. Young, N. W. Coleman, R. Testut, L. Mayet, C. Lacroix, P 2015 application/pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00489/60023/63276.pdf https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J028 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00489/60023/ eng eng Int Glaciol Soc https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00489/60023/63276.pdf doi:10.3189/2015JoG15J028 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00489/60023/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess restricted use Journal Of Glaciology (0022-1430) (Int Glaciol Soc), 2015 , Vol. 61 , N. 230 , P. 1183-1193 Antarctic glaciology calving crevasses glacier flow glacier mechanics text Publication info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2015 ftarchimer https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J028 2021-09-23T20:32:23Z We investigated the evolution of two major rifts cutting across Mertz Glacier Tongue, East Antarctica, using a combination of satellite images and 60 day sets of GPS data from two stations deployed either side of the western rift in 2007. The eastern rift began to open in the early 1990s, and the western rift initiated in 2002 in conjunction with the collision of a large iceberg with the tongue. Velocity time series derived from the 2007 GPS data exhibited strong variations at tidal periods modulated by sea-surface height and sea-surface slope and reproduced here with a conceptually simple model. We found that opening of the western rift in 2002 leads to a dramatic change in behavior of the tongue as the large range in velocity (700-2400 m a(-1)) observed in 2000 was largely reduced (1075-1225 m a(-1)) in 2007. Opening of the western rift decoupled the glacier from the transverse loading on the tongue driven by east-west tidal circulation. This loading previously induced time-varying lateral drag, which caused the large velocity range. Our results suggest changes in the mechanical behavior of an ice tongue impact the dynamics of the outlet glacier system and should be considered in longer-term mass-balance evaluations. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Iceberg* Journal of Glaciology Mertz Glacier Archimer (Archive Institutionnelle de l'Ifremer - Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer) Antarctic East Antarctica Mertz Glacier ENVELOPE(144.500,144.500,-67.667,-67.667) Mertz Glacier Tongue ENVELOPE(145.500,145.500,-67.167,-67.167) Journal of Glaciology 61 230 1183 1193 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Archimer (Archive Institutionnelle de l'Ifremer - Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer) |
op_collection_id |
ftarchimer |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctic glaciology calving crevasses glacier flow glacier mechanics |
spellingShingle |
Antarctic glaciology calving crevasses glacier flow glacier mechanics Lescarmontier, L. Legresy, B. Young, N. W. Coleman, R. Testut, L. Mayet, C. Lacroix, P Rifting processes and ice-flow modulation observed on Mertz Glacier, East Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Antarctic glaciology calving crevasses glacier flow glacier mechanics |
description |
We investigated the evolution of two major rifts cutting across Mertz Glacier Tongue, East Antarctica, using a combination of satellite images and 60 day sets of GPS data from two stations deployed either side of the western rift in 2007. The eastern rift began to open in the early 1990s, and the western rift initiated in 2002 in conjunction with the collision of a large iceberg with the tongue. Velocity time series derived from the 2007 GPS data exhibited strong variations at tidal periods modulated by sea-surface height and sea-surface slope and reproduced here with a conceptually simple model. We found that opening of the western rift in 2002 leads to a dramatic change in behavior of the tongue as the large range in velocity (700-2400 m a(-1)) observed in 2000 was largely reduced (1075-1225 m a(-1)) in 2007. Opening of the western rift decoupled the glacier from the transverse loading on the tongue driven by east-west tidal circulation. This loading previously induced time-varying lateral drag, which caused the large velocity range. Our results suggest changes in the mechanical behavior of an ice tongue impact the dynamics of the outlet glacier system and should be considered in longer-term mass-balance evaluations. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lescarmontier, L. Legresy, B. Young, N. W. Coleman, R. Testut, L. Mayet, C. Lacroix, P |
author_facet |
Lescarmontier, L. Legresy, B. Young, N. W. Coleman, R. Testut, L. Mayet, C. Lacroix, P |
author_sort |
Lescarmontier, L. |
title |
Rifting processes and ice-flow modulation observed on Mertz Glacier, East Antarctica |
title_short |
Rifting processes and ice-flow modulation observed on Mertz Glacier, East Antarctica |
title_full |
Rifting processes and ice-flow modulation observed on Mertz Glacier, East Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Rifting processes and ice-flow modulation observed on Mertz Glacier, East Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rifting processes and ice-flow modulation observed on Mertz Glacier, East Antarctica |
title_sort |
rifting processes and ice-flow modulation observed on mertz glacier, east antarctica |
publisher |
Int Glaciol Soc |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00489/60023/63276.pdf https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J028 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00489/60023/ |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(144.500,144.500,-67.667,-67.667) ENVELOPE(145.500,145.500,-67.167,-67.167) |
geographic |
Antarctic East Antarctica Mertz Glacier Mertz Glacier Tongue |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic East Antarctica Mertz Glacier Mertz Glacier Tongue |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Iceberg* Journal of Glaciology Mertz Glacier |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Iceberg* Journal of Glaciology Mertz Glacier |
op_source |
Journal Of Glaciology (0022-1430) (Int Glaciol Soc), 2015 , Vol. 61 , N. 230 , P. 1183-1193 |
op_relation |
https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00489/60023/63276.pdf doi:10.3189/2015JoG15J028 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00489/60023/ |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess restricted use |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J028 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
61 |
container_issue |
230 |
container_start_page |
1183 |
op_container_end_page |
1193 |
_version_ |
1766254169519292416 |