Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds
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...
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Cambridge University Press
2014
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Online Access: | https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/36596/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/36596/1/Luckman2014.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.44429 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.44429.d001 |
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ftawi:oai:epic.awi.de:36596 2023-05-15T14:14:52+02:00 Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds Luckman, Adrian J. Elvidge, Andrew Jansen, Daniela Kulessa, Bernd Kuipers Munneke, Peter King, John Barrand, Nicholas E. 2014-12 application/pdf https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/36596/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/36596/1/Luckman2014.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.44429 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.44429.d001 unknown Cambridge University Press https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/36596/1/Luckman2014.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.44429.d001 Luckman, A. J. , Elvidge, A. , Jansen, D. orcid:0000-0002-4412-5820 , Kulessa, B. , Kuipers Munneke, P. , King, J. and Barrand, N. E. (2014) Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds , Antarctic Science, 26 (6), pp. 625-635 . doi:10.1017/S0954102014000339 <https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102014000339> , hdl:10013/epic.44429 EPIC3Antarctic Science, Cambridge University Press, 26(6), pp. 625-635, ISSN: 0954-1020 Article isiRev 2014 ftawi https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102014000339 2021-12-24T15:39:57Z 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 Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) 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 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) |
op_collection_id |
ftawi |
language |
unknown |
description |
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 J. Elvidge, Andrew Jansen, Daniela Kulessa, Bernd Kuipers Munneke, Peter King, John Barrand, Nicholas E. |
spellingShingle |
Luckman, Adrian J. 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 J. Elvidge, Andrew Jansen, Daniela Kulessa, Bernd Kuipers Munneke, Peter King, John Barrand, Nicholas E. |
author_sort |
Luckman, Adrian J. |
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 |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/36596/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/36596/1/Luckman2014.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.44429 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.44429.d001 |
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 |
EPIC3Antarctic Science, Cambridge University Press, 26(6), pp. 625-635, ISSN: 0954-1020 |
op_relation |
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/36596/1/Luckman2014.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.44429.d001 Luckman, A. J. , Elvidge, A. , Jansen, D. orcid:0000-0002-4412-5820 , Kulessa, B. , Kuipers Munneke, P. , King, J. and Barrand, N. E. (2014) Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds , Antarctic Science, 26 (6), pp. 625-635 . doi:10.1017/S0954102014000339 <https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102014000339> , hdl:10013/epic.44429 |
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_ |
1766287249470652416 |