Rapid loss of the Ayles Ice Shelf, Ellesmere Island, Canada
[1] On August 13, 2005, almost the entire Ayles Ice Shelf (87.1 km2) calved off within an hour and created a new 66.4 km2 ice island in the Arctic Ocean. This loss of one of the six remaining Ellesmere Island ice shelves reduced their overall area by ∼7.5%. The ice shelf was likely weakened prior to...
| Published in: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | unknown |
| Published: |
2007
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://curve.carleton.ca/2516d0b2-25e0-4ec8-a336-4861c2d024f8 https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL031809 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2007GL031809/abstract?systemMessage=Wiley%20Online%20Library%20will%20be%20unavailable%20for%20up%20to%203%20hours%20on%20Saturday%2019th%20March%202016%20from%20%2011%3A00-14%3A00%20GMT%20/%2007%3A00-10%3A00%20EDT%20/%2019%3A00-22%3A00%20SGT%20for%20essential%20maintenance.%20%20Apologies%20for%20the%20inconvenience. |
| Summary: | [1] On August 13, 2005, almost the entire Ayles Ice Shelf (87.1 km2) calved off within an hour and created a new 66.4 km2 ice island in the Arctic Ocean. This loss of one of the six remaining Ellesmere Island ice shelves reduced their overall area by ∼7.5%. The ice shelf was likely weakened prior to calving by a long-term negative mass balance related to an increase in mean annual temperatures over the past 50+ years. The weakened ice shelf then calved during the warmest summer on record in a period of high winds, record low sea ice conditions and the loss of a semi-permanent landfast sea ice fringe. Climate reanalysis suggests that a threshold of >200 positive degree days year−1 is important in determining when ice shelf calving events occur on N. Ellesmere Island. |
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