Unsteady flow inferred for Thwaites Glacier, and comparison with Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica
We present a comparison of surface velocities in 1996, derived from interferometric synthetic aperture radar, with an estimate of the long-term, depth-averaged velocity based on the assumption of steady-state flow for both Pine Island Glacier and its neighbour, Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica. The...
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2002
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Online Access: | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1p17h4rz https://escholarship.org/content/qt1p17h4rz/qt1p17h4rz.pdf https://doi.org/10.3189/172756502781831395 |
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ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org:ark:/13030/qt1p17h4rz 2024-09-15T17:46:53+00:00 Unsteady flow inferred for Thwaites Glacier, and comparison with Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica Bamber, Jonathan Rignot, Eric 237 - 246 2002-01-01 application/pdf https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1p17h4rz https://escholarship.org/content/qt1p17h4rz/qt1p17h4rz.pdf https://doi.org/10.3189/172756502781831395 unknown eScholarship, University of California qt1p17h4rz https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1p17h4rz https://escholarship.org/content/qt1p17h4rz/qt1p17h4rz.pdf doi:10.3189/172756502781831395 CC-BY Journal of Glaciology, vol 48, iss 161 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences article 2002 ftcdlib https://doi.org/10.3189/172756502781831395 2024-06-28T06:28:19Z We present a comparison of surface velocities in 1996, derived from interferometric synthetic aperture radar, with an estimate of the long-term, depth-averaged velocity based on the assumption of steady-state flow for both Pine Island Glacier and its neighbour, Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica. The results show that the former was close to balance conditions in 1996 (within 9%). The ice flux and velocity of the latter is significantly different in magnitude and distribution from that required to maintain the basin in a state of mass balance over the long term. The balance flux was found to be 32 ± 19% less than the measured outgoing flux. We conclude that the mass imbalance and dramatic difference in the pattern of flow is most likely due to a substantial change in the flow regime of Thwaites Glacier in the recent past. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Journal of Glaciology Pine Island Pine Island Glacier Thwaites Glacier West Antarctica University of California: eScholarship Journal of Glaciology 48 161 237 246 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Bamber, Jonathan Rignot, Eric Unsteady flow inferred for Thwaites Glacier, and comparison with Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
description |
We present a comparison of surface velocities in 1996, derived from interferometric synthetic aperture radar, with an estimate of the long-term, depth-averaged velocity based on the assumption of steady-state flow for both Pine Island Glacier and its neighbour, Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica. The results show that the former was close to balance conditions in 1996 (within 9%). The ice flux and velocity of the latter is significantly different in magnitude and distribution from that required to maintain the basin in a state of mass balance over the long term. The balance flux was found to be 32 ± 19% less than the measured outgoing flux. We conclude that the mass imbalance and dramatic difference in the pattern of flow is most likely due to a substantial change in the flow regime of Thwaites Glacier in the recent past. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bamber, Jonathan Rignot, Eric |
author_facet |
Bamber, Jonathan Rignot, Eric |
author_sort |
Bamber, Jonathan |
title |
Unsteady flow inferred for Thwaites Glacier, and comparison with Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica |
title_short |
Unsteady flow inferred for Thwaites Glacier, and comparison with Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica |
title_full |
Unsteady flow inferred for Thwaites Glacier, and comparison with Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Unsteady flow inferred for Thwaites Glacier, and comparison with Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Unsteady flow inferred for Thwaites Glacier, and comparison with Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica |
title_sort |
unsteady flow inferred for thwaites glacier, and comparison with pine island glacier, west antarctica |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1p17h4rz https://escholarship.org/content/qt1p17h4rz/qt1p17h4rz.pdf https://doi.org/10.3189/172756502781831395 |
op_coverage |
237 - 246 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Journal of Glaciology Pine Island Pine Island Glacier Thwaites Glacier West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Journal of Glaciology Pine Island Pine Island Glacier Thwaites Glacier West Antarctica |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology, vol 48, iss 161 |
op_relation |
qt1p17h4rz https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1p17h4rz https://escholarship.org/content/qt1p17h4rz/qt1p17h4rz.pdf doi:10.3189/172756502781831395 |
op_rights |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3189/172756502781831395 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
48 |
container_issue |
161 |
container_start_page |
237 |
op_container_end_page |
246 |
_version_ |
1810495318990520320 |