Basal channels drive active surface hydrology and transverse ice shelf fracture
Ice shelves control sea-level rise through frictional resistance, which slows the seaward flow of grounded glacial ice. Evidence from around Antarctica indicates that ice shelves are thinning and weakening, primarily driven by warm ocean water entering into the shelf cavities. We have identified a m...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
eScholarship, University of California
2018
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4g657808 |
id |
ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org:ark:/13030/qt4g657808 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org:ark:/13030/qt4g657808 2023-11-05T03:34:38+01:00 Basal channels drive active surface hydrology and transverse ice shelf fracture Dow, Christine F Lee, Won Sang Greenbaum, Jamin S Greene, Chad A Blankenship, Donald D Poinar, Kristin Forrest, Alexander L Young, Duncan A Zappa, Christopher J eaao7212 2018-06-01 application/pdf https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4g657808 unknown eScholarship, University of California qt4g657808 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4g657808 public Science Advances, vol 4, iss 6 Earth Sciences Oceanography Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Geology Climate Action article 2018 ftcdlib 2023-10-09T18:08:06Z Ice shelves control sea-level rise through frictional resistance, which slows the seaward flow of grounded glacial ice. Evidence from around Antarctica indicates that ice shelves are thinning and weakening, primarily driven by warm ocean water entering into the shelf cavities. We have identified a mechanism for ice shelf destabilization where basal channels underneath the shelves cause ice thinning that drives fracture perpendicular to flow. These channels also result in ice surface deformation, which diverts supraglacial rivers into the transverse fractures. We report direct evidence that a major 2016 calving event at Nansen Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea was the result of fracture driven by such channelized thinning and demonstrate that similar basal channel-driven transverse fractures occur elsewhere in Greenland and Antarctica. In the event of increased basal and surface melt resulting from rising ocean and air temperatures, ice shelves will become increasingly vulnerable to these tandem effects of basal channel destabilization. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Greenland Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Ross Sea University of California: eScholarship |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Earth Sciences Oceanography Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Geology Climate Action |
spellingShingle |
Earth Sciences Oceanography Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Geology Climate Action Dow, Christine F Lee, Won Sang Greenbaum, Jamin S Greene, Chad A Blankenship, Donald D Poinar, Kristin Forrest, Alexander L Young, Duncan A Zappa, Christopher J Basal channels drive active surface hydrology and transverse ice shelf fracture |
topic_facet |
Earth Sciences Oceanography Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Geology Climate Action |
description |
Ice shelves control sea-level rise through frictional resistance, which slows the seaward flow of grounded glacial ice. Evidence from around Antarctica indicates that ice shelves are thinning and weakening, primarily driven by warm ocean water entering into the shelf cavities. We have identified a mechanism for ice shelf destabilization where basal channels underneath the shelves cause ice thinning that drives fracture perpendicular to flow. These channels also result in ice surface deformation, which diverts supraglacial rivers into the transverse fractures. We report direct evidence that a major 2016 calving event at Nansen Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea was the result of fracture driven by such channelized thinning and demonstrate that similar basal channel-driven transverse fractures occur elsewhere in Greenland and Antarctica. In the event of increased basal and surface melt resulting from rising ocean and air temperatures, ice shelves will become increasingly vulnerable to these tandem effects of basal channel destabilization. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dow, Christine F Lee, Won Sang Greenbaum, Jamin S Greene, Chad A Blankenship, Donald D Poinar, Kristin Forrest, Alexander L Young, Duncan A Zappa, Christopher J |
author_facet |
Dow, Christine F Lee, Won Sang Greenbaum, Jamin S Greene, Chad A Blankenship, Donald D Poinar, Kristin Forrest, Alexander L Young, Duncan A Zappa, Christopher J |
author_sort |
Dow, Christine F |
title |
Basal channels drive active surface hydrology and transverse ice shelf fracture |
title_short |
Basal channels drive active surface hydrology and transverse ice shelf fracture |
title_full |
Basal channels drive active surface hydrology and transverse ice shelf fracture |
title_fullStr |
Basal channels drive active surface hydrology and transverse ice shelf fracture |
title_full_unstemmed |
Basal channels drive active surface hydrology and transverse ice shelf fracture |
title_sort |
basal channels drive active surface hydrology and transverse ice shelf fracture |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4g657808 |
op_coverage |
eaao7212 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Greenland Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Ross Sea |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Greenland Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Ross Sea |
op_source |
Science Advances, vol 4, iss 6 |
op_relation |
qt4g657808 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4g657808 |
op_rights |
public |
_version_ |
1781705624077205504 |