Widespread rifting and retreat of ice-shelf margins in the eastern
ABSTRACT. The major outlet glaciers that drain the eastern sector of the Amundsen Sea Embayment (Smith, Haynes, Thwaites and Pine Island) are among the largest, fastest-flowing and fastest-thinning glaciers in West Antarctica. Their recent ice-flow acceleration is linked to ocean-induced ice-shelf t...
Main Authors: | , , , , |
---|---|
Other Authors: | |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.477.3978 http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/18383638/637537335/name/j11J262.pdf |
id |
ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.477.3978 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.477.3978 2023-05-15T13:23:37+02:00 Widespread rifting and retreat of ice-shelf margins in the eastern Amundsen Sea Embayment Between Joseph A. Macgregor Ginny A. Catania Michael S. Markowski Alan G. Andrews The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives application/pdf http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.477.3978 http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/18383638/637537335/name/j11J262.pdf en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.477.3978 http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/18383638/637537335/name/j11J262.pdf Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/18383638/637537335/name/j11J262.pdf text ftciteseerx 2016-01-08T07:40:20Z ABSTRACT. The major outlet glaciers that drain the eastern sector of the Amundsen Sea Embayment (Smith, Haynes, Thwaites and Pine Island) are among the largest, fastest-flowing and fastest-thinning glaciers in West Antarctica. Their recent ice-flow acceleration is linked to ocean-induced ice-shelf thinning, but may also arise from additional losses of ice-shelf buttressing that are not well understood. Here we present a comprehensive history of coastal change in the eastern Amundsen Sea Embayment between 1972 and 2011 derived mostly from Landsat imagery. The termini of all four major outlet glaciers have retreated, but retreat is most rapid along the ice-shelf margins, where progressive rifting has occurred. This pattern of retreat coincides with the recent acceleration of grounded ice and contributed to loss of ice-shelf buttressing. The observed pattern of margin-led gradual ice-shelf disintegration appears to be common in accelerating ocean-terminating outlet glaciers. We hypothesize that this pattern is part of a positive feedback between glacier acceleration and rift growth that could drive further buttressing loss in the eastern Amundsen Sea Embayment. Text Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf Pine Island West Antarctica Unknown Amundsen Sea West Antarctica |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Unknown |
op_collection_id |
ftciteseerx |
language |
English |
description |
ABSTRACT. The major outlet glaciers that drain the eastern sector of the Amundsen Sea Embayment (Smith, Haynes, Thwaites and Pine Island) are among the largest, fastest-flowing and fastest-thinning glaciers in West Antarctica. Their recent ice-flow acceleration is linked to ocean-induced ice-shelf thinning, but may also arise from additional losses of ice-shelf buttressing that are not well understood. Here we present a comprehensive history of coastal change in the eastern Amundsen Sea Embayment between 1972 and 2011 derived mostly from Landsat imagery. The termini of all four major outlet glaciers have retreated, but retreat is most rapid along the ice-shelf margins, where progressive rifting has occurred. This pattern of retreat coincides with the recent acceleration of grounded ice and contributed to loss of ice-shelf buttressing. The observed pattern of margin-led gradual ice-shelf disintegration appears to be common in accelerating ocean-terminating outlet glaciers. We hypothesize that this pattern is part of a positive feedback between glacier acceleration and rift growth that could drive further buttressing loss in the eastern Amundsen Sea Embayment. |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
Amundsen Sea Embayment Between Joseph A. Macgregor Ginny A. Catania Michael S. Markowski Alan G. Andrews |
spellingShingle |
Amundsen Sea Embayment Between Joseph A. Macgregor Ginny A. Catania Michael S. Markowski Alan G. Andrews Widespread rifting and retreat of ice-shelf margins in the eastern |
author_facet |
Amundsen Sea Embayment Between Joseph A. Macgregor Ginny A. Catania Michael S. Markowski Alan G. Andrews |
author_sort |
Amundsen Sea Embayment Between |
title |
Widespread rifting and retreat of ice-shelf margins in the eastern |
title_short |
Widespread rifting and retreat of ice-shelf margins in the eastern |
title_full |
Widespread rifting and retreat of ice-shelf margins in the eastern |
title_fullStr |
Widespread rifting and retreat of ice-shelf margins in the eastern |
title_full_unstemmed |
Widespread rifting and retreat of ice-shelf margins in the eastern |
title_sort |
widespread rifting and retreat of ice-shelf margins in the eastern |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.477.3978 http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/18383638/637537335/name/j11J262.pdf |
geographic |
Amundsen Sea West Antarctica |
geographic_facet |
Amundsen Sea West Antarctica |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf Pine Island West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf Pine Island West Antarctica |
op_source |
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/18383638/637537335/name/j11J262.pdf |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.477.3978 http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/18383638/637537335/name/j11J262.pdf |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
_version_ |
1766373625196183552 |