1 Holistic Ice Sheet Modeling: A First-Order Approach

• Main Authors: Shrae Ashley, Jarvis Christian College, Keila Vance
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Byrd; Antarc*; Ice Sheet; Ice Shelf
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.542.8099; http://nia.ecsu.edu/ureoms2006/teams/hism/hism_report.pdf

Modeling Team applied a first-order analytic model of a continental ice sheet, based on balancing gravitational pressure forces against externally applied basal shearing stresses, to derive structural characteristics and infer dynamic behavior of a continental ice sheet. First-order model results were compared to surface elevation and ice thickness data obtained by an aerial ice penetrating RADAR survey of the Antarctic's Byrd Ice Stream (Jezek et. al., 1998) The first order model results were also compared to those of a higher order analytic approximation used to interpret the data (Reusch and Hughes, 2003). The first-order model was expanded to include mass balance considerations and a parameterized description of ice basal surface coupling and bed texture roughness and topography as well a side shear, compressive and tensile forces. The expanded first-order model was studied to better understand the dynamic variations in ice sheet and ice stream behavior resulting from changes in ice accumulation and ablation rates that may be possible consequences of Global Climate Warming. Study of the first-order ice sheet model included consideration of its evolution from completely grounded continental sheet to a partially grounded ice stream flowing to its terminus as a calving ice shelf. I.