Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions
Iceberg calving strongly controls glacier mass loss, but the fracture processes leading to iceberg formation are poorly understood due to the stochastic nature of calving. The size distributions of icebergs produced during the calving process can yield information on the processes driving calving an...
Published in: | Journal of Glaciology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2021
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.14 https://doaj.org/article/3635ba2c559c4cc68d3baa800481889a |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:3635ba2c559c4cc68d3baa800481889a |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:3635ba2c559c4cc68d3baa800481889a 2023-05-15T13:33:59+02:00 Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions Jan Åström Sue Cook Ellyn M. Enderlin David A. Sutherland Aleksandra Mazur Neil Glasser 2021-08-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.14 https://doaj.org/article/3635ba2c559c4cc68d3baa800481889a EN eng Cambridge University Press https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143021000149/type/journal_article https://doaj.org/toc/0022-1430 https://doaj.org/toc/1727-5652 doi:10.1017/jog.2021.14 0022-1430 1727-5652 https://doaj.org/article/3635ba2c559c4cc68d3baa800481889a Journal of Glaciology, Vol 67, Pp 603-612 (2021) Ice/ocean interactions iceberg calving icebergs ice shelf break-up Environmental sciences GE1-350 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.14 2023-03-12T01:30:57Z Iceberg calving strongly controls glacier mass loss, but the fracture processes leading to iceberg formation are poorly understood due to the stochastic nature of calving. The size distributions of icebergs produced during the calving process can yield information on the processes driving calving and also affect the timing, magnitude, and spatial distribution of ocean fresh water fluxes near glaciers and ice sheets. In this study, we apply fragmentation theory to describe key calving behaviours, based on observational and modelling data from Greenland and Antarctica. In both regions, iceberg calving is dominated by elastic-brittle fracture processes, where distributions contain both exponential and power law components describing large-scale uncorrelated fracture and correlated branching fracture, respectively. Other size distributions can also be observed. For Antarctic icebergs, distributions change from elastic-brittle type during ‘stable’ calving to one dominated by grinding or crushing during ice shelf disintegration events. In Greenland, we find that iceberg fragment size distributions evolve from an initial elastic-brittle type distribution near the calving front, into a steeper grinding/crushing-type power law along-fjord. These results provide an entirely new framework for understanding controls on iceberg calving and how calving may react to climate forcing. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica glacier Greenland Ice Shelf Iceberg* Journal of Glaciology Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic Greenland Journal of Glaciology 67 264 603 612 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Ice/ocean interactions iceberg calving icebergs ice shelf break-up Environmental sciences GE1-350 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 |
spellingShingle |
Ice/ocean interactions iceberg calving icebergs ice shelf break-up Environmental sciences GE1-350 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 Jan Åström Sue Cook Ellyn M. Enderlin David A. Sutherland Aleksandra Mazur Neil Glasser Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
topic_facet |
Ice/ocean interactions iceberg calving icebergs ice shelf break-up Environmental sciences GE1-350 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 |
description |
Iceberg calving strongly controls glacier mass loss, but the fracture processes leading to iceberg formation are poorly understood due to the stochastic nature of calving. The size distributions of icebergs produced during the calving process can yield information on the processes driving calving and also affect the timing, magnitude, and spatial distribution of ocean fresh water fluxes near glaciers and ice sheets. In this study, we apply fragmentation theory to describe key calving behaviours, based on observational and modelling data from Greenland and Antarctica. In both regions, iceberg calving is dominated by elastic-brittle fracture processes, where distributions contain both exponential and power law components describing large-scale uncorrelated fracture and correlated branching fracture, respectively. Other size distributions can also be observed. For Antarctic icebergs, distributions change from elastic-brittle type during ‘stable’ calving to one dominated by grinding or crushing during ice shelf disintegration events. In Greenland, we find that iceberg fragment size distributions evolve from an initial elastic-brittle type distribution near the calving front, into a steeper grinding/crushing-type power law along-fjord. These results provide an entirely new framework for understanding controls on iceberg calving and how calving may react to climate forcing. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jan Åström Sue Cook Ellyn M. Enderlin David A. Sutherland Aleksandra Mazur Neil Glasser |
author_facet |
Jan Åström Sue Cook Ellyn M. Enderlin David A. Sutherland Aleksandra Mazur Neil Glasser |
author_sort |
Jan Åström |
title |
Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
title_short |
Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
title_full |
Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
title_fullStr |
Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
title_sort |
fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.14 https://doaj.org/article/3635ba2c559c4cc68d3baa800481889a |
geographic |
Antarctic Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Greenland |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica glacier Greenland Ice Shelf Iceberg* Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica glacier Greenland Ice Shelf Iceberg* Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology, Vol 67, Pp 603-612 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143021000149/type/journal_article https://doaj.org/toc/0022-1430 https://doaj.org/toc/1727-5652 doi:10.1017/jog.2021.14 0022-1430 1727-5652 https://doaj.org/article/3635ba2c559c4cc68d3baa800481889a |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.14 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
67 |
container_issue |
264 |
container_start_page |
603 |
op_container_end_page |
612 |
_version_ |
1766047701415231488 |