Evolution of Supraglacial Lakes on the Larsen B Ice Shelf in the Decades Before it Collapsed
Abstract The Larsen B ice shelf collapsed in 2002 losing an area twice the size of Greater London to the sea (3,000 km2), in an event associated with widespread supraglacial lake drainage. Here we use optical and radar satellite imagery to investigate the evolution of the ice shelf's lakes in t...
Published in: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085591 https://doaj.org/article/b5c8f9e3e0384c6d953d7fbb7c8c4525 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:b5c8f9e3e0384c6d953d7fbb7c8c4525 2024-09-15T17:44:11+00:00 Evolution of Supraglacial Lakes on the Larsen B Ice Shelf in the Decades Before it Collapsed A. A. Leeson E. Forster A. Rice N. Gourmelen J. M. vanWessem 2020-02-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085591 https://doaj.org/article/b5c8f9e3e0384c6d953d7fbb7c8c4525 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085591 https://doaj.org/toc/0094-8276 https://doaj.org/toc/1944-8007 1944-8007 0094-8276 doi:10.1029/2019GL085591 https://doaj.org/article/b5c8f9e3e0384c6d953d7fbb7c8c4525 Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 47, Iss 4, Pp n/a-n/a (2020) Ice sheets Climate change Antarctica Ice shelf Supraglacial lakes Hydrology Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085591 2024-08-05T17:48:42Z Abstract The Larsen B ice shelf collapsed in 2002 losing an area twice the size of Greater London to the sea (3,000 km2), in an event associated with widespread supraglacial lake drainage. Here we use optical and radar satellite imagery to investigate the evolution of the ice shelf's lakes in the decades preceding collapse. We find (1) that lakes spread southward in the preceding decades at a rate commensurate with meltwater saturation of the shelf surface; (2) no trend in lake size, suggesting an active supraglacial drainage network which evacuated excess water off the shelf; and (3) lakes mostly refreeze in winter but the few lakes that do drain are associated with ice breakup 2–4 years later. Given the relative scale of lake drainage and shelf breakup, however, it is not clear from our data whether lake drainage is more likely a cause, or an effect, of ice shelf collapse. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Geophysical Research Letters 47 4 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Ice sheets Climate change Antarctica Ice shelf Supraglacial lakes Hydrology Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 |
spellingShingle |
Ice sheets Climate change Antarctica Ice shelf Supraglacial lakes Hydrology Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 A. A. Leeson E. Forster A. Rice N. Gourmelen J. M. vanWessem Evolution of Supraglacial Lakes on the Larsen B Ice Shelf in the Decades Before it Collapsed |
topic_facet |
Ice sheets Climate change Antarctica Ice shelf Supraglacial lakes Hydrology Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 |
description |
Abstract The Larsen B ice shelf collapsed in 2002 losing an area twice the size of Greater London to the sea (3,000 km2), in an event associated with widespread supraglacial lake drainage. Here we use optical and radar satellite imagery to investigate the evolution of the ice shelf's lakes in the decades preceding collapse. We find (1) that lakes spread southward in the preceding decades at a rate commensurate with meltwater saturation of the shelf surface; (2) no trend in lake size, suggesting an active supraglacial drainage network which evacuated excess water off the shelf; and (3) lakes mostly refreeze in winter but the few lakes that do drain are associated with ice breakup 2–4 years later. Given the relative scale of lake drainage and shelf breakup, however, it is not clear from our data whether lake drainage is more likely a cause, or an effect, of ice shelf collapse. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
A. A. Leeson E. Forster A. Rice N. Gourmelen J. M. vanWessem |
author_facet |
A. A. Leeson E. Forster A. Rice N. Gourmelen J. M. vanWessem |
author_sort |
A. A. Leeson |
title |
Evolution of Supraglacial Lakes on the Larsen B Ice Shelf in the Decades Before it Collapsed |
title_short |
Evolution of Supraglacial Lakes on the Larsen B Ice Shelf in the Decades Before it Collapsed |
title_full |
Evolution of Supraglacial Lakes on the Larsen B Ice Shelf in the Decades Before it Collapsed |
title_fullStr |
Evolution of Supraglacial Lakes on the Larsen B Ice Shelf in the Decades Before it Collapsed |
title_full_unstemmed |
Evolution of Supraglacial Lakes on the Larsen B Ice Shelf in the Decades Before it Collapsed |
title_sort |
evolution of supraglacial lakes on the larsen b ice shelf in the decades before it collapsed |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085591 https://doaj.org/article/b5c8f9e3e0384c6d953d7fbb7c8c4525 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf |
op_source |
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 47, Iss 4, Pp n/a-n/a (2020) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085591 https://doaj.org/toc/0094-8276 https://doaj.org/toc/1944-8007 1944-8007 0094-8276 doi:10.1029/2019GL085591 https://doaj.org/article/b5c8f9e3e0384c6d953d7fbb7c8c4525 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085591 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
47 |
container_issue |
4 |
_version_ |
1810491575625580544 |