Net retreat of Antarctic glacier grounding lines
Grounding lines are a key indicator of ice-sheet instability, because changes in their position reflect imbalance with the surrounding ocean and affect the flow of inland ice. Although the grounding lines of several Antarctic glaciers have retreated rapidly due to ocean-driven melting, records are t...
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ftleedsuniv:oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:129218 2023-05-15T13:24:03+02:00 Net retreat of Antarctic glacier grounding lines Konrad, H Shepherd, A Gilbert, L Hogg, AE McMillan, M Muir, A Slater, T 2018-04-02 text https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/129218/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/129218/8/konrad_et_al_nature_geoscience_accepted.pdf en eng Springer Nature https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/129218/8/konrad_et_al_nature_geoscience_accepted.pdf Konrad, H, Shepherd, A, Gilbert, L et al. (4 more authors) (2018) Net retreat of Antarctic glacier grounding lines. Nature Geoscience, 11. pp. 258-262. ISSN 1752-0894 Article NonPeerReviewed 2018 ftleedsuniv 2023-01-30T22:05:15Z Grounding lines are a key indicator of ice-sheet instability, because changes in their position reflect imbalance with the surrounding ocean and affect the flow of inland ice. Although the grounding lines of several Antarctic glaciers have retreated rapidly due to ocean-driven melting, records are too scarce to assess the scale of the imbalance. Here, we combine satellite altimeter observations of ice-elevation change and measurements of ice geometry to track grounding-line movement around the entire continent, tripling the coverage of previous surveys. Between 2010 and 2016, 22%, 3% and 10% of surveyed grounding lines in West Antarctica, East Antarctica and at the Antarctic Peninsula retreated at rates faster than 25 m yr‾¹ (the typical pace since the Last Glacial Maximum) and the continent has lost 1,463 km² ± 791 km² of grounded-ice area. Although by far the fastest rates of retreat occurred in the Amundsen Sea sector, we show that the Pine Island Glacier grounding line has stabilized, probably as a consequence of abated ocean forcing. On average, Antarctica’s fast-flowing ice streams retreat by 110 metres per metre of ice thinning. Article in Journal/Newspaper Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Sheet Pine Island Pine Island Glacier West Antarctica White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York) Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica West Antarctica Amundsen Sea Pine Island Glacier ENVELOPE(-101.000,-101.000,-75.000,-75.000) |
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Open Polar |
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White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York) |
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English |
description |
Grounding lines are a key indicator of ice-sheet instability, because changes in their position reflect imbalance with the surrounding ocean and affect the flow of inland ice. Although the grounding lines of several Antarctic glaciers have retreated rapidly due to ocean-driven melting, records are too scarce to assess the scale of the imbalance. Here, we combine satellite altimeter observations of ice-elevation change and measurements of ice geometry to track grounding-line movement around the entire continent, tripling the coverage of previous surveys. Between 2010 and 2016, 22%, 3% and 10% of surveyed grounding lines in West Antarctica, East Antarctica and at the Antarctic Peninsula retreated at rates faster than 25 m yr‾¹ (the typical pace since the Last Glacial Maximum) and the continent has lost 1,463 km² ± 791 km² of grounded-ice area. Although by far the fastest rates of retreat occurred in the Amundsen Sea sector, we show that the Pine Island Glacier grounding line has stabilized, probably as a consequence of abated ocean forcing. On average, Antarctica’s fast-flowing ice streams retreat by 110 metres per metre of ice thinning. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Konrad, H Shepherd, A Gilbert, L Hogg, AE McMillan, M Muir, A Slater, T |
spellingShingle |
Konrad, H Shepherd, A Gilbert, L Hogg, AE McMillan, M Muir, A Slater, T Net retreat of Antarctic glacier grounding lines |
author_facet |
Konrad, H Shepherd, A Gilbert, L Hogg, AE McMillan, M Muir, A Slater, T |
author_sort |
Konrad, H |
title |
Net retreat of Antarctic glacier grounding lines |
title_short |
Net retreat of Antarctic glacier grounding lines |
title_full |
Net retreat of Antarctic glacier grounding lines |
title_fullStr |
Net retreat of Antarctic glacier grounding lines |
title_full_unstemmed |
Net retreat of Antarctic glacier grounding lines |
title_sort |
net retreat of antarctic glacier grounding lines |
publisher |
Springer Nature |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/129218/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/129218/8/konrad_et_al_nature_geoscience_accepted.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-101.000,-101.000,-75.000,-75.000) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica West Antarctica Amundsen Sea Pine Island Glacier |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica West Antarctica Amundsen Sea Pine Island Glacier |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Sheet Pine Island Pine Island Glacier West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Sheet Pine Island Pine Island Glacier West Antarctica |
op_relation |
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/129218/8/konrad_et_al_nature_geoscience_accepted.pdf Konrad, H, Shepherd, A, Gilbert, L et al. (4 more authors) (2018) Net retreat of Antarctic glacier grounding lines. Nature Geoscience, 11. pp. 258-262. ISSN 1752-0894 |
_version_ |
1766377195433885696 |