Ice sheet margins and ice shelves
The effect of climate warming on the size of ice sheet margins in polar regions is considered. Particular attention is given to the possibility of a rapid response to warming on the order of tens to hundreds of years. It is found that the early response of the polar regions to climate warming would...
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ftnasantrs:oai:casi.ntrs.nasa.gov:19850042373 2023-05-15T13:40:59+02:00 Ice sheet margins and ice shelves Thomas, R. H. Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available JAN 1, 1984 http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19850042373 unknown http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19850042373 Accession ID: 85A24524 Copyright Other Sources 43 1984 ftnasantrs 2012-02-15T16:19:10Z The effect of climate warming on the size of ice sheet margins in polar regions is considered. Particular attention is given to the possibility of a rapid response to warming on the order of tens to hundreds of years. It is found that the early response of the polar regions to climate warming would be an increase in the area of summer melt on the ice sheets and ice shelves. For sufficiently large warming (5-10C) the delayed effects would include the breakup of the ice shelves by an increase in ice drainage rates, particularly from the ice sheets. On the basis of published data for periodic changes in the thickness and melting rates of the marine ice sheets and fjord glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica, it is shown that the rate of retreat (or advance) of an ice sheet is primarily determined by: bedrock topography; the basal conditions of the grounded ice sheet; and the ice shelf condition downstream of the grounding line. A program of satellite and ground measurements to monitor the state of ice sheet equilibrium is recommended. Other/Unknown Material Antarc* Antarctica Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) Greenland |
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Open Polar |
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
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ftnasantrs |
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43 |
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43 Thomas, R. H. Ice sheet margins and ice shelves |
topic_facet |
43 |
description |
The effect of climate warming on the size of ice sheet margins in polar regions is considered. Particular attention is given to the possibility of a rapid response to warming on the order of tens to hundreds of years. It is found that the early response of the polar regions to climate warming would be an increase in the area of summer melt on the ice sheets and ice shelves. For sufficiently large warming (5-10C) the delayed effects would include the breakup of the ice shelves by an increase in ice drainage rates, particularly from the ice sheets. On the basis of published data for periodic changes in the thickness and melting rates of the marine ice sheets and fjord glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica, it is shown that the rate of retreat (or advance) of an ice sheet is primarily determined by: bedrock topography; the basal conditions of the grounded ice sheet; and the ice shelf condition downstream of the grounding line. A program of satellite and ground measurements to monitor the state of ice sheet equilibrium is recommended. |
author |
Thomas, R. H. |
author_facet |
Thomas, R. H. |
author_sort |
Thomas, R. H. |
title |
Ice sheet margins and ice shelves |
title_short |
Ice sheet margins and ice shelves |
title_full |
Ice sheet margins and ice shelves |
title_fullStr |
Ice sheet margins and ice shelves |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ice sheet margins and ice shelves |
title_sort |
ice sheet margins and ice shelves |
publishDate |
1984 |
url |
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19850042373 |
op_coverage |
Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves |
op_source |
Other Sources |
op_relation |
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19850042373 Accession ID: 85A24524 |
op_rights |
Copyright |
_version_ |
1766144180644478976 |