Assessment of ice flow dynamics in the zone close to the calving front of Antarctic ice shelves
We investigate the relationship between four ice-shelf characteristics in the area close to the calving front: ice flow speed, strain rate, ice thickness and shelf width. Data are compiled for these glaciological parameters at the calving fronts of 22 Antarctic ice shelves. Clarification concerning...
Published in: | Journal of Glaciology |
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Language: | English |
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International Glaciological Society
2015
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Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512488/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512488/1/s15.pdf https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J116 |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:512488 2023-05-15T13:49:32+02:00 Assessment of ice flow dynamics in the zone close to the calving front of Antarctic ice shelves Wearing, Martin G. Hindmarsh, Richard C.A. Worster, M. Grae 2015-12 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512488/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512488/1/s15.pdf https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J116 en eng International Glaciological Society https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512488/1/s15.pdf Wearing, Martin G.; Hindmarsh, Richard C.A. orcid:0000-0003-1633-2416 Worster, M. Grae. 2015 Assessment of ice flow dynamics in the zone close to the calving front of Antarctic ice shelves. Journal of Glaciology, 61 (230). 1194-1206. https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J116 <https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J116> Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2015 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J116 2023-02-04T19:42:27Z We investigate the relationship between four ice-shelf characteristics in the area close to the calving front: ice flow speed, strain rate, ice thickness and shelf width. Data are compiled for these glaciological parameters at the calving fronts of 22 Antarctic ice shelves. Clarification concerning the viscous supply of ice to the calving front is sought following the empirical calving law of Alley and others (2008), derived from a similar but smaller dataset, and the scaling analysis of Hindmarsh (2012). The dataset is analysed and good agreement is observed between the expected theoretical scaling and geophysical data for the flow of ice near the calving front in the case of ice shelves that are laterally confined and have uniform rheology. The lateral confinement ensures flow is aligned in the along-shelf direction, and uniform rheological parameters mean resistance to flow is provided by near-stationary ice in the grounded margins. In other cases, the velocity is greater than predicted, which we attribute to marginal weakening or the presence of ice tongues. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Journal of Glaciology Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic Journal of Glaciology 61 230 1194 1206 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
We investigate the relationship between four ice-shelf characteristics in the area close to the calving front: ice flow speed, strain rate, ice thickness and shelf width. Data are compiled for these glaciological parameters at the calving fronts of 22 Antarctic ice shelves. Clarification concerning the viscous supply of ice to the calving front is sought following the empirical calving law of Alley and others (2008), derived from a similar but smaller dataset, and the scaling analysis of Hindmarsh (2012). The dataset is analysed and good agreement is observed between the expected theoretical scaling and geophysical data for the flow of ice near the calving front in the case of ice shelves that are laterally confined and have uniform rheology. The lateral confinement ensures flow is aligned in the along-shelf direction, and uniform rheological parameters mean resistance to flow is provided by near-stationary ice in the grounded margins. In other cases, the velocity is greater than predicted, which we attribute to marginal weakening or the presence of ice tongues. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wearing, Martin G. Hindmarsh, Richard C.A. Worster, M. Grae |
spellingShingle |
Wearing, Martin G. Hindmarsh, Richard C.A. Worster, M. Grae Assessment of ice flow dynamics in the zone close to the calving front of Antarctic ice shelves |
author_facet |
Wearing, Martin G. Hindmarsh, Richard C.A. Worster, M. Grae |
author_sort |
Wearing, Martin G. |
title |
Assessment of ice flow dynamics in the zone close to the calving front of Antarctic ice shelves |
title_short |
Assessment of ice flow dynamics in the zone close to the calving front of Antarctic ice shelves |
title_full |
Assessment of ice flow dynamics in the zone close to the calving front of Antarctic ice shelves |
title_fullStr |
Assessment of ice flow dynamics in the zone close to the calving front of Antarctic ice shelves |
title_full_unstemmed |
Assessment of ice flow dynamics in the zone close to the calving front of Antarctic ice shelves |
title_sort |
assessment of ice flow dynamics in the zone close to the calving front of antarctic ice shelves |
publisher |
International Glaciological Society |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512488/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512488/1/s15.pdf https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J116 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Journal of Glaciology |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512488/1/s15.pdf Wearing, Martin G.; Hindmarsh, Richard C.A. orcid:0000-0003-1633-2416 Worster, M. Grae. 2015 Assessment of ice flow dynamics in the zone close to the calving front of Antarctic ice shelves. Journal of Glaciology, 61 (230). 1194-1206. https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J116 <https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J116> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG15J116 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
61 |
container_issue |
230 |
container_start_page |
1194 |
op_container_end_page |
1206 |
_version_ |
1766251517449338880 |