Glacier change along West Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land Sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere–ocean variability
Over the past 20 years satellite remote sensing has captured significant downwasting of glaciers that drain the West Antarctic Ice Sheet into the ocean, particularly across the Amundsen Sea Sector. Along the neighbouring Marie Byrd Land Sector, situated west of Thwaites Glacier to Ross Ice Shelf, gl...
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Copernicus Publications on behalf of European Geosciences Union
2018
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Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/520678/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/520678/1/Christie.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018 |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:520678 2023-05-15T13:24:13+02:00 Glacier change along West Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land Sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere–ocean variability Christie, Frazer D.W. Bingham, Robert G. Gourmelen, Noel Steig, Eric J. Bisset, Rosie R. Pritchard, Hamish D. Snow, Kate Tett, Simon F.B. 2018-07-26 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/520678/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/520678/1/Christie.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018 en eng Copernicus Publications on behalf of European Geosciences Union https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/520678/1/Christie.pdf Christie, Frazer D.W.; Bingham, Robert G.; Gourmelen, Noel; Steig, Eric J.; Bisset, Rosie R.; Pritchard, Hamish D. orcid:0000-0003-2936-1734 Snow, Kate; Tett, Simon F.B. 2018 Glacier change along West Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land Sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere–ocean variability. The Cryosphere, 12 (7). 2461-2479. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018 <https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018> cc_by_4 CC-BY Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2018 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018 2023-02-04T19:46:55Z Over the past 20 years satellite remote sensing has captured significant downwasting of glaciers that drain the West Antarctic Ice Sheet into the ocean, particularly across the Amundsen Sea Sector. Along the neighbouring Marie Byrd Land Sector, situated west of Thwaites Glacier to Ross Ice Shelf, glaciological change has been only sparsely monitored. Here, we use optical satellite imagery to track grounding-line migration along the Marie Byrd Land Sector between 2003 and 2015, and compare observed changes with ICESat and CryoSat-2-derived surface elevation and thickness change records. During the observational period, 33% of the grounding line underwent retreat, with no significant advance recorded over the remainder of the ∼ 2200km long coastline. The greatest retreat rates were observed along the 650km-long Getz Ice Shelf, further west of which only minor retreat occurred. The relative glaciological stability west of Getz Ice Shelf can be attributed to a divergence of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current from the continental-shelf break at 135°W, coincident with a transition in the morphology of the continental shelf. Along Getz Ice Shelf, grounding-line retreat reduced by 68% during the CryoSat-2 era relative to earlier observations. Climate reanalysis data imply that wind-driven upwelling of Circumpolar Deep Water would have been reduced during this later period, suggesting that the observed slowdown was a response to reduced oceanic forcing. However, lack of comprehensive oceanographic and bathymetric information proximal to Getz Ice Shelf's grounding zone make it difficult to assess the role of intrinsic glacier dynamics, or more complex ice-sheet–ocean interactions, in moderating this slowdown. Collectively, our findings underscore the importance of spatial and inter-decadal variability in atmosphere and ocean interactions in moderating glaciological change around Antarctica. Article in Journal/Newspaper Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Getz Ice Shelf Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Marie Byrd Land Ross Ice Shelf The Cryosphere Thwaites Glacier Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic The Antarctic Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet Ross Ice Shelf Byrd Marie Byrd Land ENVELOPE(-130.000,-130.000,-78.000,-78.000) Thwaites Glacier ENVELOPE(-106.750,-106.750,-75.500,-75.500) Getz ENVELOPE(-145.217,-145.217,-76.550,-76.550) Getz Ice Shelf ENVELOPE(-126.500,-126.500,-74.250,-74.250) The Cryosphere 12 7 2461 2479 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
Over the past 20 years satellite remote sensing has captured significant downwasting of glaciers that drain the West Antarctic Ice Sheet into the ocean, particularly across the Amundsen Sea Sector. Along the neighbouring Marie Byrd Land Sector, situated west of Thwaites Glacier to Ross Ice Shelf, glaciological change has been only sparsely monitored. Here, we use optical satellite imagery to track grounding-line migration along the Marie Byrd Land Sector between 2003 and 2015, and compare observed changes with ICESat and CryoSat-2-derived surface elevation and thickness change records. During the observational period, 33% of the grounding line underwent retreat, with no significant advance recorded over the remainder of the ∼ 2200km long coastline. The greatest retreat rates were observed along the 650km-long Getz Ice Shelf, further west of which only minor retreat occurred. The relative glaciological stability west of Getz Ice Shelf can be attributed to a divergence of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current from the continental-shelf break at 135°W, coincident with a transition in the morphology of the continental shelf. Along Getz Ice Shelf, grounding-line retreat reduced by 68% during the CryoSat-2 era relative to earlier observations. Climate reanalysis data imply that wind-driven upwelling of Circumpolar Deep Water would have been reduced during this later period, suggesting that the observed slowdown was a response to reduced oceanic forcing. However, lack of comprehensive oceanographic and bathymetric information proximal to Getz Ice Shelf's grounding zone make it difficult to assess the role of intrinsic glacier dynamics, or more complex ice-sheet–ocean interactions, in moderating this slowdown. Collectively, our findings underscore the importance of spatial and inter-decadal variability in atmosphere and ocean interactions in moderating glaciological change around Antarctica. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Christie, Frazer D.W. Bingham, Robert G. Gourmelen, Noel Steig, Eric J. Bisset, Rosie R. Pritchard, Hamish D. Snow, Kate Tett, Simon F.B. |
spellingShingle |
Christie, Frazer D.W. Bingham, Robert G. Gourmelen, Noel Steig, Eric J. Bisset, Rosie R. Pritchard, Hamish D. Snow, Kate Tett, Simon F.B. Glacier change along West Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land Sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere–ocean variability |
author_facet |
Christie, Frazer D.W. Bingham, Robert G. Gourmelen, Noel Steig, Eric J. Bisset, Rosie R. Pritchard, Hamish D. Snow, Kate Tett, Simon F.B. |
author_sort |
Christie, Frazer D.W. |
title |
Glacier change along West Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land Sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere–ocean variability |
title_short |
Glacier change along West Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land Sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere–ocean variability |
title_full |
Glacier change along West Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land Sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere–ocean variability |
title_fullStr |
Glacier change along West Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land Sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere–ocean variability |
title_full_unstemmed |
Glacier change along West Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land Sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere–ocean variability |
title_sort |
glacier change along west antarctica's marie byrd land sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere–ocean variability |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications on behalf of European Geosciences Union |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/520678/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/520678/1/Christie.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-130.000,-130.000,-78.000,-78.000) ENVELOPE(-106.750,-106.750,-75.500,-75.500) ENVELOPE(-145.217,-145.217,-76.550,-76.550) ENVELOPE(-126.500,-126.500,-74.250,-74.250) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet Ross Ice Shelf Byrd Marie Byrd Land Thwaites Glacier Getz Getz Ice Shelf |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet Ross Ice Shelf Byrd Marie Byrd Land Thwaites Glacier Getz Getz Ice Shelf |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Getz Ice Shelf Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Marie Byrd Land Ross Ice Shelf The Cryosphere Thwaites Glacier |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Getz Ice Shelf Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Marie Byrd Land Ross Ice Shelf The Cryosphere Thwaites Glacier |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/520678/1/Christie.pdf Christie, Frazer D.W.; Bingham, Robert G.; Gourmelen, Noel; Steig, Eric J.; Bisset, Rosie R.; Pritchard, Hamish D. orcid:0000-0003-2936-1734 Snow, Kate; Tett, Simon F.B. 2018 Glacier change along West Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land Sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere–ocean variability. The Cryosphere, 12 (7). 2461-2479. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018 <https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018> |
op_rights |
cc_by_4 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
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12 |
container_issue |
7 |
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2461 |
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2479 |
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