Sustained retreat of the Pine Island Glacier

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Park, J. W., Gourmelen, N., Shepherd, A., Kim, S. W., Vaughan, D. G., Wingham, D. J.
• Other Authors: Yonsei University, Dynamique globale et déformation active (IPGS) (IPGS-DGDA), Institut de physique du globe de Strasbourg (IPGS), Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science Leeds (ICAS), School of Earth and Environment Leeds (SEE), University of Leeds-University of Leeds, Sejong University, British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), University College of London London (UCL)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2013
• Subjects: Antarctica; InSAR; envir; geo; Pine Island Glacier; Antarc*; Pine Island
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50379; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00856384/file/grl.50379.pdf; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00856384

International audience We use satellite observations to show that, between 1992 and 2011, the Pine Island Glacier hinge line retreated at a rate of 0.95 ± 0.09 km yr−1 despite a progressive steepening and shoaling of the glacier surface and bedrock slopes, respectively, which ought to impede retreat. The retreat has remained constant because the glacier terminus has thinned at an accelerating rate of 0.53 ± 0.15 m yr−2, with comparable changes upstream. This acceleration is consistent with an intensification of ocean-driven melting in the cavity beneath the floating section of the glacier. The pattern of hinge-line retreat meanders and is concentrated in isolated regions until ice becomes locally buoyant. Because the glacier-ocean system does not appear to have reached a position of relative stability, the lower limit of sea level projections may be too conservative.