Oceanic and atmospheric forcing of Larsen C Ice-Shelf thinning
The catastrophic collapses of Larsen A and B ice shelves on the eastern Antarctic Peninsula have caused their tributary glaciers to accelerate, contributing to sea-level rise and freshening the Antarctic Bottom Water formed nearby. The surface of Larsen C Ice Shelf (LCIS), the largest ice shelf on t...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2015
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/1005/2015/tc-9-1005-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/5d5ac2d9bfb043c29d1b1c0ede63b48c |
id |
fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:5d5ac2d9bfb043c29d1b1c0ede63b48c |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:5d5ac2d9bfb043c29d1b1c0ede63b48c 2023-05-15T13:56:01+02:00 Oceanic and atmospheric forcing of Larsen C Ice-Shelf thinning P. R. Holland A. Brisbourne H. F. J. Corr D. McGrath K. Purdon J. Paden H. A. Fricker F. S. Paolo A. H. Fleming 2015-05-01 https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/1005/2015/tc-9-1005-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/5d5ac2d9bfb043c29d1b1c0ede63b48c en eng Copernicus Publications 1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/1005/2015/tc-9-1005-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/5d5ac2d9bfb043c29d1b1c0ede63b48c undefined The Cryosphere, Vol 9, Iss 3, Pp 1005-1024 (2015) envir geo Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2015 fttriple https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015 2023-01-22T19:12:44Z The catastrophic collapses of Larsen A and B ice shelves on the eastern Antarctic Peninsula have caused their tributary glaciers to accelerate, contributing to sea-level rise and freshening the Antarctic Bottom Water formed nearby. The surface of Larsen C Ice Shelf (LCIS), the largest ice shelf on the peninsula, is lowering. This could be caused by unbalanced ocean melting (ice loss) or enhanced firn melting and compaction (englacial air loss). Using a novel method to analyse eight radar surveys, this study derives separate estimates of ice and air thickness changes during a 15-year period. The uncertainties are considerable, but the primary estimate is that the surveyed lowering (0.066 ± 0.017 m yr−1) is caused by both ice loss (0.28 ± 0.18 m yr−1) and firn-air loss (0.037 ± 0.026 m yr−1). The ice loss is much larger than the air loss, but both contribute approximately equally to the lowering because the ice is floating. The ice loss could be explained by high basal melting and/or ice divergence, and the air loss by low surface accumulation or high surface melting and/or compaction. The primary estimate therefore requires that at least two forcings caused the surveyed lowering. Mechanisms are discussed by which LCIS stability could be compromised in the future. The most rapid pathways to collapse are offered by the ungrounding of LCIS from Bawden Ice Rise or ice-front retreat past a "compressive arch" in strain rates. Recent evidence suggests that either mechanism could pose an imminent risk. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelf Ice Shelves The Cryosphere Unknown Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Bawden Ice Rise ENVELOPE(-60.155,-60.155,-66.858,-66.858) The Antarctic The Cryosphere 9 3 1005 1024 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Unknown |
op_collection_id |
fttriple |
language |
English |
topic |
envir geo |
spellingShingle |
envir geo P. R. Holland A. Brisbourne H. F. J. Corr D. McGrath K. Purdon J. Paden H. A. Fricker F. S. Paolo A. H. Fleming Oceanic and atmospheric forcing of Larsen C Ice-Shelf thinning |
topic_facet |
envir geo |
description |
The catastrophic collapses of Larsen A and B ice shelves on the eastern Antarctic Peninsula have caused their tributary glaciers to accelerate, contributing to sea-level rise and freshening the Antarctic Bottom Water formed nearby. The surface of Larsen C Ice Shelf (LCIS), the largest ice shelf on the peninsula, is lowering. This could be caused by unbalanced ocean melting (ice loss) or enhanced firn melting and compaction (englacial air loss). Using a novel method to analyse eight radar surveys, this study derives separate estimates of ice and air thickness changes during a 15-year period. The uncertainties are considerable, but the primary estimate is that the surveyed lowering (0.066 ± 0.017 m yr−1) is caused by both ice loss (0.28 ± 0.18 m yr−1) and firn-air loss (0.037 ± 0.026 m yr−1). The ice loss is much larger than the air loss, but both contribute approximately equally to the lowering because the ice is floating. The ice loss could be explained by high basal melting and/or ice divergence, and the air loss by low surface accumulation or high surface melting and/or compaction. The primary estimate therefore requires that at least two forcings caused the surveyed lowering. Mechanisms are discussed by which LCIS stability could be compromised in the future. The most rapid pathways to collapse are offered by the ungrounding of LCIS from Bawden Ice Rise or ice-front retreat past a "compressive arch" in strain rates. Recent evidence suggests that either mechanism could pose an imminent risk. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
P. R. Holland A. Brisbourne H. F. J. Corr D. McGrath K. Purdon J. Paden H. A. Fricker F. S. Paolo A. H. Fleming |
author_facet |
P. R. Holland A. Brisbourne H. F. J. Corr D. McGrath K. Purdon J. Paden H. A. Fricker F. S. Paolo A. H. Fleming |
author_sort |
P. R. Holland |
title |
Oceanic and atmospheric forcing of Larsen C Ice-Shelf thinning |
title_short |
Oceanic and atmospheric forcing of Larsen C Ice-Shelf thinning |
title_full |
Oceanic and atmospheric forcing of Larsen C Ice-Shelf thinning |
title_fullStr |
Oceanic and atmospheric forcing of Larsen C Ice-Shelf thinning |
title_full_unstemmed |
Oceanic and atmospheric forcing of Larsen C Ice-Shelf thinning |
title_sort |
oceanic and atmospheric forcing of larsen c ice-shelf thinning |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/1005/2015/tc-9-1005-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/5d5ac2d9bfb043c29d1b1c0ede63b48c |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-60.155,-60.155,-66.858,-66.858) |
geographic |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Bawden Ice Rise The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Bawden Ice Rise The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelf Ice Shelves The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelf Ice Shelves The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 9, Iss 3, Pp 1005-1024 (2015) |
op_relation |
1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/1005/2015/tc-9-1005-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/5d5ac2d9bfb043c29d1b1c0ede63b48c |
op_rights |
undefined |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
1005 |
op_container_end_page |
1024 |
_version_ |
1766263242321035264 |