Melt at grounding line controls observed and future retreat of Smith, Pope, and Kohler glaciers
Smith, Pope, and Kohler glaciers and the corresponding Crosson and Dotson ice shelves have undergone speedup, thinning, and rapid grounding-line retreat in recent years, leaving them in a state likely conducive to future retreat. We conducted a suite of numerical model simulations of these glaciers...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
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Copernicus Publications
2019
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2817-2019 https://www.the-cryosphere.net/13/2817/2019/tc-13-2817-2019.pdf https://doaj.org/article/995a9688b6b84227900d520155dd10f8 |
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:995a9688b6b84227900d520155dd10f8 2023-05-15T15:59:24+02:00 Melt at grounding line controls observed and future retreat of Smith, Pope, and Kohler glaciers D. A. Lilien I. Joughin B. Smith N. Gourmelen 2019-11-01 https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2817-2019 https://www.the-cryosphere.net/13/2817/2019/tc-13-2817-2019.pdf https://doaj.org/article/995a9688b6b84227900d520155dd10f8 en eng Copernicus Publications doi:10.5194/tc-13-2817-2019 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://www.the-cryosphere.net/13/2817/2019/tc-13-2817-2019.pdf https://doaj.org/article/995a9688b6b84227900d520155dd10f8 undefined The Cryosphere, Vol 13, Pp 2817-2834 (2019) geo envir Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2019 fttriple https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2817-2019 2023-01-22T19:11:53Z Smith, Pope, and Kohler glaciers and the corresponding Crosson and Dotson ice shelves have undergone speedup, thinning, and rapid grounding-line retreat in recent years, leaving them in a state likely conducive to future retreat. We conducted a suite of numerical model simulations of these glaciers and compared the results to observations to determine the processes controlling their recent evolution. The model simulations indicate that the state of these glaciers in the 1990s was not inherently unstable, i.e., that small perturbations to the grounding line would not necessarily have caused the large retreat that has been observed. Instead, sustained, elevated melt at the grounding line was needed to cause the observed retreat. Weakening of the margins of Crosson Ice Shelf may have hastened the onset of grounding-line retreat but is unlikely to have initiated these rapid changes without an accompanying increase in melt. In the simulations that most closely match the observed thinning, speedup, and retreat, modeled grounding-line retreat and ice loss continue unabated throughout the 21st century, and subsequent retreat along Smith Glacier's trough appears likely. Given the rapid progression of grounding-line retreat in the model simulations, thinning associated with the retreat of Smith Glacier may reach the ice divide and undermine a portion of the Thwaites catchment as quickly as changes initiated at the Thwaites terminus. Article in Journal/Newspaper Crosson Ice Shelf Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Smith Glacier The Cryosphere Unknown Crosson Ice Shelf ENVELOPE(-109.500,-109.500,-74.950,-74.950) The Cryosphere 13 11 2817 2834 |
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Open Polar |
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op_collection_id |
fttriple |
language |
English |
topic |
geo envir |
spellingShingle |
geo envir D. A. Lilien I. Joughin B. Smith N. Gourmelen Melt at grounding line controls observed and future retreat of Smith, Pope, and Kohler glaciers |
topic_facet |
geo envir |
description |
Smith, Pope, and Kohler glaciers and the corresponding Crosson and Dotson ice shelves have undergone speedup, thinning, and rapid grounding-line retreat in recent years, leaving them in a state likely conducive to future retreat. We conducted a suite of numerical model simulations of these glaciers and compared the results to observations to determine the processes controlling their recent evolution. The model simulations indicate that the state of these glaciers in the 1990s was not inherently unstable, i.e., that small perturbations to the grounding line would not necessarily have caused the large retreat that has been observed. Instead, sustained, elevated melt at the grounding line was needed to cause the observed retreat. Weakening of the margins of Crosson Ice Shelf may have hastened the onset of grounding-line retreat but is unlikely to have initiated these rapid changes without an accompanying increase in melt. In the simulations that most closely match the observed thinning, speedup, and retreat, modeled grounding-line retreat and ice loss continue unabated throughout the 21st century, and subsequent retreat along Smith Glacier's trough appears likely. Given the rapid progression of grounding-line retreat in the model simulations, thinning associated with the retreat of Smith Glacier may reach the ice divide and undermine a portion of the Thwaites catchment as quickly as changes initiated at the Thwaites terminus. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
D. A. Lilien I. Joughin B. Smith N. Gourmelen |
author_facet |
D. A. Lilien I. Joughin B. Smith N. Gourmelen |
author_sort |
D. A. Lilien |
title |
Melt at grounding line controls observed and future retreat of Smith, Pope, and Kohler glaciers |
title_short |
Melt at grounding line controls observed and future retreat of Smith, Pope, and Kohler glaciers |
title_full |
Melt at grounding line controls observed and future retreat of Smith, Pope, and Kohler glaciers |
title_fullStr |
Melt at grounding line controls observed and future retreat of Smith, Pope, and Kohler glaciers |
title_full_unstemmed |
Melt at grounding line controls observed and future retreat of Smith, Pope, and Kohler glaciers |
title_sort |
melt at grounding line controls observed and future retreat of smith, pope, and kohler glaciers |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2817-2019 https://www.the-cryosphere.net/13/2817/2019/tc-13-2817-2019.pdf https://doaj.org/article/995a9688b6b84227900d520155dd10f8 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-109.500,-109.500,-74.950,-74.950) |
geographic |
Crosson Ice Shelf |
geographic_facet |
Crosson Ice Shelf |
genre |
Crosson Ice Shelf Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Smith Glacier The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
Crosson Ice Shelf Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Smith Glacier The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 13, Pp 2817-2834 (2019) |
op_relation |
doi:10.5194/tc-13-2817-2019 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://www.the-cryosphere.net/13/2817/2019/tc-13-2817-2019.pdf https://doaj.org/article/995a9688b6b84227900d520155dd10f8 |
op_rights |
undefined |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2817-2019 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
13 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
2817 |
op_container_end_page |
2834 |
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1766395370464608256 |