Two decades of dynamic change and progressive destabilization on the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf
The Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf (TEIS) buttresses the eastern grounded portion of Thwaites Glacier through contact with a pinning point at its seaward limit. Loss of this ice shelf will promote further acceleration of Thwaites Glacier. Understanding the dynamic controls and structural integrity of th...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2021
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5187-2021 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/5187/2021/tc-15-5187-2021.pdf https://doaj.org/article/fb9d35adb3504645b195a11825bf7836 |
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:fb9d35adb3504645b195a11825bf7836 2023-05-15T13:48:57+02:00 Two decades of dynamic change and progressive destabilization on the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf K. E. Alley C. T. Wild A. Luckman T. A. Scambos M. Truffer E. C. Pettit A. Muto B. Wallin M. Klinger T. Sutterley S. F. Child C. Hulen J. T. M. Lenaerts M. Maclennan E. Keenan D. Dunmire 2021-11-01 https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5187-2021 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/5187/2021/tc-15-5187-2021.pdf https://doaj.org/article/fb9d35adb3504645b195a11825bf7836 en eng Copernicus Publications doi:10.5194/tc-15-5187-2021 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/5187/2021/tc-15-5187-2021.pdf https://doaj.org/article/fb9d35adb3504645b195a11825bf7836 undefined The Cryosphere, Vol 15, Pp 5187-5203 (2021) geo envir Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2021 fttriple https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5187-2021 2023-01-22T16:46:02Z The Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf (TEIS) buttresses the eastern grounded portion of Thwaites Glacier through contact with a pinning point at its seaward limit. Loss of this ice shelf will promote further acceleration of Thwaites Glacier. Understanding the dynamic controls and structural integrity of the TEIS is therefore important to estimating Thwaites' future sea-level contribution. We present a ∼ 20-year record of change on the TEIS that reveals the dynamic controls governing the ice shelf's past behaviour and ongoing evolution. We derived ice velocities from MODIS and Sentinel-1 image data using feature tracking and speckle tracking, respectively, and we combined these records with ITS_LIVE and GOLIVE velocity products from Landsat-7 and Landsat-8. In addition, we estimated surface lowering and basal melt rates using the Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA) DEM in comparison to ICESat and ICESat-2 altimetry. Early in the record, TEIS flow dynamics were strongly controlled by the neighbouring Thwaites Western Ice Tongue (TWIT). Flow patterns on the TEIS changed following the disintegration of the TWIT around 2008, with a new divergence in ice flow developing around the pinning point at its seaward limit. Simultaneously, the TEIS developed new rifting that extends from the shear zone upstream of the ice rise and increased strain concentration within this shear zone. As these horizontal changes occurred, sustained thinning driven by basal melt reduced ice thickness, particularly near the grounding line and in the shear zone area upstream of the pinning point. This evidence of weakening at a rapid pace suggests that the TEIS is likely to fully destabilize in the next few decades, leading to further acceleration of Thwaites Glacier. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf The Cryosphere Thwaites Glacier Unknown Thwaites Glacier ENVELOPE(-106.750,-106.750,-75.500,-75.500) The Cryosphere 15 11 5187 5203 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Unknown |
op_collection_id |
fttriple |
language |
English |
topic |
geo envir |
spellingShingle |
geo envir K. E. Alley C. T. Wild A. Luckman T. A. Scambos M. Truffer E. C. Pettit A. Muto B. Wallin M. Klinger T. Sutterley S. F. Child C. Hulen J. T. M. Lenaerts M. Maclennan E. Keenan D. Dunmire Two decades of dynamic change and progressive destabilization on the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf |
topic_facet |
geo envir |
description |
The Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf (TEIS) buttresses the eastern grounded portion of Thwaites Glacier through contact with a pinning point at its seaward limit. Loss of this ice shelf will promote further acceleration of Thwaites Glacier. Understanding the dynamic controls and structural integrity of the TEIS is therefore important to estimating Thwaites' future sea-level contribution. We present a ∼ 20-year record of change on the TEIS that reveals the dynamic controls governing the ice shelf's past behaviour and ongoing evolution. We derived ice velocities from MODIS and Sentinel-1 image data using feature tracking and speckle tracking, respectively, and we combined these records with ITS_LIVE and GOLIVE velocity products from Landsat-7 and Landsat-8. In addition, we estimated surface lowering and basal melt rates using the Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA) DEM in comparison to ICESat and ICESat-2 altimetry. Early in the record, TEIS flow dynamics were strongly controlled by the neighbouring Thwaites Western Ice Tongue (TWIT). Flow patterns on the TEIS changed following the disintegration of the TWIT around 2008, with a new divergence in ice flow developing around the pinning point at its seaward limit. Simultaneously, the TEIS developed new rifting that extends from the shear zone upstream of the ice rise and increased strain concentration within this shear zone. As these horizontal changes occurred, sustained thinning driven by basal melt reduced ice thickness, particularly near the grounding line and in the shear zone area upstream of the pinning point. This evidence of weakening at a rapid pace suggests that the TEIS is likely to fully destabilize in the next few decades, leading to further acceleration of Thwaites Glacier. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
K. E. Alley C. T. Wild A. Luckman T. A. Scambos M. Truffer E. C. Pettit A. Muto B. Wallin M. Klinger T. Sutterley S. F. Child C. Hulen J. T. M. Lenaerts M. Maclennan E. Keenan D. Dunmire |
author_facet |
K. E. Alley C. T. Wild A. Luckman T. A. Scambos M. Truffer E. C. Pettit A. Muto B. Wallin M. Klinger T. Sutterley S. F. Child C. Hulen J. T. M. Lenaerts M. Maclennan E. Keenan D. Dunmire |
author_sort |
K. E. Alley |
title |
Two decades of dynamic change and progressive destabilization on the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf |
title_short |
Two decades of dynamic change and progressive destabilization on the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf |
title_full |
Two decades of dynamic change and progressive destabilization on the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf |
title_fullStr |
Two decades of dynamic change and progressive destabilization on the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf |
title_full_unstemmed |
Two decades of dynamic change and progressive destabilization on the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf |
title_sort |
two decades of dynamic change and progressive destabilization on the thwaites eastern ice shelf |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5187-2021 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/5187/2021/tc-15-5187-2021.pdf https://doaj.org/article/fb9d35adb3504645b195a11825bf7836 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-106.750,-106.750,-75.500,-75.500) |
geographic |
Thwaites Glacier |
geographic_facet |
Thwaites Glacier |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf The Cryosphere Thwaites Glacier |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf The Cryosphere Thwaites Glacier |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 15, Pp 5187-5203 (2021) |
op_relation |
doi:10.5194/tc-15-5187-2021 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/5187/2021/tc-15-5187-2021.pdf https://doaj.org/article/fb9d35adb3504645b195a11825bf7836 |
op_rights |
undefined |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5187-2021 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
15 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
5187 |
op_container_end_page |
5203 |
_version_ |
1766250004655112192 |