Dynamics of viscous grounding lines

We have used viscous fluids in simple laboratory experiments to explore the dynamics of grounding lines between marine ice sheets and the freely floating ice shelves into which they develop. We model the ice sheets as shear-dominated gravity currents, and the ice shelves as extensional gravity curre...

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Published in:Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Main Authors: Robison, Rosalyn A. V., Huppert, Herbert E, Worster, Grae
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1983/1c47abc2-bc84-4bfb-aa87-2b828887251c
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/1c47abc2-bc84-4bfb-aa87-2b828887251c
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112009993119
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spelling ftubristolcris:oai:research-information.bris.ac.uk:publications/1c47abc2-bc84-4bfb-aa87-2b828887251c 2024-04-28T08:25:13+00:00 Dynamics of viscous grounding lines Robison, Rosalyn A. V. Huppert, Herbert E Worster, Grae 2010 https://hdl.handle.net/1983/1c47abc2-bc84-4bfb-aa87-2b828887251c https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/1c47abc2-bc84-4bfb-aa87-2b828887251c https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112009993119 eng eng https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/1c47abc2-bc84-4bfb-aa87-2b828887251c info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Robison , R A V , Huppert , H E & Worster , G 2010 , ' Dynamics of viscous grounding lines ' , Journal of Fluid Mechanics , vol. 648 , pp. 363-380 . https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112009993119 article 2010 ftubristolcris https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112009993119 2024-04-03T15:17:07Z We have used viscous fluids in simple laboratory experiments to explore the dynamics of grounding lines between marine ice sheets and the freely floating ice shelves into which they develop. We model the ice sheets as shear-dominated gravity currents, and the ice shelves as extensional gravity currents having zero shear to leading order. We consider the flow of viscous fluid down an inclined plane into a dense inviscid ‘ocean’. A fixed flux of fluid is supplied at the top of the plane, which is at ‘sea level’. The fluid forms a gravity current flowing down and attached to the plane for some distance before detaching to form a freely floating extensional current. We have derived a mathematical model of the flow that incorporates a new dynamic boundary condition for the position of the grounding line, where the gravity current loses contact with the solid base. The grounding line initially advances and eventually reaches a steady position. Good agreement between our theoretical predictions and experimental measurements and observations gives confidence in the fundamental assumptions of our model. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ice Shelves University of Bristol: Bristol Research Journal of Fluid Mechanics 648 363 380
institution Open Polar
collection University of Bristol: Bristol Research
op_collection_id ftubristolcris
language English
description We have used viscous fluids in simple laboratory experiments to explore the dynamics of grounding lines between marine ice sheets and the freely floating ice shelves into which they develop. We model the ice sheets as shear-dominated gravity currents, and the ice shelves as extensional gravity currents having zero shear to leading order. We consider the flow of viscous fluid down an inclined plane into a dense inviscid ‘ocean’. A fixed flux of fluid is supplied at the top of the plane, which is at ‘sea level’. The fluid forms a gravity current flowing down and attached to the plane for some distance before detaching to form a freely floating extensional current. We have derived a mathematical model of the flow that incorporates a new dynamic boundary condition for the position of the grounding line, where the gravity current loses contact with the solid base. The grounding line initially advances and eventually reaches a steady position. Good agreement between our theoretical predictions and experimental measurements and observations gives confidence in the fundamental assumptions of our model.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Robison, Rosalyn A. V.
Huppert, Herbert E
Worster, Grae
spellingShingle Robison, Rosalyn A. V.
Huppert, Herbert E
Worster, Grae
Dynamics of viscous grounding lines
author_facet Robison, Rosalyn A. V.
Huppert, Herbert E
Worster, Grae
author_sort Robison, Rosalyn A. V.
title Dynamics of viscous grounding lines
title_short Dynamics of viscous grounding lines
title_full Dynamics of viscous grounding lines
title_fullStr Dynamics of viscous grounding lines
title_full_unstemmed Dynamics of viscous grounding lines
title_sort dynamics of viscous grounding lines
publishDate 2010
url https://hdl.handle.net/1983/1c47abc2-bc84-4bfb-aa87-2b828887251c
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/1c47abc2-bc84-4bfb-aa87-2b828887251c
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112009993119
genre Ice Shelves
genre_facet Ice Shelves
op_source Robison , R A V , Huppert , H E & Worster , G 2010 , ' Dynamics of viscous grounding lines ' , Journal of Fluid Mechanics , vol. 648 , pp. 363-380 . https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112009993119
op_relation https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/1c47abc2-bc84-4bfb-aa87-2b828887251c
op_rights info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112009993119
container_title Journal of Fluid Mechanics
container_volume 648
container_start_page 363
op_container_end_page 380
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