Grounding line retreat and tide-modulated ocean channels at Moscow University and Totten Glacier ice shelves, East Antarctica

The Totten and Moscow University glaciers, located in East Antarctica, contain 5.1 m sea-level equivalent of ice and have been losing mass over recent decades. Using ICESat-2 laser altimetry repeat track analysis and satellite radar interferometry from Sentinel-1a/b synthetic aperture radar (SAR) im...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Cryosphere
Main Authors: Li, Tian, Dawson, Geoffrey J, Chuter, Stephen J, Bamber, Jonathan L
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2023
Subjects:
/dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/globalmass
name=GlobalMass
Antarc*
Antarctica
East Antarctica
Ice Shelf
Ice Shelves
Moscow University Ice Shelf
Totten Glacier
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1983/6b95ec83-bbdb-43e5-8aab-65d331c5dbc2
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/6b95ec83-bbdb-43e5-8aab-65d331c5dbc2
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1003-2023
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/388662954/tc-17-1003-2023.pdf
Description
Summary:The Totten and Moscow University glaciers, located in East Antarctica, contain 5.1 m sea-level equivalent of ice and have been losing mass over recent decades. Using ICESat-2 laser altimetry repeat track analysis and satellite radar interferometry from Sentinel-1a/b synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, we mapped the grounding line (GL) locations of these two glaciers between 2017 and 2021. By comparing the 2017–2021 GL measurements with historic GLs, we detected pervasive GL retreats along the ice plains at the glacier central trunk of Totten Glacier Ice Shelf (TGIS) and Moscow University Ice Shelf (MUIS). The GL retreated 3.51±0.49 km at TGIS, while it retreated 13.85±0.08 km at MUIS from 1996. Using CryoSat-2 radar altimetry, we found that the observed GL retreats are coincident with high thinning rates, in addition to high ice velocities, indicating a mass loss pattern dominated by ice dynamics. We also identified two tide-modulated ocean channels on Totten Glacier Eastern Ice Shelf (TGEIS) and Moscow University Western Ice Shelf (MUWIS), where the ocean channel widths are highly correlated with the differential tidal amplitudes. The opening of the MUWIS ocean channel connects the two previously separated TGIS and MUIS systems, which might open a pathway for the warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water to enter the main MUIS cavity and facilitate further GL retreat.

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