Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell
Understanding the causes of recent catastrophic ice shelf disintegrations is a crucial step towards improving coupled models of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and predicting its future state and contribution to sea-level rise. An overlooked climate-related causal factor is regional sea ice loss. Here we sh...
Published in: | Nature |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Nature Publishing Group
2018
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0212-1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29899449 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/129182 |
id |
ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:129182 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:129182 2023-05-15T13:42:40+02:00 Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell Massom, RA Scambos, TA Bennetts, LG Reid, P Squire, VA Stammerjohn, SE 2018 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0212-1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29899449 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/129182 en eng Nature Publishing Group http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0212-1 Massom, RA and Scambos, TA and Bennetts, LG and Reid, P and Squire, VA and Stammerjohn, SE, Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell, Nature, 558, (7710) pp. 383-389. ISSN 0028-0836 (2018) [Refereed Article] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29899449 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/129182 Earth Sciences Physical geography and environmental geoscience Glaciology Refereed Article PeerReviewed 2018 ftunivtasecite https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0212-1 2022-08-29T22:17:26Z Understanding the causes of recent catastrophic ice shelf disintegrations is a crucial step towards improving coupled models of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and predicting its future state and contribution to sea-level rise. An overlooked climate-related causal factor is regional sea ice loss. Here we show that for the disintegration events observed (the collapse of the Larsen A and B and Wilkins ice shelves), the increased seasonal absence of a protective sea ice buffer enabled increased flexure of vulnerable outer ice shelf margins by ocean swells that probably weakened them to the point of calving. This outer-margin calving triggered wider-scale disintegration of ice shelves compromised by multiple factors in preceding years, with key prerequisites being extensive flooding and outer-margin fracturing. Wave-induced flexure is particularly effective in outermost ice shelf regions thinned by bottom crevassing. Our analysis of satellite and ocean-wave data and modelling of combined ice shelf, sea ice and wave properties highlights the need for ice sheet models to account for sea ice and ocean waves. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Sea ice eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) Antarctic The Antarctic Wilkins ENVELOPE(59.326,59.326,-67.248,-67.248) Nature 558 7710 383 389 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtasecite |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth Sciences Physical geography and environmental geoscience Glaciology |
spellingShingle |
Earth Sciences Physical geography and environmental geoscience Glaciology Massom, RA Scambos, TA Bennetts, LG Reid, P Squire, VA Stammerjohn, SE Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell |
topic_facet |
Earth Sciences Physical geography and environmental geoscience Glaciology |
description |
Understanding the causes of recent catastrophic ice shelf disintegrations is a crucial step towards improving coupled models of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and predicting its future state and contribution to sea-level rise. An overlooked climate-related causal factor is regional sea ice loss. Here we show that for the disintegration events observed (the collapse of the Larsen A and B and Wilkins ice shelves), the increased seasonal absence of a protective sea ice buffer enabled increased flexure of vulnerable outer ice shelf margins by ocean swells that probably weakened them to the point of calving. This outer-margin calving triggered wider-scale disintegration of ice shelves compromised by multiple factors in preceding years, with key prerequisites being extensive flooding and outer-margin fracturing. Wave-induced flexure is particularly effective in outermost ice shelf regions thinned by bottom crevassing. Our analysis of satellite and ocean-wave data and modelling of combined ice shelf, sea ice and wave properties highlights the need for ice sheet models to account for sea ice and ocean waves. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Massom, RA Scambos, TA Bennetts, LG Reid, P Squire, VA Stammerjohn, SE |
author_facet |
Massom, RA Scambos, TA Bennetts, LG Reid, P Squire, VA Stammerjohn, SE |
author_sort |
Massom, RA |
title |
Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell |
title_short |
Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell |
title_full |
Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell |
title_fullStr |
Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell |
title_full_unstemmed |
Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell |
title_sort |
antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell |
publisher |
Nature Publishing Group |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0212-1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29899449 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/129182 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(59.326,59.326,-67.248,-67.248) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Wilkins |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Wilkins |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Sea ice |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0212-1 Massom, RA and Scambos, TA and Bennetts, LG and Reid, P and Squire, VA and Stammerjohn, SE, Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell, Nature, 558, (7710) pp. 383-389. ISSN 0028-0836 (2018) [Refereed Article] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29899449 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/129182 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0212-1 |
container_title |
Nature |
container_volume |
558 |
container_issue |
7710 |
container_start_page |
383 |
op_container_end_page |
389 |
_version_ |
1766171064395628544 |