Ice stream D flow speed is strongly modulated by the tide beneath the Ross Ice Shelf

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Anandakrishnan, S, Voigt, DE, Alley, RB, King, MA
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing 2003
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Physical geography and environmental geoscience; Physical geography and environmental geoscience not elsewhere classified; West Antarctica; Ross Ice Shelf; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Shelf; Ice Stream D
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL016329; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/81797

The flow velocity of ice stream D, West Antarctica has been measured to vary by a factor of three over the course of a day. These fluctuations are measured at the grounding line as well as upstream of the grounding line in the ice plain of ice stream D. The diurnal velocity fluctations appear to be driven by the tide beneath the Ross Ice Shelf. These results suggest that there is significant, and heretofore poorly understood, influence of the ocean tide and of the ice shelf on the dynamics of ice stream flow.