Basal mechanics of ice streams: Insights from the stick-slip motion of Whillans Ice Stream, West Antarctica

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research
• Main Authors: Winberry, JP, Anandakrishnan, S, Alley, RB, Bindschadler, RA, King, MA
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc. 2009
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience; Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience not elsewhere classified; West Antarctica; Whillans; Whillans Ice Stream; Antarc*; Antarctica; Antarctica Journal
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JF001035; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/82109

The downstream portion of Whillans Ice Stream, West Antarctica, moves primarily by stick-slip motion. The observation of stick-slip motion suggests that the bed is governed by velocity-weakening physics and that the basal physics is more unstable than suggested by laboratory studies. The stick-slip...