Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions
Iceberg calving strongly controls glacier mass loss, but the fracture processes leading to iceberg formation are poorly understood due to the stochastic nature of calving. The size distributions of icebergs produced during the calving process can yield information on the processes driving calving an...
Published in: | Journal of Glaciology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Int Glaciol Soc
2021
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/ https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/1/fragmentation-theory-reveals-processes-controlling-iceberg-size-distributions.pdf https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/2/143508%20-%20Fragmentation%20theory%20reveals%20processes%20controlling%20iceberg%20size.pdf |
id |
ftunivtasmania:oai:eprints.utas.edu.au:36227 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivtasmania:oai:eprints.utas.edu.au:36227 2023-05-15T13:42:39+02:00 Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions Astrom, J Cook, S Enderlin, EM Sutherland, DA Mazur, A Glasser, N 2021 application/pdf https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/ https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/1/fragmentation-theory-reveals-processes-controlling-iceberg-size-distributions.pdf https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/2/143508%20-%20Fragmentation%20theory%20reveals%20processes%20controlling%20iceberg%20size.pdf en eng Int Glaciol Soc https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/1/fragmentation-theory-reveals-processes-controlling-iceberg-size-distributions.pdf https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/2/143508%20-%20Fragmentation%20theory%20reveals%20processes%20controlling%20iceberg%20size.pdf Astrom, J, Cook, S orcid:0000-0001-9878-4218 , Enderlin, EM, Sutherland, DA, Mazur, A and Glasser, N 2021 , 'Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions' , Journal of Glaciology , pp. 1-10 , doi:10.1017/jog.2021.14 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.14>. icebergs ice shelf break-up iceberg calving ice-ocean interactions Article PeerReviewed 2021 ftunivtasmania https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.14 2021-10-04T22:19:56Z Iceberg calving strongly controls glacier mass loss, but the fracture processes leading to iceberg formation are poorly understood due to the stochastic nature of calving. The size distributions of icebergs produced during the calving process can yield information on the processes driving calving and also affect the timing, magnitude, and spatial distribution of ocean fresh water fluxes near glaciers and ice sheets. In this study, we apply fragmentation theory to describe key calving behaviours, based on observational and modelling data from Greenland and Antarctica. In both regions, iceberg calving is dominated by elastic-brittle fracture processes, where distributions contain both exponential and power law components describing large-scale uncorrelated fracture and correlated branching fracture, respectively. Other size distributions can also be observed. For Antarctic icebergs, distributions change from elastic-brittle type during ‘stable’ calving to one dominated by grinding or crushing during ice shelf disintegration events. In Greenland, we find that iceberg fragment size distributions evolve from an initial elastic-brittle type distribution near the calving front, into a steeper grinding/crushing-type power law along-fjord. These results provide an entirely new framework for understanding controls on iceberg calving and how calving may react to climate forcing. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica glacier Greenland Ice Shelf Iceberg* Journal of Glaciology University of Tasmania: UTas ePrints Antarctic Greenland Journal of Glaciology 1 10 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tasmania: UTas ePrints |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtasmania |
language |
English |
topic |
icebergs ice shelf break-up iceberg calving ice-ocean interactions |
spellingShingle |
icebergs ice shelf break-up iceberg calving ice-ocean interactions Astrom, J Cook, S Enderlin, EM Sutherland, DA Mazur, A Glasser, N Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
topic_facet |
icebergs ice shelf break-up iceberg calving ice-ocean interactions |
description |
Iceberg calving strongly controls glacier mass loss, but the fracture processes leading to iceberg formation are poorly understood due to the stochastic nature of calving. The size distributions of icebergs produced during the calving process can yield information on the processes driving calving and also affect the timing, magnitude, and spatial distribution of ocean fresh water fluxes near glaciers and ice sheets. In this study, we apply fragmentation theory to describe key calving behaviours, based on observational and modelling data from Greenland and Antarctica. In both regions, iceberg calving is dominated by elastic-brittle fracture processes, where distributions contain both exponential and power law components describing large-scale uncorrelated fracture and correlated branching fracture, respectively. Other size distributions can also be observed. For Antarctic icebergs, distributions change from elastic-brittle type during ‘stable’ calving to one dominated by grinding or crushing during ice shelf disintegration events. In Greenland, we find that iceberg fragment size distributions evolve from an initial elastic-brittle type distribution near the calving front, into a steeper grinding/crushing-type power law along-fjord. These results provide an entirely new framework for understanding controls on iceberg calving and how calving may react to climate forcing. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Astrom, J Cook, S Enderlin, EM Sutherland, DA Mazur, A Glasser, N |
author_facet |
Astrom, J Cook, S Enderlin, EM Sutherland, DA Mazur, A Glasser, N |
author_sort |
Astrom, J |
title |
Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
title_short |
Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
title_full |
Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
title_fullStr |
Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
title_sort |
fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions |
publisher |
Int Glaciol Soc |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/ https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/1/fragmentation-theory-reveals-processes-controlling-iceberg-size-distributions.pdf https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/2/143508%20-%20Fragmentation%20theory%20reveals%20processes%20controlling%20iceberg%20size.pdf |
geographic |
Antarctic Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Greenland |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica glacier Greenland Ice Shelf Iceberg* Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica glacier Greenland Ice Shelf Iceberg* Journal of Glaciology |
op_relation |
https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/1/fragmentation-theory-reveals-processes-controlling-iceberg-size-distributions.pdf https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36227/2/143508%20-%20Fragmentation%20theory%20reveals%20processes%20controlling%20iceberg%20size.pdf Astrom, J, Cook, S orcid:0000-0001-9878-4218 , Enderlin, EM, Sutherland, DA, Mazur, A and Glasser, N 2021 , 'Fragmentation theory reveals processes controlling iceberg size distributions' , Journal of Glaciology , pp. 1-10 , doi:10.1017/jog.2021.14 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.14>. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.14 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
10 |
_version_ |
1766170541369065472 |