Three positive feedback mechanisms for ice-sheet melting in a warming climate
Three positive feedback mechanisms that accelerate ice-sheet melting are assessed in a warming climate, using a numerical ice model driven by atmospheric climate models. The Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is the modeling test-bed under accelerated melting conditions. The first feedback is the interactio...
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ftunivtsydney:oai:opus.lib.uts.edu.au:10453/118394 2023-05-15T16:21:30+02:00 Three positive feedback mechanisms for ice-sheet melting in a warming climate Ren, D Leslie, LM 2011-12-01 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/10453/118394 unknown Journal of Glaciology 10.3189/002214311798843250 Journal of Glaciology, 2011, 57 (206), pp. 1057 - 1066 0022-1430 http://hdl.handle.net/10453/118394 Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Journal Article 2011 ftunivtsydney 2022-03-13T14:02:11Z Three positive feedback mechanisms that accelerate ice-sheet melting are assessed in a warming climate, using a numerical ice model driven by atmospheric climate models. The Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is the modeling test-bed under accelerated melting conditions. The first feedback is the interaction of sea water with ice. It is positive because fresh water melts ice faster than salty water, owing primarily to the reduction in water heat capacity by solutes. It is shown to be limited for the GrIS, which has only a small ocean interface, and the grounding line of some fast glaciers becomes land-terminating during the 21st century. The second positive feedback, strain heating, is positive because it produces further ice heating inside the ice sheet. The third positive feedback, granular basal sliding, applies to all ice sheets and becomes the dominant feedback during the 21st century. A numerical simulation of Jakobshavn Isbræ over the 21st century reveals that all three feedback processes are active for this glacier. Compared with the year 2000 level, annual ice discharge into the ocean could increase by ∼1.4km 3a -1 (∼5% of the present annual rate) by 2100. Granular basal sliding contributes ∼40% of this increase. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Jakobshavn Jakobshavn isbræ Journal of Glaciology University of Technology Sydney: OPUS - Open Publications of UTS Scholars Greenland Jakobshavn Isbræ ENVELOPE(-49.917,-49.917,69.167,69.167) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Technology Sydney: OPUS - Open Publications of UTS Scholars |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtsydney |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Ren, D Leslie, LM Three positive feedback mechanisms for ice-sheet melting in a warming climate |
topic_facet |
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
description |
Three positive feedback mechanisms that accelerate ice-sheet melting are assessed in a warming climate, using a numerical ice model driven by atmospheric climate models. The Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is the modeling test-bed under accelerated melting conditions. The first feedback is the interaction of sea water with ice. It is positive because fresh water melts ice faster than salty water, owing primarily to the reduction in water heat capacity by solutes. It is shown to be limited for the GrIS, which has only a small ocean interface, and the grounding line of some fast glaciers becomes land-terminating during the 21st century. The second positive feedback, strain heating, is positive because it produces further ice heating inside the ice sheet. The third positive feedback, granular basal sliding, applies to all ice sheets and becomes the dominant feedback during the 21st century. A numerical simulation of Jakobshavn Isbræ over the 21st century reveals that all three feedback processes are active for this glacier. Compared with the year 2000 level, annual ice discharge into the ocean could increase by ∼1.4km 3a -1 (∼5% of the present annual rate) by 2100. Granular basal sliding contributes ∼40% of this increase. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ren, D Leslie, LM |
author_facet |
Ren, D Leslie, LM |
author_sort |
Ren, D |
title |
Three positive feedback mechanisms for ice-sheet melting in a warming climate |
title_short |
Three positive feedback mechanisms for ice-sheet melting in a warming climate |
title_full |
Three positive feedback mechanisms for ice-sheet melting in a warming climate |
title_fullStr |
Three positive feedback mechanisms for ice-sheet melting in a warming climate |
title_full_unstemmed |
Three positive feedback mechanisms for ice-sheet melting in a warming climate |
title_sort |
three positive feedback mechanisms for ice-sheet melting in a warming climate |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10453/118394 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-49.917,-49.917,69.167,69.167) |
geographic |
Greenland Jakobshavn Isbræ |
geographic_facet |
Greenland Jakobshavn Isbræ |
genre |
glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Jakobshavn Jakobshavn isbræ Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Jakobshavn Jakobshavn isbræ Journal of Glaciology |
op_relation |
Journal of Glaciology 10.3189/002214311798843250 Journal of Glaciology, 2011, 57 (206), pp. 1057 - 1066 0022-1430 http://hdl.handle.net/10453/118394 |
_version_ |
1766009503309889536 |