The speedup of Pine Island Ice Shelf between 2017 and 2020: revaluating the importance of ice damage

From 2017 to 2020, three significant calving events took place on Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica. Ice-shelf velocities changed over this period and the calving events have been suggested as possible drivers. However, satellite observations also show significant changes in the areal extent of f...

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Main Authors: Sainan Sun, G. Hilmar Gudmundsson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2023-12-01
Series:Journal of Glaciology
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S002214302300076X/type/journal_article
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author Sainan Sun
G. Hilmar Gudmundsson
author_facet Sainan Sun
G. Hilmar Gudmundsson
author_sort Sainan Sun
collection DOAJ
description From 2017 to 2020, three significant calving events took place on Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica. Ice-shelf velocities changed over this period and the calving events have been suggested as possible drivers. However, satellite observations also show significant changes in the areal extent of fracture zones, especially in the marginal areas responsible for providing lateral support to the ice shelf. Here, we conduct a model study to identify and quantify drivers of recent ice-flow changes of the Pine Island Ice Shelf. In agreement with recent studies, we find that the calving events caused significant velocity changes over the ice shelf. However, calving alone cannot explain observed velocity changes. Changes in the structural rigidity, i.e. ice damage, further significantly impacted ice flow. We suggest that ice damage evolution of the ice-shelf margins may have influenced recent calving events, and these two processes are linked.
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publishDate 2023-12-01
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series Journal of Glaciology
spelling doaj-art-0b35936ca4c6440589fcfeb09c1142a22025-08-20T02:50:08ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522023-12-01691983199110.1017/jog.2023.76The speedup of Pine Island Ice Shelf between 2017 and 2020: revaluating the importance of ice damageSainan Sun0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1614-2658G. Hilmar Gudmundsson1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4236-5369Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UKDepartment of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UKFrom 2017 to 2020, three significant calving events took place on Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica. Ice-shelf velocities changed over this period and the calving events have been suggested as possible drivers. However, satellite observations also show significant changes in the areal extent of fracture zones, especially in the marginal areas responsible for providing lateral support to the ice shelf. Here, we conduct a model study to identify and quantify drivers of recent ice-flow changes of the Pine Island Ice Shelf. In agreement with recent studies, we find that the calving events caused significant velocity changes over the ice shelf. However, calving alone cannot explain observed velocity changes. Changes in the structural rigidity, i.e. ice damage, further significantly impacted ice flow. We suggest that ice damage evolution of the ice-shelf margins may have influenced recent calving events, and these two processes are linked.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S002214302300076X/type/journal_articleAntarctic glaciologyice dynamicsice-sheet modelling
spellingShingle Sainan Sun
G. Hilmar Gudmundsson
The speedup of Pine Island Ice Shelf between 2017 and 2020: revaluating the importance of ice damage
Journal of Glaciology
Antarctic glaciology
ice dynamics
ice-sheet modelling
title The speedup of Pine Island Ice Shelf between 2017 and 2020: revaluating the importance of ice damage
title_full The speedup of Pine Island Ice Shelf between 2017 and 2020: revaluating the importance of ice damage
title_fullStr The speedup of Pine Island Ice Shelf between 2017 and 2020: revaluating the importance of ice damage
title_full_unstemmed The speedup of Pine Island Ice Shelf between 2017 and 2020: revaluating the importance of ice damage
title_short The speedup of Pine Island Ice Shelf between 2017 and 2020: revaluating the importance of ice damage
title_sort speedup of pine island ice shelf between 2017 and 2020 revaluating the importance of ice damage
topic Antarctic glaciology
ice dynamics
ice-sheet modelling
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S002214302300076X/type/journal_article
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