Articles | Volume 10, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2623-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2623-2016
Research article
 | 
09 Nov 2016
Research article |  | 09 Nov 2016

Dynamic influence of pinning points on marine ice-sheet stability: a numerical study in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica

Lionel Favier, Frank Pattyn, Sophie Berger, and Reinhard Drews

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Interactive discussion

Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
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Peer-review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision
AR by Lionel Favier on behalf of the Authors (26 Sep 2016)  Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (15 Oct 2016) by G. Hilmar Gudmundsson
RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (18 Oct 2016)
RR by Robert Arthern (20 Oct 2016)
ED: Publish as is (22 Oct 2016) by G. Hilmar Gudmundsson
AR by Lionel Favier on behalf of the Authors (27 Oct 2016)  Manuscript 
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Short summary
We demonstrate the short-term unstable retreat of an East Antarctic outlet glacier triggered by imposed sub-ice-shelf melt, compliant with current values, using a state-of-the-art ice-sheet model. We show that pinning points – topographic highs in contact with the ice-shelf base – have a major impact on ice-sheet stability and timing of grounding-line retreat. The study therefore calls for improving our knowledge of sub-ice-shelf bathymetry in order to reduce uncertainties in future ice loss.