Articles | Volume 11, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1141-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1141-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
08 May 2017
Research article |
| 08 May 2017
Could promontories have restricted sea-glacier penetration into marine embayments during Snowball Earth events?
Adam J. Campbell
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
now at: School of Surveying, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Betzalel Massarano
Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
now at: Pacific Science Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
Edwin D. Waddington
Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Stephen G. Warren
Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Related authors
No articles found.
Robert Massom, Phillip Reid, Stephen Warren, Bonnie Light, Donald Perovich, Luke Bennetts, Petteri Uotila, Siobhan O'Farrell, Michael Meylan, Klaus Meiners, Pat Wongpan, Alexander Fraser, Alessandro Toffoli, Giulio Passerotti, Peter Strutton, Sean Chua, and Melissa Fedrigo
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3166, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3166, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
Ocean waves play a previously-neglected role in the rapid annual melting of Antarctic sea ice by flooding and pulverising floes, removing the snow cover and reducing the albedo by an estimated 0.38–0.54 – to increase solar absorption and enhance the vertical melt rate by up to 5.2 cm/day. Ice algae further decrease the albedo, to increase the melt-rate enhancement to up to 6.1 cm/day. Melting is accelerated by four previously-unconsidered wave-driven positive feedbacks.
Tyler J. Fudge, Raphael Sauvage, Linh Vu, Benjamin H. Hills, Mirko Severi, and Edwin D. Waddington
Clim. Past, 20, 297–312, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-297-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-297-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We use the oldest Antarctic ice core to estimate the rate of diffusion of sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is a marker of past volcanic activity and is critical in developing ice core timescales. The rate of diffusion is uncertain and is important to know, both for selecting future ice core locations and interpreting ice core records. We find the effective diffusivity of sulfate is 10 times smaller than previously estimated, indicating that the sulfuric acid signals will persist for longer.
Michael J. MacFerrin, C. Max Stevens, Baptiste Vandecrux, Edwin D. Waddington, and Waleed Abdalati
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 955–971, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-955-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-955-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The vast majority of the Greenland ice sheet's surface is covered by pluriannual snow, also called firn, that accumulates year after year and is compressed into glacial ice. The thickness of the firn layer changes through time and responds to the surface climate. We present continuous measurement of the firn compaction at various depths for eight sites. The dataset will help to evaluate firn models, interpret ice cores, and convert remotely sensed ice sheet surface height change to mass loss.
C. Max Stevens, Vincent Verjans, Jessica M. D. Lundin, Emma C. Kahle, Annika N. Horlings, Brita I. Horlings, and Edwin D. Waddington
Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 4355–4377, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-4355-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-4355-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding processes in snow (firn), including compaction and airflow, is important for calculating how much mass the ice sheets are losing and for interpreting climate records from ice cores. We have developed the open-source Community Firn Model to simulate these processes. We used it to compare 13 different firn compaction equations and found that they do not agree within 10 %. We also show that including firn compaction in a firn-air model improves the match with data from ice cores.
Tyler J. Fudge, David A. Lilien, Michelle Koutnik, Howard Conway, C. Max Stevens, Edwin D. Waddington, Eric J. Steig, Andrew J. Schauer, and Nicholas Holschuh
Clim. Past, 16, 819–832, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-819-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-819-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
A 1750 m ice core at the South Pole was recently drilled. The oldest ice is ~55 000 years old. Since ice at the South Pole flows at 10 m per year, the ice in the core originated upstream, where the climate is different. We made measurements of the ice flow, snow accumulation, and temperature upstream. We determined the ice came from ~150 km away near the Titan Dome where the accumulation rate was similar but the temperature was colder. Our measurements improve the interpretation of the ice core.
Dominic A. Winski, Tyler J. Fudge, David G. Ferris, Erich C. Osterberg, John M. Fegyveresi, Jihong Cole-Dai, Zayta Thundercloud, Thomas S. Cox, Karl J. Kreutz, Nikolas Ortman, Christo Buizert, Jenna Epifanio, Edward J. Brook, Ross Beaudette, Jeffrey Severinghaus, Todd Sowers, Eric J. Steig, Emma C. Kahle, Tyler R. Jones, Valerie Morris, Murat Aydin, Melinda R. Nicewonger, Kimberly A. Casey, Richard B. Alley, Edwin D. Waddington, Nels A. Iverson, Nelia W. Dunbar, Ryan C. Bay, Joseph M. Souney, Michael Sigl, and Joseph R. McConnell
Clim. Past, 15, 1793–1808, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-1793-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-1793-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
A deep ice core was recently drilled at the South Pole to understand past variations in the Earth's climate. To understand the information contained within the ice, we present the relationship between the depth and age of the ice in the South Pole Ice Core. We found that the oldest ice in our record is from 54 302 ± 519 years ago. Our results show that, on average, 7.4 cm of snow falls at the South Pole each year.
T. J. Fudge, E. D. Waddington, H. Conway, J. M. D. Lundin, and K. Taylor
Clim. Past, 10, 1195–1209, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-1195-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-1195-2014, 2014
Related subject area
Ice Physics
Anisotropic scattering in radio-echo sounding: insights from northeast Greenland
Evolution of crystallographic preferred orientations of ice sheared to high strains by equal-channel angular pressing
Creep enhancement and sliding in a temperate, hard-bedded alpine glacier
Three-dimensional discrete element simulations on pressure ridge formation
Failure strength of glacier ice inferred from Greenland crevasses
In situ estimation of ice crystal properties at the South Pole using LED calibration data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory
Deformation lines in Arctic sea ice: intersection angle distribution and mechanical properties
Grain growth of natural and synthetic ice at 0 °C
Broadband spectral induced polarization for the detection of Permafrost and an approach to ice content estimation – a case study from Yakutia, Russia
Ice fabrics in two-dimensional flows: beyond pure and simple shear
Ultrasonic and seismic constraints on crystallographic preferred orientations of the Priestley Glacier shear margin, Antarctica
Modeling enhanced firn densification due to strain softening
Polarimetric radar reveals the spatial distribution of ice fabric at domes and divides in East Antarctica
Thermal structure of the Amery Ice Shelf from borehole observations and simulations
A probabilistic model for fracture events of Petermann ice islands under the influence of atmospheric and oceanic conditions
Sea ice thickness from air-coupled flexural waves
Geothermal heat flux from measured temperature profiles in deep ice boreholes in Antarctica
Sensitivity of ice loss to uncertainty in flow law parameters in an idealized one-dimensional geometry
Strain response and energy dissipation of floating saline ice under cyclic compressive stress
Observation of an optical anisotropy in the deep glacial ice at the geographic South Pole using a laser dust logger
Using a composite flow law to model deformation in the NEEM deep ice core, Greenland – Part 1: The role of grain size and grain size distribution on deformation of the upper 2207 m
Using a composite flow law to model deformation in the NEEM deep ice core, Greenland – Part 2: The role of grain size and premelting on ice deformation at high homologous temperature
Laboratory study of the properties of frazil ice particles and flocs in water of different salinities
The morphology of ice and liquid brine in an environmental scanning electron microscope: a study of the freezing methods
Attenuation of sound in glacier ice from 2 to 35 kHz
Physical and optical characteristics of heavily melted “rotten” Arctic sea ice
Crystallographic preferred orientations of ice deformed in direct-shear experiments at low temperatures
The role of subtemperate slip in thermally driven ice stream margin migration
Deriving micro- to macro-scale seismic velocities from ice-core c axis orientations
From cyclic ice streaming to Heinrich-like events: the grow-and-surge instability in the Parallel Ice Sheet Model
Models for polythermal ice sheets and glaciers
Monitoring the temperature-dependent elastic and anelastic properties in isotropic polycrystalline ice using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy
Interaction of marine ice-sheet instabilities in two drainage basins: simple scaling of geometry and transition time
Radio-frequency probes of Antarctic ice at South Pole
Data assimilation using a hybrid ice flow model
Imaging the structure of cave ice by ground-penetrating radar
Tamara Annina Gerber, David A. Lilien, Niels F. Nymand, Daniel Steinhage, Olaf Eisen, and Dorthe Dahl-Jensen
The Cryosphere, 19, 1955–1971, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1955-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1955-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines how anisotropic scattering and birefringence affect radar signals in ice sheets. Using data from northeast Greenland, we show that anisotropic scattering – driven by subtle ice crystal orientation changes – dominates the azimuthal power response. We find a strong link between scattering strength, orientation, and stratigraphy. This suggests anisotropic scattering can reveal crystal fabric orientation and differentiate ice units from distinct climatic periods.
Qinyu Wang, Sheng Fan, Daniel H. Richards, Rachel Worthington, David J. Prior, and Chao Qi
The Cryosphere, 19, 827–848, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-827-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-827-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Ice often exhibits a single-cluster fabric when deformed to high strains in glaciers and ice sheets. Using the equal-channel angular pressing technique, we achieved high shear strains in laboratory experiments and examined the fabrics. We investigated the evolutions of fabric and recrystallization mechanisms with strain. The results suggest that rotation recrystallization dominates fabric development when ice is deformed to high strains, explaining the fabrics found in natural ice.
Juan-Pedro Roldán-Blasco, Adrien Gilbert, Luc Piard, Florent Gimbert, Christian Vincent, Olivier Gagliardini, Anuar Togaibekov, Andrea Walpersdorf, and Nathan Maier
The Cryosphere, 19, 267–282, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-267-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-267-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The flow of glaciers and ice sheets results from ice deformation and basal sliding driven by gravitational forces. Quantifying the rate at which ice deforms under its own weight is critical for assessing glacier evolution. This study uses borehole instrumentation in an Alpine glacier to quantify ice deformation and constrain ice viscosity in a natural setting. Our results show that the viscosity of ice at 0 °C is largely influenced by interstitial liquid water, which enhances ice deformation.
Marek Muchow and Arttu Polojärvi
The Cryosphere, 18, 4765–4774, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4765-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4765-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We present the first explicit three-dimensional simulations of sea-ice ridge formation, which enables us to observe failure in several locations simultaneously. Sea-ice ridges are formed when ice converges and fails due to wind and ocean currents, so broken ice accumulates in a ridge. Previous two-dimensional models could not capture this behavior. We conclude that non-simultaneous failure is necessary to simulate ridging forces to assess how ridging forces relate to other ice properties.
Aslak Grinsted, Nicholas Mossor Rathmann, Ruth Mottram, Anne Munck Solgaard, Joachim Mathiesen, and Christine Schøtt Hvidberg
The Cryosphere, 18, 1947–1957, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1947-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1947-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ice fracture can cause glacier crevassing and calving. These natural hazards can also modulate the flow and evolution of ice sheets. In a new study, we use a new high-resolution dataset to determine a new failure criterion for glacier ice. Surprisingly, the strength of ice depends on the mode of deformation, and this has potential implications for the currently used flow law of ice.
Rasha Abbasi, Markus Ackermann, Jenni Adams, Nakul Aggarwal, Juanan Aguilar, Markus Ahlers, Maryon Ahrens, Jean-Marco Alameddine, Antonio Augusto Alves Junior, Najia Moureen Binte Amin, Karen Andeen, Tyler Anderson, Gisela Anton, Carlos Argüelles, Yosuke Ashida, Sofia Athanasiadou, Spencer Axani, Xinhua Bai, Aswathi Balagopal V, Moreno Baricevic, Steve Barwick, Vedant Basu, Ryan Bay, James Beatty, Karl Heinz Becker, Julia Becker Tjus, Jakob Beise, Chiara Bellenghi, Samuel Benda, Segev BenZvi, David Berley, Elisa Bernardini, Dave Besson, Gary Binder, Daniel Bindig, Erik Blaufuss, Summer Blot, Federico Bontempo, Julia Book, Jürgen Borowka, Caterina Boscolo Meneguolo, Sebastian Böser, Olga Botner, Jakob Böttcher, Etienne Bourbeau, Jim Braun, Bennett Brinson, Jannes Brostean-Kaiser, Ryan Burley, Raffaela Busse, Michael Campana, Erin Carnie-Bronca, Chujie Chen, Zheyang Chen, Dmitry Chirkin, Koun Choi, Brian Clark, Lew Classen, Alan Coleman, Gabriel Collin, Amy Connolly, Janet Conrad, Paul Coppin, Pablo Correa, Stefan Countryman, Doug Cowen, Robert Cross, Christian Dappen, Pranav Dave, Catherine De Clercq, James DeLaunay, Diyaselis Delgado López, Hans Dembinski, Kunal Deoskar, Abhishek Desai, Paolo Desiati, Krijn de Vries, Gwenhael de Wasseige, Tyce DeYoung, Alejandro Diaz, Juan Carlos Díaz-Vélez, Markus Dittmer, Hrvoje Dujmovic, Michael DuVernois, Thomas Ehrhardt, Philipp Eller, Ralph Engel, Hannah Erpenbeck, John Evans, Paul Evenson, Kwok Lung Fan, Ali Fazely, Anatoli Fedynitch, Nora Feigl, Sebastian Fiedlschuster, Aaron Fienberg, Chad Finley, Leander Fischer, Derek Fox, Anna Franckowiak, Elizabeth Friedman, Alexander Fritz, Philipp Fürst, Tom Gaisser, Jay Gallagher, Erik Ganster, Alfonso Garcia, Simone Garrappa, Lisa Gerhardt, Ava Ghadimi, Christian Glaser, Thorsten Glüsenkamp, Theo Glauch, Noah Goehlke, Javier Gonzalez, Sreetama Goswami, Darren Grant, Shannon Gray, Timothée Grégoire, Spencer Griswold, Christoph Günther, Pascal Gutjahr, Christian Haack, Allan Hallgren, Robert Halliday, Lasse Halve, Francis Halzen, Hassane Hamdaoui, Martin Ha Minh, Kael Hanson, John Hardin, Alexander Harnisch, Patrick Hatch, Andreas Haungs, Klaus Helbing, Jonas Hellrung, Felix Henningsen, Lars Heuermann, Stephanie Hickford, Colton Hill, Gary Hill, Kara Hoffman, Kotoyo Hoshina, Wenjie Hou, Thomas Huber, Klas Hultqvist, Mirco Hünnefeld, Raamis Hussain, Karolin Hymon, Seongjin In, Nadege Iovine, Aya Ishihara, Matti Jansson, George Japaridze, Minjin Jeong, Miaochen Jin, Ben Jones, Donghwa Kang, Woosik Kang, Xinyue Kang, Alexander Kappes, David Kappesser, Leonora Kardum, Timo Karg, Martina Karl, Albrecht Karle, Uli Katz, Matt Kauer, John Kelley, Ali Kheirandish, Ken'ichi Kin, Joanna Kiryluk, Spencer Klein, Alina Kochocki, Ramesh Koirala, Hermann Kolanoski, Tomas Kontrimas, Lutz Köpke, Claudio Kopper, Jason Koskinen, Paras Koundal, Michael Kovacevich, Marek Kowalski, Tetiana Kozynets, Emmett Krupczak, Emma Kun, Naoko Kurahashi, Neha Lad, Cristina Lagunas Gualda, Michael Larson, Frederik Lauber, Jeffrey Lazar, Jiwoong Lee, Kayla Leonard, Agnieszka Leszczyńska, Massimiliano Lincetto, Qinrui Liu, Maria Liubarska, Elisa Lohfink, Christina Love, Cristian Jesus Lozano Mariscal, Lu Lu, Francesco Lucarelli, Andrew Ludwig, William Luszczak, Yang Lyu, Wing Yan Ma, Jim Madsen, Kendall Mahn, Yuya Makino, Sarah Mancina, Wenceslas Marie Sainte, Ioana Mariş, Szabolcs Marka, Zsuzsa Marka, Matthew Marsee, Ivan Martinez-Soler, Reina Maruyama, Thomas McElroy, Frank McNally, James Vincent Mead, Kevin Meagher, Sarah Mechbal, Andres Medina, Maximilian Meier, Stephan Meighen-Berger, Yarno Merckx, Jessie Micallef, Daniela Mockler, Teresa Montaruli, Roger Moore, Bob Morse, Marjon Moulai, Tista Mukherjee, Richard Naab, Ryo Nagai, Uwe Naumann, Amid Nayerhoda, Jannis Necker, Miriam Neumann, Hans Niederhausen, Mehr Nisa, Sarah Nowicki, Anna Obertacke Pollmann, Marie Oehler, Bob Oeyen, Alex Olivas, Rasmus Orsoe, Jesse Osborn, Erin O'Sullivan, Hershal Pandya, Daria Pankova, Nahee Park, Grant Parker, Ek Narayan Paudel, Larissa Paul, Carlos Pérez de los Heros, Lilly Peters, Josh Peterson, Saskia Philippen, Sarah Pieper, Alex Pizzuto, Matthias Plum, Yuiry Popovych, Alessio Porcelli, Maria Prado Rodriguez, Brandon Pries, Rachel Procter-Murphy, Gerald Przybylski, Christoph Raab, John Rack-Helleis, Mohamed Rameez, Katherine Rawlins, Zoe Rechav, Abdul Rehman, Patrick Reichherzer, Giovanni Renzi, Elisa Resconi, Simeon Reusch, Wolfgang Rhode, Mike Richman, Benedikt Riedel, Ella Roberts, Sally Robertson, Steven Rodan, Gerrit Roellinghoff, Martin Rongen, Carsten Rott, Tim Ruhe, Li Ruohan, Dirk Ryckbosch, Devyn Rysewyk Cantu, Ibrahim Safa, Julian Saffer, Daniel Salazar-Gallegos, Pranav Sampathkumar, Sebastian Sanchez Herrera, Alexander Sandrock, Marcos Santander, Sourav Sarkar, Subir Sarkar, Merlin Schaufel, Harald Schieler, Sebastian Schindler, Berit Schlüter, Torsten Schmidt, Judith Schneider, Frank Schröder, Lisa Schumacher, Georg Schwefer, Steve Sclafani, Dave Seckel, Surujhdeo Seunarine, Ankur Sharma, Shefali Shefali, Nobuhiro Shimizu, Manuel Silva, Barbara Skrzypek, Ben Smithers, Robert Snihur, Jan Soedingrekso, Andreas Søgaard, Dennis Soldin, Christian Spannfellner, Glenn Spiczak, Christian Spiering, Michael Stamatikos, Todor Stanev, Robert Stein, Thorsten Stezelberger, Timo Stürwald, Thomas Stuttard, Greg Sullivan, Ignacio Taboada, Samvel Ter-Antonyan, Will Thompson, Jessie Thwaites, Serap Tilav, Kirsten Tollefson, Christoph Tönnis, Simona Toscano, Delia Tosi, Alexander Trettin, Chun Fai Tung, Roxanne Turcotte, Jean Pierre Twagirayezu, Bunheng Ty, Martin Unland Elorrieta, Karriem Upshaw, Nora Valtonen-Mattila, Justin Vandenbroucke, Nick van Eijndhoven, David Vannerom, Jakob van Santen, Javi Vara, Joshua Veitch-Michaelis, Stef Verpoest, Doga Veske, Christian Walck, Winnie Wang, Timothy Blake Watson, Chris Weaver, Philip Weigel, Andreas Weindl, Jan Weldert, Chris Wendt, Johannes Werthebach, Mark Weyrauch, Nathan Whitehorn, Christopher Wiebusch, Nathan Willey, Dawn Williams, Martin Wolf, Gerrit Wrede, Johan Wulff, Xianwu Xu, Juan Pablo Yanez, Emre Yildizci, Shigeru Yoshida, Shiqi Yu, Tianlu Yuan, Zelong Zhang, and Pavel Zhelnin
The Cryosphere, 18, 75–102, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-75-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-75-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory instruments 1 km3 of deep, glacial ice using 5160 sensors to detect light emitted by elementary particles. An unexpected effect observed is anisotropic light attenuation, aligned with the flow direction of the ice. Curved light trajectories resulting from asymmetric diffusion in the birefringent polycrystalline microstructure of the ice have been identified as the primary cause of this effect. This allows us to deduce ice crystal properties.
Damien Ringeisen, Nils Hutter, and Luisa von Albedyll
The Cryosphere, 17, 4047–4061, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4047-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4047-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
When sea ice is put into motion by wind and ocean currents, it deforms following narrow lines. Our two datasets at different locations and resolutions show that the intersection angle between these lines is often acute and rarely obtuse. We use the orientation of narrow lines to gain indications about the mechanical properties of sea ice and to constrain how to design sea-ice mechanical models for high-resolution simulation of the Arctic and improve regional predictions of sea-ice motion.
Sheng Fan, David J. Prior, Brent Pooley, Hamish Bowman, Lucy Davidson, David Wallis, Sandra Piazolo, Chao Qi, David L. Goldsby, and Travis F. Hager
The Cryosphere, 17, 3443–3459, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3443-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3443-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The microstructure of ice controls the behaviour of polar ice flow. Grain growth can modify the microstructure of ice; however, its processes and kinetics are poorly understood. We conduct grain-growth experiments on synthetic and natural ice samples at 0 °C. Microstructural data show synthetic ice grows continuously with time. In contrast, natural ice does not grow within a month. The inhibition of grain growth in natural ice is largely contributed by bubble pinning at ice grain boundaries.
Jan Mudler, Andreas Hördt, Dennis Kreith, Madhuri Sugand, Kirill Bazhin, Lyudmila Lebedeva, and Tino Radić
The Cryosphere, 16, 4727–4744, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4727-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4727-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The spectral electrical signal of ice exhibits a strong characteristic behaviour in the frequency range from 100 Hz to 100 kHz, due to polarization effects. With our geophysical method, we can analyse this characteristic to detect subsurface ice. Moreover, we use a model to quantify 2-D ground ice content based on our data. The potential of our new measurement device is showed up. Data were taken on a permafrost site in Yakutia, and the results are in agreement with other existing field data.
Daniel H. Richards, Samuel S. Pegler, and Sandra Piazolo
The Cryosphere, 16, 4571–4592, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4571-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4571-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding the orientation of ice grains is key for predicting ice flow. We explore the evolution of these orientations using a new efficient model. We present an exploration of the patterns produced under a range of temperatures and 2D deformations, including for the first time a universal regime diagram. We do this for deformations relevant to ice sheets but not studied in experiments. These results can be used to understand drilled ice cores and improve future modelling of ice sheets.
Franz Lutz, David J. Prior, Holly Still, M. Hamish Bowman, Bia Boucinhas, Lisa Craw, Sheng Fan, Daeyeong Kim, Robert Mulvaney, Rilee E. Thomas, and Christina L. Hulbe
The Cryosphere, 16, 3313–3329, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3313-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3313-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Ice crystal alignment in the sheared margins of fast-flowing polar ice is important as it may control the ice sheet flow rate, from land to the ocean. Sampling shear margins is difficult because of logistical and safety considerations. We show that crystal alignments in a glacier shear margin in Antarctica can be measured using sound waves. Results from a seismic experiment on the 50 m scale and from ultrasonic experiments on the decimetre scale match ice crystal measurements from an ice core.
Falk M. Oraschewski and Aslak Grinsted
The Cryosphere, 16, 2683–2700, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2683-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2683-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Old snow (denoted as firn) accumulates in the interior of ice sheets and gets densified into glacial ice. Typically, this densification is assumed to only depend on temperature and accumulation rate. However, it has been observed that stretching of the firn by horizontal flow also enhances this process. Here, we show how to include this effect in classical firn models. With the model we confirm that softening of the firn controls firn densification in areas with strong horizontal stretching.
M. Reza Ershadi, Reinhard Drews, Carlos Martín, Olaf Eisen, Catherine Ritz, Hugh Corr, Julia Christmann, Ole Zeising, Angelika Humbert, and Robert Mulvaney
The Cryosphere, 16, 1719–1739, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1719-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1719-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Radio waves transmitted through ice split up and inform us about the ice sheet interior and orientation of single ice crystals. This can be used to infer how ice flows and improve projections on how it will evolve in the future. Here we used an inverse approach and developed a new algorithm to infer ice properties from observed radar data. We applied this technique to the radar data obtained at two EPICA drilling sites, where ice cores were used to validate our results.
Yu Wang, Chen Zhao, Rupert Gladstone, Ben Galton-Fenzi, and Roland Warner
The Cryosphere, 16, 1221–1245, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1221-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1221-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The thermal structure of the Amery Ice Shelf and its spatial pattern are evaluated and analysed through temperature observations from six boreholes and numerical simulations. The simulations demonstrate significant ice warming downstream along the ice flow and a great variation of the thermal structure across the ice flow. We suggest that the thermal structure of the Amery Ice Shelf is unlikely to be affected by current climate changes on decadal timescales.
Reza Zeinali-Torbati, Ian D. Turnbull, Rocky S. Taylor, and Derek Mueller
The Cryosphere, 15, 5601–5621, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5601-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5601-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Using the reanalysis datasets and the Canadian Ice Island Drift, Deterioration and Detection database, a probabilistic model was developed to quantify ice island fracture probability under various atmospheric and oceanic conditions. The model identified water temperature as the most dominant variable behind ice island fracture events, while ocean currents played a minor role. The developed model offers a predictive capability and could be of particular interest to offshore and marine activities.
Rowan Romeyn, Alfred Hanssen, Bent Ole Ruud, and Tor Arne Johansen
The Cryosphere, 15, 2939–2955, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2939-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2939-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Air-coupled flexural waves are produced by the interaction between pressure waves in air and bending waves in a floating ice sheet. The frequency of these waves is related to the physical properties of the ice sheet, specifically its thickness and rigidity. We demonstrate the usefulness of air-coupled flexural waves for estimating ice thickness and give a theoretical description of the governing physics that highlights their similarity to related phenomena in other fields.
Pavel Talalay, Yazhou Li, Laurent Augustin, Gary D. Clow, Jialin Hong, Eric Lefebvre, Alexey Markov, Hideaki Motoyama, and Catherine Ritz
The Cryosphere, 14, 4021–4037, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4021-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4021-2020, 2020
Maria Zeitz, Anders Levermann, and Ricarda Winkelmann
The Cryosphere, 14, 3537–3550, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3537-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3537-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The flow of ice drives mass losses in the large ice sheets. Sea-level rise projections rely on ice-sheet models, solving the physics of ice flow and melt. Unfortunately the parameters in the physics of flow are uncertain. Here we show, in an idealized setup, that these uncertainties can double flow-driven mass losses within the possible range of parameters. It is possible that this uncertainty carries over to realistic sea-level rise projections.
Mingdong Wei, Arttu Polojärvi, David M. Cole, and Malith Prasanna
The Cryosphere, 14, 2849–2867, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2849-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2849-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Laboratory-scale work on saline ice is usually limited to the use of dry isothermal specimens. Here we developed techniques for conducting floating-ice experiments. The mechanical behavior of floating-ice specimens under cyclic compression was compared with that of dry specimens. Moreover, both of them were successfully analyzed using a theoretical model. Results demonstrate the importance of the work on warm and floating ice, increasingly existing in the polar regions due to climate change.
Martin Rongen, Ryan Carlton Bay, and Summer Blot
The Cryosphere, 14, 2537–2543, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2537-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2537-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We report on the observation of a directional anisotropy in the intensity of backscattered light. The measurement was performed using a laser dust logger in the SPC14 drill hole at the geographic South Pole. We find the anisotropy axis to be compatible with the ice flow direction. It is discussed in comparison to a similar anisotropy observed by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. In future, the measurement principle may provide a continuous record of crystal properties along entire drill holes.
Ernst-Jan N. Kuiper, Ilka Weikusat, Johannes H. P. de Bresser, Daniela Jansen, Gill M. Pennock, and Martyn R. Drury
The Cryosphere, 14, 2429–2448, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2429-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2429-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
A composite flow law model applied to crystal size distributions from the NEEM deep ice core predicts that fine-grained layers in ice from the last Glacial period localize deformation as internal shear zones in the Greenland ice sheet deforming by grain-size-sensitive creep. This prediction is consistent with microstructures in Glacial age ice.
Ernst-Jan N. Kuiper, Johannes H. P. de Bresser, Martyn R. Drury, Jan Eichler, Gill M. Pennock, and Ilka Weikusat
The Cryosphere, 14, 2449–2467, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2449-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2449-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Fast ice flow occurs in deeper parts of polar ice sheets, driven by high stress and high temperatures. Above 262 K ice flow is further enhanced, probably by the formation of thin melt layers between ice crystals. A model applying an experimentally derived composite flow law, using temperature and grain size values from the deepest 540 m of the NEEM ice core, predicts that flow in fine-grained layers is enhanced by a factor of 10 compared to coarse-grained layers in the Greenland ice sheet.
Christopher C. Schneck, Tadros R. Ghobrial, and Mark R. Loewen
The Cryosphere, 13, 2751–2769, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2751-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2751-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Properties of suspended frazil ice and flocs in water of different salinities were measured in the lab using high-resolution images. It was found that freshwater frazil particles and flocs were larger than in saline water by ~13 % and 75 %, respectively. Both the growth rate of particles and the porosity of flocs decreased with salinity and ranged between 0.174 and 0.024 mm min−1 and 86 % and 75 % for freshwater and 35 ‰ saline water, respectively.
Ľubica Vetráková, Vilém Neděla, Jiří Runštuk, and Dominik Heger
The Cryosphere, 13, 2385–2405, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2385-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2385-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We froze salty solutions to examine where and how the brine is distributed within the ice by using an environmental scanning electron microscope. The structures are highly heterogeneous, consisting of almost pure ice intertwined with brine, which can form lamellae, veins, or pools on the surface. Considering various concentrations and methods for laboratory ice preparation, we determined how the freezing technique influences the microstructure of the brine on and in the ice.
Alexander Meyer, Dmitry Eliseev, Dirk Heinen, Peter Linder, Franziska Scholz, Lars Steffen Weinstock, Christopher Wiebusch, and Simon Zierke
The Cryosphere, 13, 1381–1394, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1381-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1381-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The acoustic damping in natural glaciers is a largely unexplored physical property that has relevance for various applications particularly for the exploration of glaciers with probes. We present measurements of the attenuation of sound in situ on the Italian glacier Langenferner. The tested frequency ranges from 2 to 35 kHz. The attenuation length ranges between 13 m for low frequencies and 5 m for high frequencies.
Carie M. Frantz, Bonnie Light, Samuel M. Farley, Shelly Carpenter, Ross Lieblappen, Zoe Courville, Mónica V. Orellana, and Karen Junge
The Cryosphere, 13, 775–793, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-775-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-775-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This paper provides a characterization of the physical and optical properties of "rotten" Arctic sea ice collected in two field seasons from off the coast of Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska. Rotten ice is physically and optically distinct when compared to ice from earlier in the melt season. It is marked by large connected pores, has lost most of its brine content, and scatters more light. This fragile, permeable ice type may become increasingly important in a warming Arctic.
Chao Qi, David J. Prior, Lisa Craw, Sheng Fan, Maria-Gema Llorens, Albert Griera, Marianne Negrini, Paul D. Bons, and David L. Goldsby
The Cryosphere, 13, 351–371, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-351-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-351-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Ice deformed in nature develops crystallographic preferred orientations, CPOs, which induce an anisotropy in ice viscosity. Shear experiments of ice revealed a transition in CPO with changing temperature/strain, which is due to the change of dominant CPO-formation mechanism: strain-induced grain boundary migration dominates at higher temperatures and lower strains, while lattice rotation dominates at other conditions. Understanding these mechanisms aids the interpretation of CPOs in natural ice.
Marianne Haseloff, Christian Schoof, and Olivier Gagliardini
The Cryosphere, 12, 2545–2568, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2545-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2545-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The widths of the Siple Coast ice streams evolve on decadal to centennial timescales. We investigate how the rate of thermally driven ice stream widening depends on heat dissipation in the ice stream margin and at the bed, and on the inflow of cold ice from the ice ridge. As determining the migration rate requires resolving heat transfer processes on very small scales, we derive a parametrization of the migration rate in terms of parameters that are available from large-scale model outputs.
Johanna Kerch, Anja Diez, Ilka Weikusat, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 12, 1715–1734, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1715-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1715-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the effect of crystal anisotropy on seismic velocities in glacier ice by calculating seismic phase velocities using the exact c axis angles to describe the crystal orientations in ice-core samples for an alpine and a polar ice core. Our results provide uncertainty estimates for earlier established approximative calculations. Additionally, our findings highlight the variation in seismic velocity at non-vertical incidence as a function of the horizontal azimuth of the seismic plane.
Johannes Feldmann and Anders Levermann
The Cryosphere, 11, 1913–1932, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1913-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1913-2017, 2017
Ian J. Hewitt and Christian Schoof
The Cryosphere, 11, 541–551, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-541-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-541-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Many glaciers contain ice both below and at the melting temperature. Predicting the evolution of temperature and water content in such ice masses is important because they exert a strong control on the flow of the ice. We present two new models to calculate these quantities, demonstrate a number of example numerical calculations, and compare the results with existing methods. The novelty of the new methods is the inclusion of gravity-driven water transport within the ice.
Matthew J. Vaughan, Kasper van Wijk, David J. Prior, and M. Hamish Bowman
The Cryosphere, 10, 2821–2829, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2821-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2821-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The physical properties of ice are of interest in the study of the dynamics of sea ice, glaciers, and ice sheets. We used resonant ultrasound spectroscopy to estimate the effects of temperature on the elastic and anelastic characteristics of polycrystalline ice, which control the propagation of sound waves. This information helps calibrate seismic data, in order to determine regional-scale ice properties, improving our ability to predict ice sheet behaviour in response to climate change.
J. Feldmann and A. Levermann
The Cryosphere, 9, 631–645, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-631-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-631-2015, 2015
D. Besson and I. Kravchenko
The Cryosphere, 7, 855–866, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-855-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-855-2013, 2013
D. N. Goldberg and O. V. Sergienko
The Cryosphere, 5, 315–327, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-315-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-315-2011, 2011
H. Hausmann and M. Behm
The Cryosphere, 5, 329–340, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-329-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-329-2011, 2011
Cited articles
Campbell, A. J., Waddington, E. D., and Warren, S. G.: Refugium for surface life on Snowball Earth in a nearly-enclosed sea? A first simple model for sea-glacier invasion, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, 1–5, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL048846, 2011.
Campbell, A. J., Waddington, E. D., and Warren, S. G.: Refugium for surface life on Snowball Earth in a nearly enclosed sea? A numerical solution for sea-glacier invasion through a narrow strait, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 119, 2679–2690, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JC009703, 2014.
Cohen, P. A., Macdonald, F. A., Pruss, S., Matys, E., and Bosak, T.: Fossils of putative marine algae from the Cryogenian glacial interlude of Mongolia, Palaios, 30, 238–247, 2015.
Cuffey, K. M. and Paterson, W. S. B.: The Physics of Glaciers, 4th edn., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2010.
Gelatt, T. S., Davis, C. S., Stirling, I., Siniff, D. B., Strobeck, C., and Delisle, I.: History and fate of a small isolated population of Weddell seals at White Island, Antarctica, Conserv. Genet., 11, 721–735, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-009-9856-6, 2010.
Glen, J. W.: The Creep of Polycrystalline Ice, Proc. R. Soc. A Math. Phys. Eng. Sci., 228, 519–538, https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1955.0066, 1955.
Goodman, J. C.: Through thick and thin: Marine and meteoric ice in a “Snowball Earth” climate, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, 2–5, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL026840, 2006.
Goodman, J. C. and Pierrehumbert, R. T.: Glacial flow of floating marine ice in “Snowball Earth”, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 3308, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JC001471, 2003.
Hoffman, P. F. and Schrag, D. P.: Snowball Earth, Sci. Am., 282, 68–75, 2000.
Hoffman, P. F., Kaufman, A. J., Halverson, G. P., and Schrag, D. P.: A Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth, Science, 281, 1342–1346, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.281.5381.1342, 1998.
Kamb, B. and Echelmeyer, K. A.: Stress-gradient coupling in glacier flow: I. longitudinal averaging of the influence of ice thickness and surface slope, J. Glaciol., 32, 268–284, 1986.
Knoll, A.: The early evolution of eukaryotes: a geological perspective, Science, 256, 622–627, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1585174, 1992.
Li, D. and Pierrehumbert, R. T.: Sea glacier flow and dust transport on Snowball Earth, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, 1–4, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL048991, 2011.
Light, B., Brandt, R. E., and Warren, S. G.: Hydrohalite in cold sea ice: Laboratory observations of single crystals, surface accumulations, and migration rates under a temperature gradient, with application to “Snowball Earth” J. Geophys. Res., 114, C07018, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JC005211, 2009.
MacAyeal, D. R., Rommelaraere, V., Huybrechts, P., Hulbe, C. L., Determann, J., and Ritz, C.: An ice-shelf model test based on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, Ann. Glaciol., 23, 46–51, 1996.
Macdonald, F. A., Schmitz, M. D., Crowley, J. L., Roots, C. F., Jones, D. S., Maloof, A. C., Strauss, J. V., Cohen, P. A., Johnston, D. T., and Schrag, D. P.: Calibrating the Cryogenian, Science, 327, 1241–1243, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1183325, 2010.
Morland, L. W.: Unconfined ice-shelf flow, in: Dynamics of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, edited by: van der Veen, C. J. and Oerlemans, J., 99–116, Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1987.
Rignot, E., Mouginot, J., and Scheuchl, B.: MEaSUREs InSAR-Based Antarctica Velocity Map, Boulder, Colorado USA: NASA EOSDIS Distributed Active Archive Center at NSIDC, http://nsidc.org/data/docs/measures/nsidc0484_rignot/index.html (last access: 4 September 2012), 2011.
Tziperman, E., Abbot, D. S., Ashkenazy, Y., Gildor, H., Pollard, D., Schoof, C. G., and Schrag, D. P.: Continental constriction and oceanic ice-cover thickness in a Snowball-Earth scenario, J. Geophys. Res., 117, C05016, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JC007730, 2012.
Warren, S. G., Brandt, R. E., Grenfell, T. C., and McKay, C. P.: Snowball Earth: Ice thickness on the tropical ocean, J. Geophys. Res., 107, 3167, https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JC001123, 2002.
Short summary
How could plant life, that needs light to survive, live on a planet covered with ice? Such a situation is thought to have existed during what are called the Snowball Earth events over 600 million years ago. Here we find that
ice shadows, regions where ice has difficulty flowing into, may have a played a role in that survival of early plant life.
How could plant life, that needs light to survive, live on a planet covered with ice? Such a...
