The Cryosphere
The Cryosphere
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Articles | Volume 12, issue 12
Articles | Volume 12, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3853-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3853-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 12, issue 12
Brief communication
 | 
10 Dec 2018
Brief communication |  | 10 Dec 2018

Brief communication: widespread potential for seawater infiltration on Antarctic ice shelves

Sue Cook, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, Stefan R. M. Ligtenberg, and Richard Coleman

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Short summary
When the porous compacted snow layers on an ice shelf extend below sea level, seawater is able to infiltrate onto the shelf. Here it can affect measurements of ice shelf thickness by changing the average density and affect iceberg calving if the seawater enters fractures. Seawater infiltration has only been directly observed in a few locations around Antarctica. Using continent-wide geometry and snow density data we show that it may be more widespread than previously realised.
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