Articles | Volume 14, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4603-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4603-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Brief communication
| Highlight paper
| 
18 Dec 2020
Brief communication | Highlight paper |
| 18 Dec 2020
| 18 Dec 2020
Brief communication: Heterogenous thinning and subglacial lake activity on Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica
Andrew O. Hoffman
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
Knut Christianson
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
Daniel Shapero
Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
Benjamin E. Smith
Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
Ian Joughin
Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
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Cited
18 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Inland migration of near-surface crevasses in the Amundsen Sea Sector, West Antarctica A. Hoffman et al. 10.5194/tc-19-1353-2025
- Heterogeneous melting near the Thwaites Glacier grounding line B. Schmidt et al. 10.1038/s41586-022-05691-0
- Mapping high-resolution basal topography of West Antarctica from radar data using non-stationary multiple-point geostatistics (MPS-BedMappingV1) Z. Yin et al. 10.5194/gmd-15-1477-2022
- Evidence of Cascading Subglacial Water Flow at Jutulstraumen Glacier (Antarctica) Derived From Sentinel‐1 and ICESat‐2 Measurements N. Neckel et al. 10.1029/2021GL094472
- Reconstructing subglacial lake activity with an altimetry-based inverse method A. Stubblefield et al. 10.1017/jog.2023.90
- New Catalog of Thwaites Glacier Subglacial Lakes and Their Activity Revealed by CryoSat‐2 Altimetry B. Kim et al. 10.1029/2023JF007602
- Radiocarbon Constraints on Carbon Release From the Antarctic Ice Sheet Into the Amundsen Sea Embayment L. Fang & M. Kim 10.1029/2022JG007053
- Examining the effect of ice dynamic changes on subglacial hydrology through modelling of a synthetic Antarctic glacier A. Hayden & C. Dow 10.1017/jog.2023.65
- Filling and drainage of a subglacial lake beneath the Flade Isblink ice cap, northeast Greenland Q. Liang et al. 10.5194/tc-16-2671-2022
- The Non‐Local Impacts of Antarctic Subglacial Runoff D. Goldberg et al. 10.1029/2023JC019823
- Subglacial lakes and their changing role in a warming climate S. Livingstone et al. 10.1038/s43017-021-00246-9
- Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica A. Lepp et al. 10.3389/feart.2022.863200
- The Impact of Basal Roughness on Inland Thwaites Glacier Sliding A. Hoffman et al. 10.1029/2021GL096564
- Amundsen Sea Embayment accumulation variability measured with global navigation satellite system interferometric reflectometry A. Hoffman et al. 10.5194/tc-19-713-2025
- Evidence of active subglacial lakes under a slowly moving coastal region of the Antarctic Ice Sheet J. Arthur et al. 10.5194/tc-19-375-2025
- Inverting ice surface elevation and velocity for bed topography and slipperiness beneath Thwaites Glacier H. Ockenden et al. 10.5194/tc-16-3867-2022
- Insights into glacial processes from micromorphology of silt-sized sediment A. Lepp et al. 10.5194/tc-18-2297-2024
- Bedforms of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica: Character and Origin R. Alley et al. 10.1029/2021JF006339
17 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Inland migration of near-surface crevasses in the Amundsen Sea Sector, West Antarctica A. Hoffman et al. 10.5194/tc-19-1353-2025
- Heterogeneous melting near the Thwaites Glacier grounding line B. Schmidt et al. 10.1038/s41586-022-05691-0
- Mapping high-resolution basal topography of West Antarctica from radar data using non-stationary multiple-point geostatistics (MPS-BedMappingV1) Z. Yin et al. 10.5194/gmd-15-1477-2022
- Evidence of Cascading Subglacial Water Flow at Jutulstraumen Glacier (Antarctica) Derived From Sentinel‐1 and ICESat‐2 Measurements N. Neckel et al. 10.1029/2021GL094472
- Reconstructing subglacial lake activity with an altimetry-based inverse method A. Stubblefield et al. 10.1017/jog.2023.90
- New Catalog of Thwaites Glacier Subglacial Lakes and Their Activity Revealed by CryoSat‐2 Altimetry B. Kim et al. 10.1029/2023JF007602
- Radiocarbon Constraints on Carbon Release From the Antarctic Ice Sheet Into the Amundsen Sea Embayment L. Fang & M. Kim 10.1029/2022JG007053
- Examining the effect of ice dynamic changes on subglacial hydrology through modelling of a synthetic Antarctic glacier A. Hayden & C. Dow 10.1017/jog.2023.65
- Filling and drainage of a subglacial lake beneath the Flade Isblink ice cap, northeast Greenland Q. Liang et al. 10.5194/tc-16-2671-2022
- The Non‐Local Impacts of Antarctic Subglacial Runoff D. Goldberg et al. 10.1029/2023JC019823
- Subglacial lakes and their changing role in a warming climate S. Livingstone et al. 10.1038/s43017-021-00246-9
- Sedimentary Signatures of Persistent Subglacial Meltwater Drainage From Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica A. Lepp et al. 10.3389/feart.2022.863200
- The Impact of Basal Roughness on Inland Thwaites Glacier Sliding A. Hoffman et al. 10.1029/2021GL096564
- Amundsen Sea Embayment accumulation variability measured with global navigation satellite system interferometric reflectometry A. Hoffman et al. 10.5194/tc-19-713-2025
- Evidence of active subglacial lakes under a slowly moving coastal region of the Antarctic Ice Sheet J. Arthur et al. 10.5194/tc-19-375-2025
- Inverting ice surface elevation and velocity for bed topography and slipperiness beneath Thwaites Glacier H. Ockenden et al. 10.5194/tc-16-3867-2022
- Insights into glacial processes from micromorphology of silt-sized sediment A. Lepp et al. 10.5194/tc-18-2297-2024
1 citations as recorded by crossref.
Latest update: 13 Jul 2025
Short summary
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet has long been considered geometrically prone to collapse, and Thwaites Glacier, the largest glacier in the Amundsen Sea, is likely in the early stages of disintegration. Using observations of Thwaites Glacier velocity and elevation change, we show that the transport of ~2 km3 of water beneath Thwaites Glacier has only a small and transient effect on glacier speed relative to ongoing thinning driven by ocean melt.
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet has long been considered geometrically prone to collapse, and...
