Articles | Volume 15, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3861-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3861-2021
Research article
 | 
19 Aug 2021
Research article |  | 19 Aug 2021

Tracking changes in the area, thickness, and volume of the Thwaites tabular iceberg “B30” using satellite altimetry and imagery

Anne Braakmann-Folgmann, Andrew Shepherd, and Andy Ridout

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Cited articles

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Short summary
We investigate the disintegration of the B30 iceberg using satellite remote sensing and find that the iceberg lost 378 km3 of ice in 6.5 years, corresponding to 80 % of its initial volume. About two thirds are due to fragmentation at the sides, and one third is due to melting at the iceberg’s base. The release of fresh water and nutrients impacts ocean circulation, sea ice formation, and biological production. We show that adding a snow layer is important when deriving iceberg thickness.