The Cryosphere
The Cryosphere
TC
Articles | Volume 16, issue 5
Articles | Volume 16, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1927-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1927-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 16, issue 5
Research article
 | 
20 May 2022
Research article |  | 20 May 2022

Shear-margin melting causes stronger transient ice discharge than ice-stream melting in idealized simulations

Johannes Feldmann, Ronja Reese, Ricarda Winkelmann, and Anders Levermann

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1927-2022-supplement

Model code and software

PISM model code for shear-margin vs. ice-stream melt Johannes Feldmann https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6531439

Download
Short summary
We use a numerical model to simulate the flow of a simplified, buttressed Antarctic-type outlet glacier with an attached ice shelf. We find that after a few years of perturbation such a glacier responds much stronger to melting under the ice-shelf shear margins than to melting in the central fast streaming part of the ice shelf. This study explains the underlying physical mechanism which might gain importance in the future if melt rates under the Antarctic ice shelves continue to increase.
Read more
Special issue
Improving the contribution of the land cryosphere to sea level...