Articles | Volume 16, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2545-2022
© Author(s) 2022. 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-16-2545-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
27 Jun 2022
Research article |
| 27 Jun 2022
| 27 Jun 2022
Rapid fragmentation of Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf
School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St
Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9AL, UK
Adrian Luckman
Department of Geography, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
Jan A. Åström
CSC-IT Center for Science, 02101 Espoo, Finland
Anna J. Crawford
School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St
Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9AL, UK
Stephen L. Cornford
Department of Geography, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
Suzanne L. Bevan
Department of Geography, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
Thomas Zwinger
CSC-IT Center for Science, 02101 Espoo, Finland
Rupert Gladstone
The Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, 96101 Rovaniemi, Finland
Karen Alley
Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2M6, Canada
Erin Pettit
College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State
University, Corvallis, OR 97331-5503, USA
Jeremy Bassis
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1005, USA
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Cited
29 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Modelling the sensitivity of ice loss to calving front retreat rates in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica J. Barnes et al.
- Ocean variability beneath Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf driven by the Pine Island Bay Gyre strength T. Dotto et al.
- A large-scale high-resolution numerical model for sea-ice fragmentation dynamics J. Åström et al.
- Half a century of dynamic instability following the ocean-driven break-up of Wordie Ice Shelf M. Dømgaard et al.
- Ocean warming threatens the viability of 60% of Antarctic ice shelves C. Burgard et al.
- Stability of Ice Shelves and Ice Cliffs in a Changing Climate J. Bassis et al.
- Brief communication: Rapid acceleration of the Brunt Ice Shelf after calving of iceberg A-81 O. Marsh et al.
- Hysteresis of idealized, instability-prone outlet glaciers in response to pinning-point buttressing variation J. Feldmann et al.
- Quantifying temperature-sliding inconsistency in thermomechanical coupling: a comparative analysis of geothermal heat flux datasets at Totten Glacier J. Wang et al.
- A Framework for Characterizing 3-D Structures of Crevasses and Rifts Across Antarctic Ice Shelves A. Pang et al.
- Glacier fragmentation on the Southern Patagonian Icefield: a comprehensive analysis of the Upsala Glacier A. Lo Vecchio et al.
- Effects of topography on dynamics and mass loss of lake-terminating glaciers in southern Patagonia M. Minowa et al.
- An Infrared based Real-Time Monitoring System of Bees Activities: The Integration of STEM and Enviromental Education A. Almira et al.
- Rift propagation signals the last act of the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf despite low basal melt rates C. Wild et al.
- The impact of ice structures and ocean warming in Milne Fiord J. Bonneau et al.
- A robust multitask deep learning algorithm for Antarctic ice shelf fracture detection from multisource satellite imagery Z. Huang et al.
- Inland migration of near-surface crevasses in the Amundsen Sea Sector, West Antarctica A. Hoffman et al.
- Speed-up, slowdown, and redirection of ice flow on neighbouring ice streams in the Pope, Smith, and Kohler region of West Antarctica H. Selley et al.
- Limited Impact of Thwaites Ice Shelf on Future Ice Loss From Antarctica G. Gudmundsson et al.
- Beyond the Stokes approximation: shallow visco-elastic ice-sheet models J. Bassis & S. Kachuck
- Multi-decadal collapse of East Antarctica’s Conger–Glenzer Ice Shelf C. Walker et al.
- Antarctica in 2025: Drivers of deep uncertainty in projected ice loss H. Fricker et al.
- Mapping Antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery T. Surawy-Stepney et al.
- Ephemeral grounding on the Pine Island Ice Shelf, West Antarctica, from 2014–2023 Y. Chien et al.
- Hard rocks and deep wetlands beneath Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica O. Zeising et al.
- Do atmospheric rivers trigger tabular iceberg calving? T. Rendfrey et al.
- Damage development on Antarctic ice shelves sensitive to climate warming M. Izeboud et al.
- The West Antarctic Ice Sheet may not be vulnerable to marine ice cliff instability during the 21st century M. Morlighem et al.
- Fracture criteria and tensile strength for natural glacier ice calibrated from remote sensing observations of Antarctic ice shelves S. Wells-Moran et al.
29 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Modelling the sensitivity of ice loss to calving front retreat rates in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica J. Barnes et al.
- Ocean variability beneath Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf driven by the Pine Island Bay Gyre strength T. Dotto et al.
- A large-scale high-resolution numerical model for sea-ice fragmentation dynamics J. Åström et al.
- Half a century of dynamic instability following the ocean-driven break-up of Wordie Ice Shelf M. Dømgaard et al.
- Ocean warming threatens the viability of 60% of Antarctic ice shelves C. Burgard et al.
- Stability of Ice Shelves and Ice Cliffs in a Changing Climate J. Bassis et al.
- Brief communication: Rapid acceleration of the Brunt Ice Shelf after calving of iceberg A-81 O. Marsh et al.
- Hysteresis of idealized, instability-prone outlet glaciers in response to pinning-point buttressing variation J. Feldmann et al.
- Quantifying temperature-sliding inconsistency in thermomechanical coupling: a comparative analysis of geothermal heat flux datasets at Totten Glacier J. Wang et al.
- A Framework for Characterizing 3-D Structures of Crevasses and Rifts Across Antarctic Ice Shelves A. Pang et al.
- Glacier fragmentation on the Southern Patagonian Icefield: a comprehensive analysis of the Upsala Glacier A. Lo Vecchio et al.
- Effects of topography on dynamics and mass loss of lake-terminating glaciers in southern Patagonia M. Minowa et al.
- An Infrared based Real-Time Monitoring System of Bees Activities: The Integration of STEM and Enviromental Education A. Almira et al.
- Rift propagation signals the last act of the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf despite low basal melt rates C. Wild et al.
- The impact of ice structures and ocean warming in Milne Fiord J. Bonneau et al.
- A robust multitask deep learning algorithm for Antarctic ice shelf fracture detection from multisource satellite imagery Z. Huang et al.
- Inland migration of near-surface crevasses in the Amundsen Sea Sector, West Antarctica A. Hoffman et al.
- Speed-up, slowdown, and redirection of ice flow on neighbouring ice streams in the Pope, Smith, and Kohler region of West Antarctica H. Selley et al.
- Limited Impact of Thwaites Ice Shelf on Future Ice Loss From Antarctica G. Gudmundsson et al.
- Beyond the Stokes approximation: shallow visco-elastic ice-sheet models J. Bassis & S. Kachuck
- Multi-decadal collapse of East Antarctica’s Conger–Glenzer Ice Shelf C. Walker et al.
- Antarctica in 2025: Drivers of deep uncertainty in projected ice loss H. Fricker et al.
- Mapping Antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery T. Surawy-Stepney et al.
- Ephemeral grounding on the Pine Island Ice Shelf, West Antarctica, from 2014–2023 Y. Chien et al.
- Hard rocks and deep wetlands beneath Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica O. Zeising et al.
- Do atmospheric rivers trigger tabular iceberg calving? T. Rendfrey et al.
- Damage development on Antarctic ice shelves sensitive to climate warming M. Izeboud et al.
- The West Antarctic Ice Sheet may not be vulnerable to marine ice cliff instability during the 21st century M. Morlighem et al.
- Fracture criteria and tensile strength for natural glacier ice calibrated from remote sensing observations of Antarctic ice shelves S. Wells-Moran et al.
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 06 May 2026
Short summary
Thwaites Glacier (TG), in West Antarctica, is potentially unstable and may contribute significantly to sea-level rise as global warming continues. Using satellite data, we show that Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, the largest remaining floating extension of TG, has started to accelerate as it fragments along a shear zone. Computer modelling does not indicate that fragmentation will lead to imminent glacier collapse, but it is clear that major, rapid, and unpredictable changes are underway.
Thwaites Glacier (TG), in West Antarctica, is potentially unstable and may contribute...
