The Cryosphere
The Cryosphere
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Articles | Volume 17, issue 7
Articles | Volume 17, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2701-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2701-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 17, issue 7
Brief communication
 | 
12 Jul 2023
Brief communication |  | 12 Jul 2023

Brief communication: Is vertical shear in an ice shelf (still) negligible?

Chris Miele, Timothy C. Bartholomaus, and Ellyn M. Enderlin

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Short summary
Vertical shear stress (the stress orientation usually associated with vertical gradients in horizontal velocities) is a key component of the stress balance of ice shelves. However, partly due to historical assumptions, vertical shear is often misspoken of today as negligible in ice shelf models. We address this miscommunication, providing conceptual guidance regarding this often misrepresented stress. Fundamentally, vertical shear is required to balance thickness gradients in ice shelves.
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