Articles | Volume 17, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4889-2023
© Author(s) 2023. 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-17-4889-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
21 Nov 2023
Research article |
| 21 Nov 2023
| 21 Nov 2023
Evaluation of four calving laws for Antarctic ice shelves
Joel A. Wilner
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
Mathieu Morlighem
Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
Gong Cheng
Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
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Cited
17 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Calving laws and where to find them D. Benn et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2026.10128
- Simulating the Holocene evolution of Ryder Glacier, North Greenland J. Barnett et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3631-2025
- Ice shelf calving due to shear stresses: observing the response of Brunt Ice Shelf and Halloween Crack to iceberg calving using ICESat-2 laser altimetry, satellite imagery, and ice flow models A. Morris et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4303-2025
- Calving rate linearly dependent on sub-aerial terminus cliff height at tidewater glaciers around the Antarctic Peninsula R. Parsons et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2025.10008
- Calving driven by horizontal forces in a revised crevasse-depth framework D. Slater & T. Wagner https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2475-2025
- Antarctic sensitivity to oceanic melting parameterizations A. Juarez-Martinez et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4257-2024
- Sub-shelf melt pattern and ice sheet mass loss governed by meltwater flow below ice shelves F. Jesse et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3849-2025
- Assessing the sensitivity of the Vanderford Glacier, East Antarctica, to basal melt and calving L. Bird et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-955-2025
- Comparing calving laws at Greenland's three largest ice shelves J. Barnett et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3599-2026
- Sea level rise contribution from Ryder Glacier in northern Greenland varies by an order of magnitude by 2300 depending on future emissions F. Holmes et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2695-2025
- Comprehensive assessment of stress calculations for crevasse depths and testing with crevasse penetration as damage B. Reynolds et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5045-2025
- Modelling the sensitivity of ice loss to calving front retreat rates in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica J. Barnes et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-777-2026
- Present-day mass loss rates are a precursor for West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse T. van den Akker et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-283-2025
- Horizontal force-balance calving laws: Ice shelves, marine- and land-terminating glaciers N. Coffey & C. Lai https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2025.10068
- Calibrating calving parameterizations using graph neural network emulators: application to Helheim Glacier, East Greenland Y. Koo et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2583-2025
- The effect of the present-day imbalance on schematic and climate forced simulations of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse T. van den Akker et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1405-2026
- Probabilistic projections of the Amery Ice Shelf catchment, Antarctica, under conditions of high ice-shelf basal melt S. Jantre et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5207-2024
17 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Calving laws and where to find them D. Benn et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2026.10128
- Simulating the Holocene evolution of Ryder Glacier, North Greenland J. Barnett et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3631-2025
- Ice shelf calving due to shear stresses: observing the response of Brunt Ice Shelf and Halloween Crack to iceberg calving using ICESat-2 laser altimetry, satellite imagery, and ice flow models A. Morris et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4303-2025
- Calving rate linearly dependent on sub-aerial terminus cliff height at tidewater glaciers around the Antarctic Peninsula R. Parsons et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2025.10008
- Calving driven by horizontal forces in a revised crevasse-depth framework D. Slater & T. Wagner https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2475-2025
- Antarctic sensitivity to oceanic melting parameterizations A. Juarez-Martinez et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4257-2024
- Sub-shelf melt pattern and ice sheet mass loss governed by meltwater flow below ice shelves F. Jesse et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3849-2025
- Assessing the sensitivity of the Vanderford Glacier, East Antarctica, to basal melt and calving L. Bird et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-955-2025
- Comparing calving laws at Greenland's three largest ice shelves J. Barnett et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3599-2026
- Sea level rise contribution from Ryder Glacier in northern Greenland varies by an order of magnitude by 2300 depending on future emissions F. Holmes et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2695-2025
- Comprehensive assessment of stress calculations for crevasse depths and testing with crevasse penetration as damage B. Reynolds et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5045-2025
- Modelling the sensitivity of ice loss to calving front retreat rates in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica J. Barnes et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-777-2026
- Present-day mass loss rates are a precursor for West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse T. van den Akker et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-283-2025
- Horizontal force-balance calving laws: Ice shelves, marine- and land-terminating glaciers N. Coffey & C. Lai https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2025.10068
- Calibrating calving parameterizations using graph neural network emulators: application to Helheim Glacier, East Greenland Y. Koo et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2583-2025
- The effect of the present-day imbalance on schematic and climate forced simulations of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse T. van den Akker et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1405-2026
- Probabilistic projections of the Amery Ice Shelf catchment, Antarctica, under conditions of high ice-shelf basal melt S. Jantre et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5207-2024
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 17 Jul 2026
Short summary
We use numerical modeling to study iceberg calving off of ice shelves in Antarctica. We examine four widely used mathematical descriptions of calving (
calving laws), under the assumption that Antarctic ice shelf front positions should be in steady state under the current climate forcing. We quantify how well each of these calving laws replicates the observed front positions. Our results suggest that the eigencalving and von Mises laws are most suitable for Antarctic ice shelves.
We use numerical modeling to study iceberg calving off of ice shelves in Antarctica. We examine...
