Articles | Volume 18, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1709-2024
© Author(s) 2024. 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-18-1709-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
10 Apr 2024
Research article |
| 10 Apr 2024
| 10 Apr 2024
Triggers of the 2022 Larsen B multi-year landfast sea ice breakout and initial glacier response
Naomi E. Ochwat
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Earth Science Observation Center (ESOC), Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
Department of Geology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
Ted A. Scambos
Earth Science Observation Center (ESOC), Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
Alison F. Banwell
Earth Science Observation Center (ESOC), Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
Robert S. Anderson
Department of Geology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
Michelle L. Maclennan
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
Ghislain Picard
Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement (IGE), Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, UMR 5001, Grenoble, France
Julia A. Shates
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
Sebastian Marinsek
Instituto Antártico Argentino, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Liliana Margonari
Instituto Antártico Argentino, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Martin Truffer
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
Department of Physics, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
Erin C. Pettit
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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Cited
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Change in grounding line location on the Antarctic Peninsula measured using a tidal motion offset correlation method B. Wallis et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4723-2024
- Atmospheric rivers in Antarctica J. Wille et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-024-00638-7
- Long-term evolution of the Sulzberger Ice Shelf, West Antarctica: Insights from 74-year observations and 2022 Hunga-Tonga volcanic tsunami-induced calving A. Zhao et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118958
- Quantifying the buttressing contribution of landfast sea ice and melange to Crane Glacier, Antarctic Peninsula R. Parsons et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5789-2024
- The Antarctic Peninsula under present day climate and future low, medium-high and very high emissions scenarios B. Davies et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1730203
- Mass changes of the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet and peripheral glaciers, 2007–2021 M. Bernat et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3025-2026
- Satellite-observed acceleration of glacier velocity on the Antarctic Peninsula in response to climate warming Y. Kang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2025.105035
- 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
- Fragmentation patterns of Antarctic icebergs in sea ice: observations and statistical data Z. Guan et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/17538947.2025.2511289
- Regional extreme Antarctic sea-ice retreat linked to tropical forcing K. Liang et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03488-x
- Large-scale ice-shelf calving events follow prolonged amplifications in flexure N. Teder et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01713-4
- Antarctic Ice Sheet grounding line discharge from 1996–2024 B. Davison et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-3259-2025
- Record grounded glacier retreat caused by an ice plain calving process N. Ochwat et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01802-4
- Antarctic glacier retreats at record rate due to rapid flotation and calving process https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01835-9
- Calving front positions for 42 key glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet: a sub-seasonal record from 2013 to 2023 based on deep-learning application to Landsat multi-spectral imagery E. Loebel et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-65-2025
- Southern Ocean Ice Prediction System version 1.0 (SOIPS v1.0): description of the system and evaluation of synoptic-scale sea ice forecasts F. Zhao et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-6867-2024
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Change in grounding line location on the Antarctic Peninsula measured using a tidal motion offset correlation method B. Wallis et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4723-2024
- Atmospheric rivers in Antarctica J. Wille et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-024-00638-7
- Long-term evolution of the Sulzberger Ice Shelf, West Antarctica: Insights from 74-year observations and 2022 Hunga-Tonga volcanic tsunami-induced calving A. Zhao et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118958
- Quantifying the buttressing contribution of landfast sea ice and melange to Crane Glacier, Antarctic Peninsula R. Parsons et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5789-2024
- The Antarctic Peninsula under present day climate and future low, medium-high and very high emissions scenarios B. Davies et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1730203
- Mass changes of the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet and peripheral glaciers, 2007–2021 M. Bernat et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3025-2026
- Satellite-observed acceleration of glacier velocity on the Antarctic Peninsula in response to climate warming Y. Kang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2025.105035
- 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
- Fragmentation patterns of Antarctic icebergs in sea ice: observations and statistical data Z. Guan et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/17538947.2025.2511289
- Regional extreme Antarctic sea-ice retreat linked to tropical forcing K. Liang et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03488-x
- Large-scale ice-shelf calving events follow prolonged amplifications in flexure N. Teder et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01713-4
- Antarctic Ice Sheet grounding line discharge from 1996–2024 B. Davison et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-3259-2025
- Record grounded glacier retreat caused by an ice plain calving process N. Ochwat et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01802-4
- Antarctic glacier retreats at record rate due to rapid flotation and calving process https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01835-9
- Calving front positions for 42 key glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet: a sub-seasonal record from 2013 to 2023 based on deep-learning application to Landsat multi-spectral imagery E. Loebel et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-65-2025
- Southern Ocean Ice Prediction System version 1.0 (SOIPS v1.0): description of the system and evaluation of synoptic-scale sea ice forecasts F. Zhao et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-6867-2024
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 17 Jul 2026
Short summary
On the Antarctic Peninsula, there is a small bay that had sea ice fastened to the shoreline (
fast ice) for over a decade. The fast ice stabilized the glaciers that fed into the ocean. In January 2022, the fast ice broke away. Using satellite data we found that this was because of low sea ice concentrations and a high long-period ocean wave swell. We find that the glaciers have responded to this event by thinning, speeding up, and retreating by breaking off lots of icebergs at remarkable rates.
On the Antarctic Peninsula, there is a small bay that had sea ice fastened to the shoreline...
