Articles | Volume 18, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-705-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-705-2024
Brief communication
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13 Feb 2024
Brief communication | Highlight paper |  | 13 Feb 2024

Brief communication: Rapid acceleration of the Brunt Ice Shelf after calving of iceberg A-81

Oliver J. Marsh, Adrian J. Luckman, and Dominic A. Hodgson

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Cited articles

Arndt, J. E., Larter, R. D., Hillenbrand, C.-D., Sørli, S. H., Forwick, M., Smith, J. A., and Wacker, L.: Past ice sheet–seabed interactions in the northeastern Weddell Sea embayment, Antarctica, The Cryosphere, 14, 2115–2135, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2115-2020, 2020. 
Benn, D. I., Luckman, A., Åström, J. A., Crawford, A. J., Cornford, S. L., Bevan, S. L., Zwinger, T., Gladstone, R., Alley, K., Pettit, E., and Bassis, J.: Rapid fragmentation of Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, The Cryosphere, 16, 2545–2564, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2545-2022, 2022. 
De Rydt, J., Gudmundsson, G. H., Nagler, T., Wuite, J., and King, E. C.: Recent rift formation and impact on the structural integrity of the Brunt Ice Shelf, East Antarctica, The Cryosphere, 12, 505–520, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-505-2018, 2018. 
De Rydt, J., Gudmundsson, G. H., Nagler, T., and Wuite, J.: Calving cycle of the Brunt Ice Shelf, Antarctica, driven by changes in ice shelf geometry, The Cryosphere, 13, 2771–2787, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2771-2019, 2019. 
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Co-editor-in-chief
The ongoing acceleration and disintegration of Antarctic ice shelves is a topic of keen interest to the scientific community. Recent years have seen multiple calving events, some of which have produced large icebergs. In this study, the effect of such a large iceberg-calving event is studied through remote sensing data. The authors show how the break-off of the iceberg led to significant ice speed-up, demonstrating the important effect of calving on the ice shelves.
Short summary
The Brunt Ice Shelf has accelerated rapidly after calving an iceberg in January 2023. A decade of GPS data show that the rate of acceleration in August 2023 was 30 times higher than before calving, and velocity has doubled in 6 months. Satellite velocity maps show the extent of the change. The acceleration is due to loss of contact between the ice shelf and a pinning point known as the McDonald Ice Rumples. The observations highlight how iceberg calving can directly impact ice shelves.
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