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The Cryosphere
An interactive open-access journal of the European Geosciences Union
Journal topic
- About
- Editorial board
- Articles
- Special issues
- Highlight articles
- Manuscript tracking
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IF 4.713
4.927CiteScore
8.0SNIP 1.425
SJR 2.353
index 71h5-index 53
Abstracted/indexed
Abstracted/indexed
Volume 8, issue 6
The Cryosphere, 8, 2119–2134, 2014
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-2119-2014
© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-2119-2014
© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
The Cryosphere, 8, 2119–2134, 2014
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-2119-2014
© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-2119-2014
© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article 24 Nov 2014
Research article | 24 Nov 2014
Sensitivity of the Weddell Sea sector ice streams to sub-shelf melting and surface accumulation
A. P. Wright et al.
Related authors
No articles found.
Stephen L. Cornford, Helene Seroussi, Xylar S. Asay-Davis, G. Hilmar Gudmundsson, Rob Arthern, Chris Borstad, Julia Christmann, Thiago Dias dos Santos, Johannes Feldmann, Daniel Goldberg, Matthew J. Hoffman, Angelika Humbert, Thomas Kleiner, Gunter Leguy, William H. Lipscomb, Nacho Merino, Gaël Durand, Mathieu Morlighem, David Pollard, Martin Rückamp, C. Rosie Williams, and Hongju Yu
The Cryosphere, 14, 2283–2301, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2283-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2283-2020, 2020
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We present the results of the third Marine Ice Sheet Intercomparison Project (MISMIP+). MISMIP+ is one in a series of exercises that test numerical models of ice sheet flow in simple situations. This particular exercise concentrates on the response of ice sheet models to the thinning of their floating ice shelves, which is of interest because numerical models are currently used to model the response to contemporary and near-future thinning in Antarctic ice shelves.
Michael A. Cooper, Thomas M. Jordan, Dustin M. Schroeder, Martin J. Siegert, Christopher N. Williams, and Jonathan L. Bamber
The Cryosphere, 13, 3093–3115, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3093-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3093-2019, 2019
Matt Trevers, Antony J. Payne, Stephen L. Cornford, and Twila Moon
The Cryosphere, 13, 1877–1887, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1877-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1877-2019, 2019
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Iceberg calving is a major factor in the retreat of outlet glaciers of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Massive block overturning calving events occur at major outlet glaciers. A major calving event in 2009 was triggered by the release of a smaller block of ice from above the waterline. Using a numerical model, we investigate the feasibility of this mechanism to drive large calving events. We find that relatively small perturbations induce forces large enough to open cracks in ice at the glacier bed.
Hélène Seroussi, Sophie Nowicki, Erika Simon, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Torsten Albrecht, Julien Brondex, Stephen Cornford, Christophe Dumas, Fabien Gillet-Chaulet, Heiko Goelzer, Nicholas R. Golledge, Jonathan M. Gregory, Ralf Greve, Matthew J. Hoffman, Angelika Humbert, Philippe Huybrechts, Thomas Kleiner, Eric Larour, Gunter Leguy, William H. Lipscomb, Daniel Lowry, Matthias Mengel, Mathieu Morlighem, Frank Pattyn, Anthony J. Payne, David Pollard, Stephen F. Price, Aurélien Quiquet, Thomas J. Reerink, Ronja Reese, Christian B. Rodehacke, Nicole-Jeanne Schlegel, Andrew Shepherd, Sainan Sun, Johannes Sutter, Jonas Van Breedam, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, Ricarda Winkelmann, and Tong Zhang
The Cryosphere, 13, 1441–1471, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1441-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1441-2019, 2019
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We compare a wide range of Antarctic ice sheet simulations with varying initialization techniques and model parameters to understand the role they play on the projected evolution of this ice sheet under simple scenarios. Results are improved compared to previous assessments and show that continued improvements in the representation of the floating ice around Antarctica are critical to reduce the uncertainty in the future ice sheet contribution to sea level rise.
David M. Rippin
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2018-163, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2018-163, 2018
Preprint withdrawn
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We explore the changes going on at the base of the Getz Ice Shelf in West Antarctica using repeated airborne radio-echo sounding surveys which allow us to see the ice-base. Between 2010 and 2014 we observed considerable thinning at an average rate of nearly 13 m a−1, which is faster than recent predictions. These large changes are important because ice-shelves control how easily ice is transmitted from inland Antarctica to the coast. If ice-shelves collapse, this happens much more quickly.
Frazer D. W. Christie, Robert G. Bingham, Noel Gourmelen, Eric J. Steig, Rosie R. Bisset, Hamish D. Pritchard, Kate Snow, and Simon F. B. Tett
The Cryosphere, 12, 2461–2479, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018, 2018
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With a focus on the hitherto little-studied Marie Byrd Land coastline linking Antarctica's more comprehensively studied Amundsen and Ross Sea Embayments, this paper uses both satellite remote sensing (Landsat, ASTER, ICESat, and CryoSat2) and climate and ocean records (i.e. ERA-Interim, Met Office EN4 data) to examine links between ice recession, inter-decadal atmosphere-ocean forcing and other influences acting upon the Pacific-facing coastline of West Antarctica.
Clemens Schannwell, Stephen Cornford, David Pollard, and Nicholas E. Barrand
The Cryosphere, 12, 2307–2326, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2307-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2307-2018, 2018
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Despite the speculation on the state and fate of Larsen C Ice Shelf, a key unknown factor remains: what would be the effects of ice-shelf collapse on upstream drainage basins and thus global sea levels? In our paper three state-of-the-art numerical ice-sheet models were used to simulate the volume evolution of the inland ice sheet to ice-shelf collapse at Larsen C and George VI ice shelves. Our results suggest sea-level rise of up to ~ 4 mm for Larsen C ice shelf and ~ 22 for George VI ice shelf.
Damon Davies, Robert G. Bingham, Edward C. King, Andrew M. Smith, Alex M. Brisbourne, Matteo Spagnolo, Alastair G. C. Graham, Anna E. Hogg, and David G. Vaughan
The Cryosphere, 12, 1615–1628, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1615-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1615-2018, 2018
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This paper investigates the dynamics of ice stream beds using repeat geophysical surveys of the bed of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica; 60 km of the bed was surveyed, comprising the most extensive repeat ground-based geophysical surveys of an Antarctic ice stream; 90 % of the surveyed bed shows no significant change despite the glacier increasing in speed by up to 40 % over the last decade. This result suggests that ice stream beds are potentially more stable than previously suggested.
Sainan Sun, Stephen L. Cornford, John C. Moore, Rupert Gladstone, and Liyun Zhao
The Cryosphere, 11, 2543–2554, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2543-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2543-2017, 2017
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The buttressing effect of the floating ice shelves is diminished by the fracture process. We developed a continuum damage mechanics model component of the ice sheet model to simulate the process. The model is tested on an ideal marine ice sheet geometry. We find that behavior of the simulated marine ice sheet is sensitive to fracture processes on the ice shelf, and the stiffness of ice around the grounding line is essential to ice sheet evolution.
Anna Winter, Daniel Steinhage, Emily J. Arnold, Donald D. Blankenship, Marie G. P. Cavitte, Hugh F. J. Corr, John D. Paden, Stefano Urbini, Duncan A. Young, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 11, 653–668, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-653-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-653-2017, 2017
Christopher N. Williams, Stephen L. Cornford, Thomas M. Jordan, Julian A. Dowdeswell, Martin J. Siegert, Christopher D. Clark, Darrel A. Swift, Andrew Sole, Ian Fenty, and Jonathan L. Bamber
The Cryosphere, 11, 363–380, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-363-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-363-2017, 2017
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Knowledge of ice sheet bed topography and surrounding sea floor bathymetry is integral to the understanding of ice sheet processes. Existing elevation data products for Greenland underestimate fjord bathymetry due to sparse data availability. We present a new method to create physically based synthetic fjord bathymetry to fill these gaps, greatly improving on previously available datasets. This will assist in future elevation product development until further observations become available.
Xylar S. Asay-Davis, Stephen L. Cornford, Gaël Durand, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, Rupert M. Gladstone, G. Hilmar Gudmundsson, Tore Hattermann, David M. Holland, Denise Holland, Paul R. Holland, Daniel F. Martin, Pierre Mathiot, Frank Pattyn, and Hélène Seroussi
Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 2471–2497, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-2471-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-2471-2016, 2016
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Coupled ice sheet–ocean models capable of simulating moving grounding lines are just becoming available. Such models have a broad range of potential applications in studying the dynamics of ice sheets and glaciers, including assessing their contributions to sea level change. Here we describe the idealized experiments that make up three interrelated Model Intercomparison Projects (MIPs) for marine ice sheet models and regional ocean circulation models incorporating ice shelf cavities.
S. L. Cornford, D. F. Martin, A. J. Payne, E. G. Ng, A. M. Le Brocq, R. M. Gladstone, T. L. Edwards, S. R. Shannon, C. Agosta, M. R. van den Broeke, H. H. Hellmer, G. Krinner, S. R. M. Ligtenberg, R. Timmermann, and D. G. Vaughan
The Cryosphere, 9, 1579–1600, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1579-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1579-2015, 2015
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We used a high-resolution ice sheet model capable of resolving grounding line dynamics (BISICLES) to compute responses of the major West Antarctic ice streams to projections of ocean and atmospheric warming. This is computationally demanding, and although other groups have considered parts of West Antarctica, we think this is the first calculation for the whole region at the sub-kilometer resolution that we show is required.
P. R. Holland, A. Brisbourne, H. F. J. Corr, D. McGrath, K. Purdon, J. Paden, H. A. Fricker, F. S. Paolo, and A. H. Fleming
The Cryosphere, 9, 1005–1024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015, 2015
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Antarctic Peninsula ice shelves have collapsed in recent decades. The surface of Larsen C Ice Shelf is lowering, but the cause of this has not been understood. This study uses eight radar surveys to show that the lowering is caused by both ice loss and a loss of air from the ice shelf's snowpack. At least two different processes are causing the lowering. The stability of Larsen C may be at risk from an ungrounding of Bawden Ice Rise or ice-front retreat past a 'compressive arch' in strain rates.
N. Wilkens, J. Behrens, T. Kleiner, D. Rippin, M. Rückamp, and A. Humbert
The Cryosphere, 9, 675–690, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-675-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-675-2015, 2015
C. Martín, R. Mulvaney, G. H. Gudmundsson, and H. Corr
Clim. Past, 11, 547–557, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-547-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-547-2015, 2015
K. C. Rose, N. Ross, T. A. Jordan, R. G. Bingham, H. F. J. Corr, F. Ferraccioli, A. M. Le Brocq, D. M. Rippin, and M. J. Siegert
Earth Surf. Dynam., 3, 139–152, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-139-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-139-2015, 2015
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We use ice-penetrating-radar data to identify a laterally continuous, gently sloping topographic block, comprising two surfaces separated by a distinct break in slope, preserved beneath the Institute and Möller ice streams, West Antarctica. We interpret these features as extensive erosion surfaces, showing that ancient (pre-glacial) surfaces can be preserved at low elevations beneath ice sheets. Different erosion regimes (e.g. fluvial and marine) may have formed these surfaces.
Y. Gong, S. L. Cornford, and A. J. Payne
The Cryosphere, 8, 1057–1068, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1057-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1057-2014, 2014
R. Death, J. L. Wadham, F. Monteiro, A. M. Le Brocq, M. Tranter, A. Ridgwell, S. Dutkiewicz, and R. Raiswell
Biogeosciences, 11, 2635–2643, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-2635-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-2635-2014, 2014
M. J. Siegert, N. Ross, H. Corr, B. Smith, T. Jordan, R. G. Bingham, F. Ferraccioli, D. M. Rippin, and A. Le Brocq
The Cryosphere, 8, 15–24, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-15-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-15-2014, 2014
P. Dutrieux, D. G. Vaughan, H. F. J. Corr, A. Jenkins, P. R. Holland, I. Joughin, and A. H. Fleming
The Cryosphere, 7, 1543–1555, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1543-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1543-2013, 2013
J. De Rydt, G. H. Gudmundsson, H. F. J. Corr, and P. Christoffersen
The Cryosphere, 7, 407–417, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-407-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-407-2013, 2013
P. Fretwell, H. D. Pritchard, D. G. Vaughan, J. L. Bamber, N. E. Barrand, R. Bell, C. Bianchi, R. G. Bingham, D. D. Blankenship, G. Casassa, G. Catania, D. Callens, H. Conway, A. J. Cook, H. F. J. Corr, D. Damaske, V. Damm, F. Ferraccioli, R. Forsberg, S. Fujita, Y. Gim, P. Gogineni, J. A. Griggs, R. C. A. Hindmarsh, P. Holmlund, J. W. Holt, R. W. Jacobel, A. Jenkins, W. Jokat, T. Jordan, E. C. King, J. Kohler, W. Krabill, M. Riger-Kusk, K. A. Langley, G. Leitchenkov, C. Leuschen, B. P. Luyendyk, K. Matsuoka, J. Mouginot, F. O. Nitsche, Y. Nogi, O. A. Nost, S. V. Popov, E. Rignot, D. M. Rippin, A. Rivera, J. Roberts, N. Ross, M. J. Siegert, A. M. Smith, D. Steinhage, M. Studinger, B. Sun, B. K. Tinto, B. C. Welch, D. Wilson, D. A. Young, C. Xiangbin, and A. Zirizzotti
The Cryosphere, 7, 375–393, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-375-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-375-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Antarctic
Experimental protocol for sea level projections from ISMIP6 stand-alone ice sheet models
Large-scale englacial folding and deep-ice stratigraphy within the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
Drifting-snow statistics from multiple-year autonomous measurements in Adélie Land, East Antarctica
Synoptic conditions and atmospheric moisture pathways associated with virga and precipitation over coastal Adélie Land in Antarctica
Refractory black carbon (rBC) variability in a 47-year West Antarctic snow and firn core
Spatial probabilistic calibration of a high-resolution Amundsen Sea Embayment ice sheet model with satellite altimeter data
How useful is snow accumulation in reconstructing surface air temperature in Antarctica? A study combining ice core records and climate models
Detailed detection of active layer freeze–thaw dynamics using quasi-continuous electrical resistivity tomography (Deception Island, Antarctica)
Solar radiative transfer in Antarctic blue ice: spectral considerations, subsurface enhancement, inclusions, and meteorites
A 14.5 million-year record of East Antarctic Ice Sheet fluctuations from the central Transantarctic Mountains, constrained with cosmogenic 3He, 10Be, 21Ne, and 26Al
Glacial-cycle simulations of the Antarctic Ice Sheet with the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) – Part 1: Boundary conditions and climatic forcing
Glacial-cycle simulations of the Antarctic Ice Sheet with the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) – Part 2: Parameter ensemble analysis
Brief communication : Evaluating Antarctic precipitation in ERA5and CMIP6 against CloudSat observations
Pan-Antarctic map of near-surface permafrost temperatures at 1 km2 scale
Influence of sea-ice anomalies on Antarctic precipitation using source attribution in the Community Earth System Model
Revealing the former bed of Thwaites Glacier using sea-floor bathymetry
Interannual variability of summer surface mass balance and surface melting in the Amundsen sector, West Antarctica
Impact of exhaust emissions on chemical snowpack composition at Concordia Station, Antarctica
ISMIP6 Antarctica: a multi-model ensemble of the Antarctic ice sheet evolution over the 21st century
The role of history and strength of the oceanic forcing in sea-level projections from Antarctica with the Parallel Ice Sheet Model
New gravity-derived bathymetry for the Thwaites, Crosson and Dotson ice shelves revealing two ice shelf populations
Seasonal and interannual variability of landfast sea ice in Atka Bay, Weddell Sea, Antarctica
Thickness of the divide and flank of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet through the last deglaciation
New Last Glacial Maximum ice thickness constraints for the Weddell Sea Embayment, Antarctica
Calving cycle of the Brunt Ice Shelf, Antarctica, driven by changes in ice shelf geometry
Brief communication: A submarine wall protecting the Amundsen Sea intensifies melting of neighboring ice shelves
Modelling the Antarctic Ice Sheet across the mid-Pleistocene transition – implications for Oldest Ice
Observation of the process of snow accumulation on the Antarctic Plateau by time lapse laser scanning
Past water flow beneath Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers, West Antarctica
Antarctic ice shelf thickness change from multimission lidar mapping
Uncertainty quantification of the multi-centennial response of the Antarctic ice sheet to climate change
Marked decrease in the near-surface snow density retrieved by AMSR-E satellite at Dome C, Antarctica, between 2002 and 2011
Evaluation of CloudSat snowfall rate profiles by a comparison with in situ micro-rain radar observations in East Antarctica
Retrieval of snow freeboard of Antarctic sea ice using waveform fitting of CryoSat-2 returns
Four decades of Antarctic surface elevation changes from multi-mission satellite altimetry
Moisture transport in observations and reanalyses as a proxy for snow accumulation in East Antarctica
Estimation of the Antarctic surface mass balance using the regional climate model MAR (1979–2015) and identification of dominant processes
The vertical structure of precipitation at two stations in East Antarctica derived from micro rain radars
Brief communication: widespread potential for seawater infiltration on Antarctic ice shelves
Sensitivity of the current Antarctic surface mass balance to sea surface conditions using MAR
Exploration of Antarctic Ice Sheet 100-year contribution to sea level rise and associated model uncertainties using the ISSM framework
The internal structure of the Brunt Ice Shelf from ice-penetrating radar analysis and implications for ice shelf fracture
Grounding-line flux formula applied as a flux condition in numerical simulations fails for buttressed Antarctic ice streams
Velocity increases at Cook Glacier, East Antarctica, linked to ice shelf loss and a subglacial flood event
Investigation of a wind-packing event in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica
Promising Oldest Ice sites in East Antarctica based on thermodynamical modelling
Three years of sea ice freeboard, snow depth, and ice thickness of the Weddell Sea from Operation IceBridge and CryoSat-2
Diagnosing ice sheet grounding line stability from landform morphology
Glacier change along West Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land Sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere–ocean variability
Deglaciation and future stability of the Coats Land ice margin, Antarctica
Sophie Nowicki, Heiko Goelzer, Hélène Seroussi, Anthony J. Payne, William H. Lipscomb, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Cécile Agosta, Patrick Alexander, Xylar S. Asay-Davis, Alice Barthel, Thomas J. Bracegirdle, Richard Cullather, Denis Felikson, Xavier Fettweis, Jonathan M. Gregory, Tore Hattermann, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Peter Kuipers Munneke, Eric Larour, Christopher M. Little, Mathieu Morlighem, Isabel Nias, Andrew Shepherd, Erika Simon, Donald Slater, Robin S. Smith, Fiammetta Straneo, Luke D. Trusel, Michiel R. van den Broeke, and Roderik van de Wal
The Cryosphere, 14, 2331–2368, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2331-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2331-2020, 2020
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This paper describes the experimental protocol for ice sheet models taking part in the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparion Project for CMIP6 (ISMIP6) and presents an overview of the atmospheric and oceanic datasets to be used for the simulations. The ISMIP6 framework allows for exploring the uncertainty in 21st century sea level change from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.
Neil Ross, Hugh Corr, and Martin Siegert
The Cryosphere, 14, 2103–2114, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2103-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2103-2020, 2020
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Using airborne ice-penetrating radar we investigated the physical properties and structure of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Ice deep beneath the Institute Ice Stream has prominent layers with physical properties distinct from those around them and which are heavily folded like geological layers. In turn, these folds influence the present-day flow of the ice sheet, with implications for how computer models are used to simulate ice sheet flow and behaviour in a warming world.
Charles Amory
The Cryosphere, 14, 1713–1725, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1713-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1713-2020, 2020
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This paper presents an assessment of drifting-snow occurrences and snow mass transport from up to 9 years (2010–2018) of half-hourly observational records collected at two remote locations in coastal Adelie Land (East Antarctica) using second-generation IAV Engineering acoustic FlowCapt sensors. The dataset is freely available to the scientific community and can be used to complement satellite products and evaluate snow-transport models close to the surface and at high temporal frequency.
Nicolas Jullien, Étienne Vignon, Michael Sprenger, Franziska Aemisegger, and Alexis Berne
The Cryosphere, 14, 1685–1702, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1685-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1685-2020, 2020
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Although snowfall is the main input of water to the Antarctic ice sheet, snowflakes are often evaporated by dry and fierce winds near the surface of the continent. The amount of snow that actually reaches the ground is therefore considerably reduced. By analyzing the position of cyclones and fronts as well as by back-tracing the atmospheric moisture pathway towards Antarctica, this study explains in which meteorological conditions snowfall is either completely evaporated or reaches the ground.
Luciano Marquetto, Susan Kaspari, and Jefferson Cardia Simões
The Cryosphere, 14, 1537–1554, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1537-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1537-2020, 2020
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Black carbon, commonly known as soot, is a particle originating from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass burning that plays an important role in the climatic system. In this work, we analyzed black carbon from an Antarctic ice core spanning 1968–2015 and observed very low concentrations of this particle in the snow, lower than previous works in West Antarctica. We suggest that black carbon transport to East Antarctica is different from its transport to West Antarctica.
Andreas Wernecke, Tamsin L. Edwards, Isabel J. Nias, Philip B. Holden, and Neil R. Edwards
The Cryosphere, 14, 1459–1474, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1459-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1459-2020, 2020
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We investigate how the two-dimensional characteristics of ice thickness change from satellite measurements can be used to judge and refine a high-resolution ice sheet model of Antarctica. The uncertainty in 50-year model simulations for the currently most drastically changing part of Antarctica can be reduced by nearly 40 % compared to a simpler, non-spatial approach and nearly 90 % compared to the original spread in simulations.
Quentin Dalaiden, Hugues Goosse, François Klein, Jan T. M. Lenaerts, Max Holloway, Louise Sime, and Elizabeth R. Thomas
The Cryosphere, 14, 1187–1207, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1187-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1187-2020, 2020
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Large uncertainties remain in Antarctic surface temperature reconstructions over the last millennium. Here, the analysis of climate model outputs reveals that snow accumulation is a more relevant proxy for surface temperature reconstructions than δ18O. We use this finding in data assimilation experiments to compare to observed surface temperatures. We show that our continental temperature reconstruction outperforms reconstructions based on δ18O, especially for East Antarctica.
Mohammad Farzamian, Gonçalo Vieira, Fernando A. Monteiro Santos, Borhan Yaghoobi Tabar, Christian Hauck, Maria Catarina Paz, Ivo Bernardo, Miguel Ramos, and Miguel Angel de Pablo
The Cryosphere, 14, 1105–1120, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1105-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1105-2020, 2020
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A 2-D automated electrical resistivity tomography (A-ERT) system was installed for the first time in Antarctica at Deception Island to (i) monitor subsurface freezing and thawing processes on a daily and seasonal basis and map the spatial and temporal variability of thaw depth and to (ii) study the impact of short-lived extreme meteorological events on active layer dynamics.
Andrew R. D. Smedley, Geoffrey W. Evatt, Amy Mallinson, and Eleanor Harvey
The Cryosphere, 14, 789–809, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-789-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-789-2020, 2020
Allie Balter, Gordon Bromley, Greg Balco, Holly Thomas, and Margaret S. Jackson
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2020-57, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2020-57, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
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We describe new geologic evidence from Antarctica that demonstrates changes in East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) extent over the past ~ 15 million years. Our data show that the EAIS was a persistent feature in the Transantarctic Mountains for much of that time, including some (but not all) times when global temperature may have been warmer than today. Overall, our results comprise a long-term record of EAIS change, and may provide useful constraints for ice-sheet models and sea-level estimates.
Torsten Albrecht, Ricarda Winkelmann, and Anders Levermann
The Cryosphere, 14, 599–632, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-599-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-599-2020, 2020
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During the last glacial cycles the Antarctic Ice Sheet experienced alternating climatic conditions and varying sea-level history. In response, changes in ice sheet volume and ice-covered area occurred, implying feedbacks on the global sea level. We ran model simulations of the ice sheet with the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) over the last two glacial cycles to evaluate the model's sensitivity to different choices of boundary conditions and parameters to gain confidence for future projections.
Torsten Albrecht, Ricarda Winkelmann, and Anders Levermann
The Cryosphere, 14, 633–656, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-633-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-633-2020, 2020
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A large ensemble of glacial-cycle simulations of the Antarctic Ice Sheet with the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) was analyzed in which four relevant model parameters were systematically varied. These parameters were selected in a companion study and are associated with uncertainties in ice dynamics, climatic forcing, basal sliding and solid Earth deformation. For each ensemble member a statistical score is computed, which enables calibrating the model against both modern and geologic data.
Marie-Laure Roussel, Florentin Lemonnier, Christophe Genthon, and Gerhard Krinner
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-327, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-327, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
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The Antarctic precipitation is evaluated against space radar data in the most recent climate model intercomparison CMIP6 and reanalysis ERA5. The seasonal cycle is mostly well reproduced but relative errors are higher in areas of complex topography, particularly in the higher resolution models. At continental and regional scales all results are biased high, with no significant progress in the more recent models. Predicting Antarctic contribution to sea-level still requires model improvements.
Jaroslav Obu, Sebastian Westermann, Gonçalo Vieira, Andrey Abramov, Megan Ruby Balks, Annett Bartsch, Filip Hrbáček, Andreas Kääb, and Miguel Ramos
The Cryosphere, 14, 497–519, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-497-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-497-2020, 2020
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Little is known about permafrost in the Antarctic outside of the few research stations. We used a simple equilibrium permafrost model to estimate permafrost temperatures in the whole Antarctic. The lowest permafrost temperature on Earth is −36 °C in the Queen Elizabeth Range in the Transantarctic Mountains. Temperatures are commonly between −23 and −18 °C in mountainous areas rising above the Antarctic Ice Sheet, between −14 and −8 °C in coastal areas, and up to 0 °C on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Hailong Wang, Jeremy G. Fyke, Jan T. M. Lenaerts, Jesse M. Nusbaumer, Hansi Singh, David Noone, Philip J. Rasch, and Rudong Zhang
The Cryosphere, 14, 429–444, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-429-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-429-2020, 2020
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Using a climate model with unique water source tagging, we found that sea-ice anomalies in the Southern Ocean and accompanying SST changes have a significant influence on Antarctic precipitation and its source attribution through their direct impact on moisture sources and indirect impact on moisture transport. This study also highlights the importance of atmospheric dynamics in affecting the thermodynamic impact of sea-ice anomalies on regional Antarctic precipitation.
Kelly A. Hogan, Robert D. Larter, Alastair G. C. Graham, Robert Arthern, James D. Kirkham, Rebecca Totten Minzoni, Tom A. Jordan, Rachel Clark, Victoria Fitzgerald, John B. Anderson, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Frank O. Nitsche, Lauren Simkins, James A. Smith, Karsten Gohl, Jan Erik Arndt, Jongkuk Hong, and Julia Wellner
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2020-25, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2020-25, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
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The sea floor geometry around the rapidly changing Thwaites Glacier is a key control on warm ocean waters reaching the ice shelf and grounding zone beyond. This area was un-surveyed due to icebergs and sea-ice cover. The International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration mapped this area for the first time. The new data reveals troughs over 1200 m deep, and as this region is thought to have only un-ground recently, provides key insights into the morphology beneath the grounded ice sheet.
Marion Donat-Magnin, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Hubert Gallée, Charles Amory, Christoph Kittel, Xavier Fettweis, Jonathan D. Wille, Vincent Favier, Amine Drira, and Cécile Agosta
The Cryosphere, 14, 229–249, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-229-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-229-2020, 2020
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Modeling the interannual variability of the surface conditions over Antarctic glaciers is important for the identification of climate trends and climate predictions and to assess models. We simulate snow accumulation and surface melting in the Amundsen sector (West Antarctica) over 1979–2017. For all the glaciers, the interannual variability of summer snow accumulation and surface melting is driven by two distinct mechanisms related to variations in the Amundsen Sea Low strength and position.
Detlev Helmig, Daniel Liptzin, Jacques Hueber, and Joel Savarino
The Cryosphere, 14, 199–209, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-199-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-199-2020, 2020
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We present 15 months of trace gas observations from air withdrawn within the snowpack and from above the snow at Concordia Station in Antarctica. The data show occasional positive spikes, indicative of pollution from the station generator. The pollution signal can be seen in snowpack air shortly after it is observed above the snow surface, and lasting for up to several days, much longer than above the surface.
Helene Seroussi, Sophie Nowicki, Antony J. Payne, Heiko Goelzer, William H. Lipscomb, Ayako Abe Ouchi, Cecile Agosta, Torsten Albrecht, Xylar Asay-Davis, Alice Barthel, Reinhard Calov, Richard Cullather, Christophe Dumas, Rupert Gladstone, Nicholas Golledge, Jonathan M. Gregory, Ralf Greve, Tore Hatterman, Matthew J. Hoffman, Angelika Humbert, Philippe Huybrechts, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Thomas Kleiner, Eric Larour, Gunter R. Leguy, Daniel P. Lowry, Chistopher M. Little, Mathieu Morlighem, Frank Pattyn, Tyler Pelle, Stephen F. Price, Aurélien Quiquet, Ronja Reese, Nicole-Jeanne Schlegel, Andrew Shepherd, Erika Simon, Robin S. Smith, Fiammetta Straneo, Sainan Sun, Luke D. Trusel, Jonas Van Breedam, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, Ricarda Winkelmann, Chen Zhao, Tong Zhang, and Thomas Zwinger
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-324, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-324, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
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The Antarctic ice sheet has been losing mass over at least the past three decades in response to changes in atmospheric and oceanic conditions. This study presents an ensemble of model simulations of the Antarctic evolution over the 2015–2100 period based on various ice sheet models, climate forcings and emission scenarios. Results suggest that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will continue losing large amount of ice, while the East Antarctic ice sheet could experience increased snow accumulation.
Ronja Reese, Anders Levermann, Torsten Albrecht, Hélène Seroussi, and Ricarda Winkelmann
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-330, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-330, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
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The contribution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet is one of the largest uncertainties in projections of future sea-level rise. In this work, we compare projections simulated with the Parallel Ice Sheet Model submitted to ISMIP6 with projections estimated following the LARMIP-2 protocol based on the same model configuration. We find an order of magnitude difference in the 21st century projected ice loss, which can be explained by the translation of ocean forcing to sub-shelf melting.
Tom A. Jordan, David Porter, Kirsty Tinto, Romain Millan, Atsuhiro Muto, Kelly Hogan, Robert D. Larter, Alastair G. C. Graham, and John D. Paden
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-294, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-294, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
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Linking ocean and ice sheet processes allow prediction of sea level change. Ice shelves form a floating buffer between the ice-ocean systems 10s of km wide, but the water depth beneath is often a mystery, leaving a critical blind spot in our understanding of how these systems interact. Here we use airborne measurements of gravity to reveal the bathymetry under the ice shelves flanking the rapidly changing Thwaites and adjacent glacier systems, providing new insights and data for future models.
Stefanie Arndt, Mario Hoppmann, Holger Schmithüsen, Alexander D. Fraser, and Marcel Nicolaus
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-293, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-293, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
Perry Spector, John Stone, and Brent Goehring
The Cryosphere, 13, 3061–3075, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3061-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3061-2019, 2019
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We describe constraints on the thickness of the interior of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) through the last deglaciation. Our data imply that the ice-sheet divide between the Ross and Weddell sea sectors of the WAIS was thicker than present for a period less than ~ 8 kyr within the past ~ 15 kyr. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the divide initially thickened due to the deglacial rise in snowfall and subsequently thinned in response to retreat of the ice-sheet margin.
Keir A. Nichols, Brent M. Goehring, Greg Balco, Joanne S. Johnson, Andrew S. Hein, and Claire Todd
The Cryosphere, 13, 2935–2951, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2935-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2935-2019, 2019
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We studied the history of ice masses at three locations in the Weddell Sea Embayment, Antarctica. We measured rare isotopes in material sourced from mountains overlooking the Slessor Glacier, Foundation Ice Stream, and smaller glaciers on the Lassiter Coast. We show that ice masses were between 385 and 800 m thicker during the last glacial cycle than they are at present. The ice masses were both hundreds of metres thicker and remained thicker closer to the present than was previously thought.
Jan De Rydt, Gudmundur Hilmar Gudmundsson, Thomas Nagler, and Jan Wuite
The Cryosphere, 13, 2771–2787, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2771-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2771-2019, 2019
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Two large icebergs are about to break off from the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica. Rifting started several years ago and is now approaching its final phase. Satellite data and computer simulations show that over the past 2 decades, growth of the ice shelf has caused a build-up of forces within the ice, which culminated in its fracture. These natural changes in geometry coincided with large variations in flow speed, a process that is thought to be relevant for all Antarctic ice shelf margins.
Özgür Gürses, Vanessa Kolatschek, Qiang Wang, and Christian Bernd Rodehacke
The Cryosphere, 13, 2317–2324, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2317-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2317-2019, 2019
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The warming of the Earth's climate system causes sea level rise. In Antarctica, ice streams flow into the sea and develop ice shelves. These are floating extensions of the ice streams. Ocean water melts these ice shelves. It has been proposed that a submarine wall could shield these ice shelves from the warm water. Our model simulation shows that the wall protects ice shelves. However, the warm water flows to neighboring ice shelves. There, enhanced melting reduces the effectiveness of the wall.
Johannes Sutter, Hubertus Fischer, Klaus Grosfeld, Nanna B. Karlsson, Thomas Kleiner, Brice Van Liefferinge, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 13, 2023–2041, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2023-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2023-2019, 2019
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The Antarctic Ice Sheet may have played an important role in moderating the transition between warm and cold climate epochs over the last million years. We find that the Antarctic Ice Sheet grew considerably about 0.9 Myr ago, a time when ice-age–warm-age cycles changed from a
40 000 to a 100 000 year periodicity. Our findings also suggest that ice as old as 1.5 Myr still exists at the bottom of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet despite the major climate reorganisations in the past.
Ghislain Picard, Laurent Arnaud, Romain Caneill, Eric Lefebvre, and Maxim Lamare
The Cryosphere, 13, 1983–1999, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1983-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1983-2019, 2019
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To study how snow accumulates in Antarctica, we analyze daily surface elevation recorded by an automatic laser scanner. We show that new snow often accumulates in thick patches covering a small fraction of the surface. Most patches are removed by erosion within weeks, implying that only a few contribute to the snowpack. This explains the heterogeneity on the surface and in the snowpack. These findings are important for surface mass and energy balance, photochemistry, and ice core interpretation.
James D. Kirkham, Kelly A. Hogan, Robert D. Larter, Neil S. Arnold, Frank O. Nitsche, Nicholas R. Golledge, and Julian A. Dowdeswell
The Cryosphere, 13, 1959–1981, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1959-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1959-2019, 2019
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A series of huge (500 m wide, 50 m deep) channels were eroded by water flowing beneath Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers in the past. The channels are similar to canyon systems produced by floods of meltwater released beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet millions of years ago. The spatial extent of the channels formed beneath Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers demonstrates significant quantities of water, possibly discharged from trapped subglacial lakes, flowed beneath these glaciers in the past.
Tyler C. Sutterley, Thorsten Markus, Thomas A. Neumann, Michiel van den Broeke, J. Melchior van Wessem, and Stefan R. M. Ligtenberg
The Cryosphere, 13, 1801–1817, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1801-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1801-2019, 2019
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Most of the Antarctic ice sheet is fringed by ice shelves, floating extensions of ice that help to modulate the flow of the glaciers that float into them. We use airborne laser altimetry data to measure changes in ice thickness of ice shelves around West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula. Each of our target ice shelves is susceptible to short-term changes in ice thickness. The method developed here provides a framework for processing NASA ICESat-2 data over ice shelves.
Kevin Bulthuis, Maarten Arnst, Sainan Sun, and Frank Pattyn
The Cryosphere, 13, 1349–1380, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1349-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1349-2019, 2019
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Using probabilistic methods, we quantify the uncertainty in the Antarctic ice-sheet response to climate change over the next millennium under the four RCP scenarios and parametric uncertainty. We find that the ice sheet is stable in RCP 2.6 regardless of parametric uncertainty, while West Antarctica undergoes disintegration in RCP 8.5 almost regardless of parametric uncertainty. We also show a high sensitivity of the ice-sheet response to uncertainty in sub-shelf melting and sliding conditions.
Nicolas Champollion, Ghislain Picard, Laurent Arnaud, Éric Lefebvre, Giovanni Macelloni, Frédérique Rémy, and Michel Fily
The Cryosphere, 13, 1215–1232, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1215-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1215-2019, 2019
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The snow density close to the surface has been retrieved from satellite observations at Dome C on the Antarctic Ice Sheet. It shows a marked decrease between 2002 and 2011 of about 10 kg m-3 yr-1. This trend has been confirmed by in situ measurements and other satellite observations though no long-term meteorological evolution has been found. These results have implications for surface mass balance and energy budget.
Florentin Lemonnier, Jean-Baptiste Madeleine, Chantal Claud, Christophe Genthon, Claudio Durán-Alarcón, Cyril Palerme, Alexis Berne, Niels Souverijns, Nicole van Lipzig, Irina V. Gorodetskaya, Tristan L'Ecuyer, and Norman Wood
The Cryosphere, 13, 943–954, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-943-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-943-2019, 2019
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Evaluation of the vertical precipitation rate profiles of CloudSat radar by comparison with two surface-based micro-rain radars (MRR) located at two antarctic stations gives a near-perfect correlation between both datasets, even though climatic and geographic conditions are different for the stations. A better understanding and reassessment of CloudSat uncertainties ranging from −13 % up to +22 % confirms the robustness of the CloudSat retrievals of snowfall over Antarctica.
Steven W. Fons and Nathan T. Kurtz
The Cryosphere, 13, 861–878, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-861-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-861-2019, 2019
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A method to measure the snow freeboard of Antarctic sea ice from CryoSat-2 data is developed. Through comparisons with data from airborne campaigns and another satellite mission, we find that this method can reasonably retrieve snow freeboard across the Antarctic and shows promise in retrieving snow depth in certain locations. Snow freeboard data from CryoSat-2 are important because they enable the calculation of sea ice thickness and help to better understand snow depth on Antarctic sea ice.
Ludwig Schröder, Martin Horwath, Reinhard Dietrich, Veit Helm, Michiel R. van den Broeke, and Stefan R. M. Ligtenberg
The Cryosphere, 13, 427–449, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-427-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-427-2019, 2019
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We developed an approach to combine measurements of seven satellite altimetry missions over the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Our resulting monthly grids of elevation changes between 1978 and 2017 provide unprecedented details of the long-term and interannual variation. Derived mass changes agree well with contemporaneous data of surface mass balance and satellite gravimetry and show which regions were responsible for the significant accelerations of mass loss in recent years.
Ambroise Dufour, Claudine Charrondière, and Olga Zolina
The Cryosphere, 13, 413–425, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-413-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-413-2019, 2019
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The East Antarctic Ice Sheet is thicker and larger than its western counterpart. Whether it gains or loses mass depends in part on the snowfall but this is difficult to measure and model inside the continent. Fortunately, the weather balloons launched from a network of stations along the coast provide an indirect estimate. Indeed, they track the water vapour that will eventually precipitate inland. It turns out there has been no consistent change in moisture transport from 1980 to 2017.
Cécile Agosta, Charles Amory, Christoph Kittel, Anais Orsi, Vincent Favier, Hubert Gallée, Michiel R. van den Broeke, Jan T. M. Lenaerts, Jan Melchior van Wessem, Willem Jan van de Berg, and Xavier Fettweis
The Cryosphere, 13, 281–296, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-281-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-281-2019, 2019
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Antarctic surface mass balance (ASMB), a component of the sea level budget, is commonly estimated through modelling as observations are scarce. The polar-oriented regional climate model MAR performs well in simulating the observed ASMB. MAR and RACMO2 share common biases we relate to drifting snow transport, with a 3 times larger magnitude than in previous estimates. Sublimation of precipitation in the katabatic layer modelled by MAR is of a magnitude similar to an observation-based estimate.
Claudio Durán-Alarcón, Brice Boudevillain, Christophe Genthon, Jacopo Grazioli, Niels Souverijns, Nicole P. M. van Lipzig, Irina V. Gorodetskaya, and Alexis Berne
The Cryosphere, 13, 247–264, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-247-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-247-2019, 2019
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Precipitation is the main input in the surface mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet, but it is still poorly understood due to a lack of observations in this region. We analyzed the vertical structure of the precipitation using multiyear observation of vertically pointing micro rain radars (MRRs) at two stations located in East Antarctica. The use of MRRs showed the potential to study the effect of climatology and hydrometeor microphysics on the vertical structure of Antarctic precipitation.
Sue Cook, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, Stefan R. M. Ligtenberg, and Richard Coleman
The Cryosphere, 12, 3853–3859, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3853-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3853-2018, 2018
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When the porous compacted snow layers on an ice shelf extend below sea level, seawater is able to infiltrate onto the shelf. Here it can affect measurements of ice shelf thickness by changing the average density and affect iceberg calving if the seawater enters fractures. Seawater infiltration has only been directly observed in a few locations around Antarctica. Using continent-wide geometry and snow density data we show that it may be more widespread than previously realised.
Christoph Kittel, Charles Amory, Cécile Agosta, Alison Delhasse, Sébastien Doutreloup, Pierre-Vincent Huot, Coraline Wyard, Thierry Fichefet, and Xavier Fettweis
The Cryosphere, 12, 3827–3839, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3827-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3827-2018, 2018
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Regional climate models (RCMs) used to estimate the surface mass balance (SMB) of Antarctica depend on boundary forcing fields including sea surface conditions. Here, we assess the sensitivity of the Antarctic SMB to perturbations in sea surface conditions with the RCM MAR using unchanged atmospheric conditions. Significant SMB anomalies are found for SSC perturbations in the range of CMIP5 global climate model biases.
Nicole-Jeanne Schlegel, Helene Seroussi, Michael P. Schodlok, Eric Y. Larour, Carmen Boening, Daniel Limonadi, Michael M. Watkins, Mathieu Morlighem, and Michiel R. van den Broeke
The Cryosphere, 12, 3511–3534, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3511-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3511-2018, 2018
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Using NASA supercomputers and a novel framework, in which Sandia National Laboratories' statistical software is embedded in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's ice sheet model, we run a range of 100-year warming scenarios for Antarctica. We find that 1.2 m of sea level contribution is achievable, but not likely. Also, we find that bedrock topography beneath the ice drives potential for regional sea level contribution, highlighting the need for accurate bedrock mapping of the ice sheet interior.
Edward C. King, Jan De Rydt, and G. Hilmar Gudmundsson
The Cryosphere, 12, 3361–3372, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3361-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3361-2018, 2018
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Ice shelves are thick sheets of ice floating on the ocean off the coasts of Antarctica and Greenland. They help regulate the flow of ice off the continent. Ice shelves undergo a natural cycle of seaward flow, fracture, iceberg production and regrowth. The Brunt Ice Shelf recently developed two large cracks. We used ground-penetrating radar to find out how the internal structure of the ice might influence the present crack development and the future stability of the ice shelf.
Ronja Reese, Ricarda Winkelmann, and G. Hilmar Gudmundsson
The Cryosphere, 12, 3229–3242, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3229-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3229-2018, 2018
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Accurately representing grounding-line flux is essential for modelling the evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Currently, in some large-scale ice-flow modelling studies a condition on ice flux across grounding lines is imposed using an analytically motivated parameterisation. Here we test this expression for Antarctic grounding lines and find that it provides inaccurate and partly unphysical estimates of ice flux for the highly buttressed ice streams.
Bertie W. J. Miles, Chris R. Stokes, and Stewart S. R. Jamieson
The Cryosphere, 12, 3123–3136, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3123-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3123-2018, 2018
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Cook Glacier, as one of the largest in East Antarctica, may have made significant contributions to sea level during past warm periods. However, despite its potential importance there have been no long-term observations of its velocity. Here, through estimating velocity and ice front position from satellite imagery and aerial photography we show that there have been large previously undocumented changes in the velocity of Cook Glacier in response to ice shelf loss and a subglacial drainage event.
Christian Gabriel Sommer, Nander Wever, Charles Fierz, and Michael Lehning
The Cryosphere, 12, 2923–2939, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2923-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2923-2018, 2018
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Wind packing is how wind produces hard crusts at the surface of the snowpack. This is relevant for the local mass balance in polar regions. However, not much is known about this process and it is difficult to capture its high spatial and temporal variability. A wind-packing event was measured in Antarctica. It could be quantified how drifting snow leads to wind packing and generates barchan dunes. The documentation of these deposition dynamics is an important step in understanding polar snow.
Brice Van Liefferinge, Frank Pattyn, Marie G. P. Cavitte, Nanna B. Karlsson, Duncan A. Young, Johannes Sutter, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 12, 2773–2787, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2773-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2773-2018, 2018
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Our paper provides an important review of the state of knowledge for oldest-ice prospection, but also adds new basal geothermal heat flux constraints from recently acquired high-definition radar data sets. This is the first paper to contrast the two primary target regions for oldest ice: Dome C and Dome Fuji. Moreover, we provide statistical comparisons of all available data sets and a summary of the community's criteria for the retrieval of interpretable oldest ice since the 2013 effort.
Ron Kwok and Sahra Kacimi
The Cryosphere, 12, 2789–2801, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2789-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2789-2018, 2018
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The variability of snow depth and ice thickness in three years of repeat surveys of an IceBridge (OIB) transect across the Weddell Sea is examined. Retrieved thicknesses suggest a highly variable but broadly thicker ice cover compared to that inferred from drilling and ship-based measurements. The use of lidar and radar altimeters to estimate snow depth for thickness calculations is analyzed, and the need for better characterization of biases due to radar penetration effects is highlighted.
Lauren M. Simkins, Sarah L. Greenwood, and John B. Anderson
The Cryosphere, 12, 2707–2726, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2707-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2707-2018, 2018
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Using thousands of grounding line landforms in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, we observe two distinct landform types associated with contrasting styles of grounding line retreat. We characterise landform morphology, examine factors that control landform morphology and distribution, and explore drivers of grounding line (in)stability. This study highlights the importance of understanding thresholds which may destabilise a system and of controls on grounding line retreat over a range of timescales.
Frazer D. W. Christie, Robert G. Bingham, Noel Gourmelen, Eric J. Steig, Rosie R. Bisset, Hamish D. Pritchard, Kate Snow, and Simon F. B. Tett
The Cryosphere, 12, 2461–2479, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2461-2018, 2018
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With a focus on the hitherto little-studied Marie Byrd Land coastline linking Antarctica's more comprehensively studied Amundsen and Ross Sea Embayments, this paper uses both satellite remote sensing (Landsat, ASTER, ICESat, and CryoSat2) and climate and ocean records (i.e. ERA-Interim, Met Office EN4 data) to examine links between ice recession, inter-decadal atmosphere-ocean forcing and other influences acting upon the Pacific-facing coastline of West Antarctica.
Dominic A. Hodgson, Kelly Hogan, James M. Smith, James A. Smith, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Alastair G. C. Graham, Peter Fretwell, Claire Allen, Vicky Peck, Jan-Erik Arndt, Boris Dorschel, Christian Hübscher, Andrew M. Smith, and Robert Larter
The Cryosphere, 12, 2383–2399, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2383-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2383-2018, 2018
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We studied the Coats Land ice margin, Antarctica, providing a multi-disciplinary geophysical assessment of the ice sheet configuration through its last advance and retreat; a description of the physical constraints on the stability of the past and present ice and future margin based on its submarine geomorphology and ice-sheet geometry; and evidence that once detached from the bed, the ice shelves in this region were predisposed to rapid retreat back to coastal grounding lines.
Cited articles
Agosta, C., Favier, V., Krinner, G., Gallée, H., Fettweis, X., and Genthon, C.: High-resolution modelling of the Antarctic surface mass balance, application for the twentieth, twenty first and twenty second centuries, Clim. Dynam., 41, 3247–3260, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-013-1903-9, 2013.
Arthern, R. J., Winebrenner, D. P., and Vaughan, D. G.: Antarctic snow accumulation mapped using polarization of 4.3 cm wavelength microwave emission, J. Geophys. Res., 111, D06107, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004JD005667, 2006.
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