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Modeling Antarctic tides in response to ice shelf thinning and retreat
Author(s) -
Rosier S. H. R.,
Green J. A. M.,
Scourse J. D.,
Winkelmann R.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: oceans
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9291
pISSN - 2169-9275
DOI - 10.1002/2013jc009240
Subject(s) - ice shelf , geology , oceanography , ice stream , fast ice , ice sheet , antarctic sea ice , thinning , ice divide , arctic ice pack , sea ice , cryosphere , geography , forestry
Tides play an important role in ice sheet dynamics by modulating ice stream velocity, fracturing, and moving ice shelves and mixing water beneath them. Any changes in ice shelf extent or thickness will alter the tidal dynamics through modification of water column thickness and coastal topography but these will in turn feed back onto the overall ice shelf stability. Here, we show that removal or reduction in extent and/or thickness of the Ross and Ronne‐Filchner ice shelves would have a significant impact on the tides around Antarctica. The Ronne‐Filchner appears particularly vulnerable, with an increase in M 2 amplitude of over 0.5 m beneath much of the ice shelf potentially leading to tidally induced feedbacks on ice shelf/sheet dynamics. These results highlight the importance of understanding tidal feedbacks on ice shelves/streams due to their influence on ice sheet dynamics.