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Increased ice flow in Western Palmer Land linked to ocean melting
Author(s) -
Hogg Anna E.,
Shepherd Andrew,
Cornford Stephen L.,
Briggs Kate H.,
Gourmelen Noel,
Graham Jennifer A.,
Joughin Ian,
Mouginot Jeremie,
Nagler Thomas,
Payne Antony J.,
Rignot Eric,
Wuite Jan
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2016gl072110
Subject(s) - geology , ice stream , ice shelf , glacier , antarctic sea ice , sea ice , oceanography , ice sheet , cryosphere , future sea level , thinning , climatology , physical geography , geomorphology , geography , forestry
A decrease in the mass and volume of Western Palmer Land has raised the prospect that ice speed has increased in this marine‐based sector of Antarctica. To assess this possibility, we measure ice velocity over 25 years using satellite imagery and an optimized modeling approach. More than 30 unnamed outlet glaciers drain the 800 km coastline of Western Palmer Land at speeds ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 m/d, interspersed with near‐stagnant ice. Between 1992 and 2015, most of the outlet glaciers sped up by 0.2 to 0.3 m/d, leading to a 13% increase in ice flow and a 15 km 3 /yr increase in ice discharge across the sector as a whole. Speedup is greatest where glaciers are grounded more than 300 m below sea level, consistent with a loss of buttressing caused by ice shelf thinning in a region of shoaling warm circumpolar water.