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Glacier acceleration and thinning after ice shelf collapse in the Larsen B embayment, Antarctica
Author(s) -
Scambos T. A.,
Bohlander J. A.,
Shuman C. A.,
Skvarca P.
Publication year - 2004
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 - 10.1029/2004gl020670
Subject(s) - geology , glacier , thinning , elevation (ballistics) , ice shelf , accumulation zone , front (military) , surge , oceanography , ice stream , geomorphology , climatology , physical geography , sea ice , cryosphere , geography , geometry , mathematics , forestry
Ice velocities derived from five Landsat 7 images acquired between January 2000 and February 2003 show a two‐ to six‐fold increase in centerline speed of four glaciers flowing into the now‐collapsed section of the Larsen B Ice Shelf. Satellite laser altimetry from ICESat indicates the surface of Hektoria Glacier lowered by up to 38 ± 6 m in a six‐month period beginning one year after the break‐up in March 2002. Smaller elevation losses are observed for Crane and Jorum glaciers over a later 5‐month period. Two glaciers south of the collapse area, Flask and Leppard, show little change in speed or elevation. Seasonal variations in speed preceding the large post‐collapse velocity increases suggest that both summer melt percolation and changes in the stress field due to shelf removal play a major role in glacier dynamics.