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Sensitivity of the ice‐divide position in Greenland to climate change
Author(s) -
Anandakrishnan S.,
Alley R. B.,
Waddington E. D.
Publication year - 1994
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 - 10.1029/94gl00094
Subject(s) - geology , ice sheet , ice divide , ice sheet model , ice core , greenland ice sheet , ice stream , interglacial , glacial period , climatology , cryosphere , sea ice , geomorphology
Model calculations of depth‐age relations for deep ice cores in central Greenland are sensitive to stability of the ice‐divide position. In addition, the folding of layers observed in the deep ice could be instigated by divide migration changing the velocity and particle paths of ice flow. We use simple steady‐state calculations to show that lateral divide migration of between 10 km and 50 km and elevation change of approximately 100 m is likely on glacial‐interglacial time scales, enough to affect model dating. The ice‐divide location appears to be most sensitive to the position of the ice‐sheet margins. By contrast, the ice‐divide elevation is most sensitive to the accumulation rate, the temperature profile, and the ice‐stiffness profile.