Coupling of ice-shelf melting and buttressing is a key process in ice-sheets dynamics

Gagliardini, O.; Durand, G.; Zwinger, T.; Hindmarsh, R.C.A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1633-2416; Le Meur, E.. 2010 Coupling of ice-shelf melting and buttressing is a key process in ice-sheets dynamics. Geophysical Research Letters, 37 (14), L14501. 5, pp. 10.1029/2010GL043334

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Abstract/Summary

Increase in ice-shelf melting is generally presumed to have triggered recent coastal ice-sheet thinning. Using a full-Stokes finite element model which includes a proper description of the grounding line dynamics, we investigate the impact of melting below ice shelves. We argue that the influence of ice-shelf melting on the ice-sheet dynamics induces a complex response, and the first naive view that melting inevitably leads to loss of grounded ice is erroneous. We demonstrate that melting acts directly on the magnitude of the buttressing force by modifying both the area experiencing lateral resistance and the ice-shelf velocity, indicating that the decrease of back stress imposed by the ice-shelf is the prevailing cause of inland dynamical thinning. We further show that feedback from melting and buttressing forces can lead to nontrivial results, as an increase in the average melt rate may lead to inland ice thickening and grounding line advance. Citation: Gagliardini, O., G. Durand, T. Zwinger, R. C. A. Hindmarsh, and E. Le Meur (2010), Coupling of ice-shelf melting and buttressing is a key process in ice-sheets dynamics, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L14501, doi:10.1029/2010GL043334.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1029/2010GL043334
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Polar Science for Planet Earth (2009 - ) > Ice Sheets BAS Programmes > EU:Ice2Sea
ISSN:	0094-8276
NORA Subject Terms:	Meteorology and Climatology Glaciology
Date made live:	23 Sep 2010 12:58 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/10843

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1029/2010GL043334

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Polar Science for Planet Earth (2009 - ) > Ice Sheets
BAS Programmes > EU:Ice2Sea

ISSN:

0094-8276

NORA Subject Terms:

Meteorology and Climatology
Glaciology

Date made live:

23 Sep 2010 12:58 +0 (UTC)