Rapid dynamic activation of a marine-based Arctic ice cap

McMillan, M; Shepherd, A; Gourmelen, N; Dehecq, A; Leeson, A; Ridout, A; Flament, T; Hogg, A; Gilbert, L; Benham, Toby J.; van den Broeke, M; Dowdeswell, Julian A.; Fettweis, Xavier; Noël, Brice; Strozzi, T

doi:10.1002/2014GL062255

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Rapid dynamic activation of a marine-based Arctic ice cap

McMillan, M; Shepherd, A; Gourmelen, N et al.

2014 • In Geophysical Research Letters, 41 (24), p. 8902–8909

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https://hdl.handle.net/2268/178243

DOI
10.1002/2014GL062255

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Keywords :

mass balance; Austfonna; dynamic instability

Abstract :

[en] We use satellite observations to document rapid acceleration and ice loss from a formerly slow-flowing, marine-based sector of Austfonna, the largest ice cap in the Eurasian Arctic. During the past two decades, the sector ice discharge has increased 45-fold, the velocity regime has switched from predominantly slow (~ 101 m/yr) to fast (~ 103 m/yr) flow, and rates of ice thinning have exceeded 25 m/yr. At the time of widespread dynamic activation, parts of the terminus may have been near floatation. Subsequently, the imbalance has propagated 50 km inland to within 8 km of the ice cap summit. Our observations demonstrate the ability of slow-flowing ice to mobilize and quickly transmit the dynamic imbalance inland; a process that we show has initiated rapid ice loss to the ocean and redistribution of ice mass to locations more susceptible to melt, yet which remains poorly understood.

Disciplines :

Earth sciences & physical geography

Author, co-author :

McMillan, M

Shepherd, A

Gourmelen, N

Dehecq, A

Leeson, A

Ridout, A

Flament, T

Hogg, A

Gilbert, L

Benham, Toby J.

More authors (5 more)

Language :

English

Title :

Rapid dynamic activation of a marine-based Arctic ice cap

Publication date :

23 December 2014

Journal title :

Geophysical Research Letters

ISSN :

0094-8276

eISSN :

1944-8007

Publisher :

American Geophysical Union, Washington, United States - District of Columbia

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

8902–8909

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014GL062255/abstract

Available on ORBi :

since 11 February 2015

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