Mass changes of outlet glaciers along the Nordensjköld Coast, northern Antarctic Peninsula, based on TanDEM‐X satellite measurements

Rott, Helmut; Floricioiu, Dana; Wuite, Jan; Scheiblauer, Stefan; Nägler, Thomas; Kern, Michael

doi:10.1002/2014gl061613

Cited by 59 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Crane and Jorum glaciers, terminating in deep and narrow fjords, have been subject to acceleration and major mass depletion during the first 5 years after ice shelf collapse, but slowed down afterwards. Similar behavior after retreat into narrow fjords is observed for Sjögren and Boydell glaciers in the Prince Gustav Channel and for the Dinsmoor, Bombardier and Edgeworth glaciers in the Larsen A embayment (Rott et al, 2014). The ratio of longitudinal stress to lateral shear stress is critical for glacier motion in narrow valleys (Hulbe et al, 2008).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Evolution of surface velocities and ice discharge of Larsen B outlet glaciers from 1995 to 2013

et al. 2015

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Abstract. We use repeat-pass SAR data to produce detailed maps of surface motion covering the glaciers draining into the former Larsen B Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula, for different epochs between 1995 and 2013. We combine the velocity maps with estimates of ice thickness to analyze fluctuations of ice discharge. The collapse of the central and northern sections of the ice shelf in 2002 led to a near-immediate acceleration of tributary glaciers as well as of the remnant ice shelf in Scar Inlet. Velocities of most of the glaciers discharging directly into the ocean remain to date well above the velocities of the pre-collapse period. The response of individual glaciers differs and velocities show significant temporal fluctuations, implying major variations in ice discharge as well. Due to reduced velocity and ice thickness the ice discharge of Crane Glacier decreased from 5.02 Gt a −1 in 2007 to 1.72 Gt a −1 in 2013, whereas Hektoria and Green glaciers continue to show large temporal fluctuations in response to successive stages of frontal retreat. The velocity on Scar Inlet ice shelf increased 2-3-fold since 1995, with the largest increase in the first years after the break-up of the main section of Larsen B. Flask and Leppard glaciers, the largest tributaries to Scar Inlet ice shelf, accelerated. In 2013 their discharge was 38 % and 46 % higher than in 1995.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Evolution of surface velocities and ice discharge of Larsen B outlet glaciers from 1995 to 2013

et al. 2015

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“…Dramatic speedup with subsequent deceleration of former ice shelf tributaries was reported by various authors: e.g., in this sector by Seehaus et al (2015Seehaus et al ( , 2016 at DBE and Sjögren Inlet glaciers and further south at Larsen B embayment by Rott et al (2011) and Wuite et al (2015). The velocities reported by Rott et al (2014) at Sjögren, Pyke, Edgeworth and Drygalski glaciers are generally higher than our findings. The authors measured the velocities at locations near the center of the glacier fronts, where the ice flow velocities are typically highest, whereas we measured the median velocities at cross profiles close to the glacier fronts (Seehaus et al, 2015).…”

Section: East-ice-shelfsupporting

confidence: 66%

“…S16 in the Supplement) are nearly stable with short-term variations in the order of 0.2-0.5 m d −1 between 1993 and 2014. Rott et al (2014) also found nearly constant flow velocities at Pyke Glacier (part of the APPE basin, Table 1). The authors suggest that the ice flow of APPE glaciers was not strongly disturbed by the ice shelf removal due to the steep glacier surfaces and shallow seabed topography at the glacier fronts (Pudsey et al, 2001).…”

Section: East-ice-shelfmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…Frontal surface lowering was found at all glaciers. Glacier-wide surface lowering was observed by various author groups (e.g., Berthier et al, 2012;Rott et al, 2014;Scambos et al, 2014) at former ice shelf tributaries along the northeastern AP. The collected observations suggest that the ice masses on the AP are contributing to sea level rise and show that glaciers' responses to climate change on the AP is not homogeneous and that more detailed knowledge of various aspects on the glacier changes is required.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

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Changes in glacier dynamics in the northern Antarctic Peninsula since 1985

Seehaus

Cook

Silva³

et al. 2018

The Cryosphere

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Abstract. The climatic conditions along the northern Antarctic Peninsula have shown significant changes within the last 50 years. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of temporally and spatially detailed observations of the changes in ice dynamics along both the east and west coastlines of the northern Antarctic Peninsula. Temporal evolutions of glacier area and ice surface velocity are derived from a broad multi-mission remote sensing database for 74 glacier basins on the northern Antarctic Peninsula ( < 65 • S along the west coast and north of the Seal Nunataks on the east coast). A recession of the glaciers by 238.81 km 2 is found for the period 1985-2015, of which the glaciers affected by ice shelf disintegration showed the largest retreat by 208.59 km 2 . Glaciers on the east coast north of the former Prince Gustav Ice Shelf extent in 1986 receded by only 21.07 km 2 (1985-2015) and decelerated by about 58 % on average . A dramatic acceleration after ice shelf disintegration with a subsequent deceleration is observed at most former ice shelf tributaries on the east coast, combined with a significant frontal retreat. In 2014, the flow speed of the former ice shelf tributaries was 26 % higher than before 1996. Along the west coast the average flow speeds of the glaciers increased by 41 %. However, the glaciers on the western Antarctic Peninsula revealed a strong spatial variability of the changes in ice dynamics. By applying a hierarchical cluster analysis, we show that this is associated with the geometric parameters of the individual glacier basins (hypsometric indexes, maximum surface elevation of the basin, flux gate to catchment size ratio). The heterogeneous spatial pattern of ice dynamic evolutions at the northern Antarctic Peninsula shows that temporally and spatially detailed observations as well as further monitoring are necessary to fully understand glacier change in regions with such strong topographic and climatic variances.

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“…This is inherent to the use of a radar altimeter over rough terrain: the system unavoidably oversamples high areas within the beam footprint. However, detailed study of a set of glacier outlets that formerly fed the Larsen A and Prince Gustav ice shelves (which were the site of major ice shelf disintegrations in 1988 and 1995) suggests some parts of our study area have begun to see a slightly reduced level of ice mass loss in the 2011-2013 period (Rott et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Detailed ice loss pattern in the northern Antarctic Peninsula: widespread decline driven by ice front retreats

Scambos¹,

Berthier

Haran³

et al. 2014

The Cryosphere

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Abstract. The northern Antarctic Peninsula (nAP, < 66 • S) is one of the most rapidly changing glaciated regions on earth, yet the spatial patterns of its ice mass loss at the glacier basin scale have to date been poorly documented. We use satellite laser altimetry and satellite stereo-image topography spanning 2001-2010, but primarily 2003-2008, to map ice elevation change and infer mass changes for 33 glacier basins covering the mainland and most large islands in the nAP. Rates of ice volume and ice mass change are 27.7 ± 8.6 km 3 a −1 and 24.9±7.8 Gt a −1 , equal to −0.73 m a −1 w.e. for the study area. Mass loss is the highest for eastern glaciers affected by major ice shelf collapses in 1995 and 2002, where twelve glaciers account for 60 % of the total imbalance. However, losses at smaller rates occur throughout the nAP, at both high and low elevation, despite increased snow accumulation along the western coast and ridge crest. We interpret the widespread mass loss to be driven by decades of ice front retreats on both sides of the nAP, and extended throughout the ice sheet due to the propagation of kinematic waves triggered at the fronts into the interior.

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Mass changes of outlet glaciers along the Nordensjköld Coast, northern Antarctic Peninsula, based on TanDEM‐X satellite measurements

Cited by 59 publications

References 26 publications

Evolution of surface velocities and ice discharge of Larsen B outlet glaciers from 1995 to 2013

Evolution of surface velocities and ice discharge of Larsen B outlet glaciers from 1995 to 2013

Changes in glacier dynamics in the northern Antarctic Peninsula since 1985

Detailed ice loss pattern in the northern Antarctic Peninsula: widespread decline driven by ice front retreats

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