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The impact of intrinsic ocean variability on the Totten Glacier’s contribution to sea level rise

conference contribution
posted on 2023-05-24, 17:33 authored by Felicity McCormack, David Gwyther, Benjamin Galton-FenziBenjamin Galton-Fenzi
The Totten Glacier, East Antarctica, drains a sector that contains enough ice to raise global mean sea level by approximately 4m and geophysical surveys indicate that the Totten Glacier is susceptible to the marine ice sheet instability. However, the Totten Ice Shelf thickness has fluctuated over recent decades, with no clear evidence to suggest persistent ice shelf thinning and glacier retreat. We present results from an ice sheet model forced by ocean melt rates containing intrinsic variability characteristic of the present day. Basal melting produces an almost instantaneous response in the ice shelf dynamics, through thickness and velocity changes, with lagged feedbacks to the grounded ice upstream persisting for decades. We find that intrinsic variability in ocean melt rates drives ice shelf thickness and velocity changes that can reproduce the magnitude of observed elevation changes over the Totten Glacier. Changes in mass flux over the grounding line resulting from the variability in ice sheet dynamics are consistent with the magnitude of ice mass loss over the satellite period. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for variability in ice sheet dynamics when modelling the evolution of Antarctic glaciers and their contribution to sea level rise.

History

Publication title

Geophysical Research Abstracts

Volume

20

Pagination

1598

ISSN

1029-7006

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Copernicus GmbH

Place of publication

Germany

Event title

European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2018

Event Venue

Vienna, Austria

Date of Event (Start Date)

2018-04-08

Date of Event (End Date)

2018-04-13

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Climate variability (excl. social impacts)

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