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Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 22:30 authored by Robert MassomRobert Massom, Scambos, TA, Bennetts, LG, Phillip ReidPhillip Reid, Squire, VA, Stammerjohn, SEUnderstanding the causes of recent catastrophic ice shelf disintegrations is a crucial step towards improving coupled models of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and predicting its future state and contribution to sea-level rise. An overlooked climate-related causal factor is regional sea ice loss. Here we show that for the disintegration events observed (the collapse of the Larsen A and B and Wilkins ice shelves), the increased seasonal absence of a protective sea ice buffer enabled increased flexure of vulnerable outer ice shelf margins by ocean swells that probably weakened them to the point of calving. This outer-margin calving triggered wider-scale disintegration of ice shelves compromised by multiple factors in preceding years, with key prerequisites being extensive flooding and outer-margin fracturing. Wave-induced flexure is particularly effective in outermost ice shelf regions thinned by bottom crevassing. Our analysis of satellite and ocean-wave data and modelling of combined ice shelf, sea ice and wave properties highlights the need for ice sheet models to account for sea ice and ocean waves.
History
Publication title
NatureVolume
558Issue
7710Pagination
383-389ISSN
0028-0836Department/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesPublisher
Nature Publishing GroupPlace of publication
Macmillan Building, 4 Crinan St, London, England, N1 9XwRights statement
Copyright 2018 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer NatureRepository Status
- Restricted