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Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell

Author

Listed:
  • Robert A. Massom

    (Australian Antarctic Division
    Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC)

  • Theodore A. Scambos

    (University of Colorado)

  • Luke G. Bennetts

    (University of Adelaide)

  • Phillip Reid

    (Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC
    Australian Bureau of Meteorology)

  • Vernon A. Squire

    (University of Otago)

  • Sharon E. Stammerjohn

    (University of Colorado)

Abstract

Understanding 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert A. Massom & Theodore A. Scambos & Luke G. Bennetts & Phillip Reid & Vernon A. Squire & Sharon E. Stammerjohn, 2018. "Antarctic ice shelf disintegration triggered by sea ice loss and ocean swell," Nature, Nature, vol. 558(7710), pages 383-389, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:558:y:2018:i:7710:d:10.1038_s41586-018-0212-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0212-1
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    Cited by:

    1. P. A. Reid & R. A. Massom, 2022. "Change and variability in Antarctic coastal exposure, 1979–2020," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Henning Åkesson & Mathieu Morlighem & Johan Nilsson & Christian Stranne & Martin Jakobsson, 2022. "Petermann ice shelf may not recover after a future breakup," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Shivangini Singh & Shashi Kumar & Navneet Kumar, 2023. "Evolution of Iceberg A68 since Its Inception from the Collapse of Antarctica’s Larsen C Ice Shelf Using Sentinel-1 SAR Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-28, February.
    4. Nicholas R. Golledge, 2020. "Long‐term projections of sea‐level rise from ice sheets," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 11(2), March.

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