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www.the-cryosphere-discuss.net/4/1607/2010/
doi:10.5194/tcd-4-1607-2010
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The imbalance of glaciers after disintegration of Larsen B ice shelf, Antarctic Peninsula
1Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
2ENVEO IT, Innsbruck, Austria
3DLR IMF, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Abstract. The outlet glaciers to the embayment of the Larsen B Ice Shelf started to accelerate soon after the ice shelf disintegrated in March 2002. We analyse high resolution radar images of the TerraSAR-X satellite, launched in June 2007, to map the motion of outlet glaciers in detail. The frontal velocities are used to estimate the calving fluxes for 2008/2009. As reference for pre-collapse conditions, when the glaciers were in balanced state, the ice fluxes through the same gates are computed using ice motion maps derived from interferometric data of the ERS-1/ERS-2 satellites in 1995 and 1999. The difference between the pre- and post-collapse fluxes provides an estimate on the mass imbalance. For the Larsen-B embayment the 2008 mass deficit is estimated at 5.94 ± 1.55 Gt/yr, significantly lower than previously published values. The ice flow acceleration follows a similar pattern on the various glaciers, being initiated at the calving terminus. The acceleration extends far upstream, gradually decreasing in magnitude with distance from the front. This suggests stress perturbation at the glacier front being a main factor for acceleration. So far there are no signs of slow-down indicating that dynamic thinning and frontal retreat will go on.
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Notice on Discussion StatusCitation: Rott, H., Müller, F., Nagler, T., and Floricioiu, D.: The imbalance of glaciers after disintegration of Larsen B ice shelf, Antarctic Peninsula, The Cryosphere Discuss., 4, 1607-1633, doi:10.5194/tcd-4-1607-2010, 2010. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
