Changes in glacier dynamics in the northern Antarctic Peninsula since 1985
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 norther...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2018-02-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | https://www.the-cryosphere.net/12/577/2018/tc-12-577-2018.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811196643961208832 |
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| author | T. Seehaus A. J. Cook A. B. Silva M. Braun |
| author_facet | T. Seehaus A. J. Cook A. B. Silva M. Braun |
| author_sort | T. Seehaus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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
(1985–2015) and ice surface velocity (1992–2014) 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<sup>2</sup> is found for the period 1985–2015, of which the
glaciers affected by ice shelf disintegration showed the largest retreat by
208.59 km<sup>2</sup>. Glaciers on the east coast north of the former Prince
Gustav Ice Shelf extent in 1986 receded by only 21.07 km<sup>2</sup>
(1985–2015) and decelerated by about 58 % on average (1992–2014).
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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:02:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9084a08a5f624489908880eb9427aefc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:02:25Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-9084a08a5f624489908880eb9427aefc2022-12-22T03:54:25ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242018-02-011257759410.5194/tc-12-577-2018Changes in glacier dynamics in the northern Antarctic Peninsula since 1985T. Seehaus0A. J. Cook1A. B. Silva2M. Braun3Institute of Geography, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Wetterkreuz 15, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyDepartment of Geography, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UKLaboratório de Monitoramento da Criosfera, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Av. Itália, km 8, 96203-900, Rio Grande, BrazilInstitute of Geography, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Wetterkreuz 15, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyThe 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 (1985–2015) and ice surface velocity (1992–2014) 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<sup>2</sup> is found for the period 1985–2015, of which the glaciers affected by ice shelf disintegration showed the largest retreat by 208.59 km<sup>2</sup>. Glaciers on the east coast north of the former Prince Gustav Ice Shelf extent in 1986 receded by only 21.07 km<sup>2</sup> (1985–2015) and decelerated by about 58 % on average (1992–2014). 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.https://www.the-cryosphere.net/12/577/2018/tc-12-577-2018.pdf |
| spellingShingle | T. Seehaus A. J. Cook A. B. Silva M. Braun Changes in glacier dynamics in the northern Antarctic Peninsula since 1985 The Cryosphere |
| title | Changes in glacier dynamics in the northern Antarctic Peninsula since 1985 |
| title_full | Changes in glacier dynamics in the northern Antarctic Peninsula since 1985 |
| title_fullStr | Changes in glacier dynamics in the northern Antarctic Peninsula since 1985 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in glacier dynamics in the northern Antarctic Peninsula since 1985 |
| title_short | Changes in glacier dynamics in the northern Antarctic Peninsula since 1985 |
| title_sort | changes in glacier dynamics in the northern antarctic peninsula since 1985 |
| url | https://www.the-cryosphere.net/12/577/2018/tc-12-577-2018.pdf |
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