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#iceshelf — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #iceshelf, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Tides Widen Ice Cracks

    When icebergs calve off of Arctic and Antarctic coastlines, it affects glacial flows upstream as well as local mixing between fresh- and seawater. A recent study points to ocean tides as a major factor in widening the ice cracks that lead to calving. The team built a simplified mathematical model of an ice shelf, taking into account the ice’s viscoelasticity, local tides, and winds. Then they compared the model’s predictions with satellite, GPS, and radar data of Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf, where an iceberg the size of Greater London broke off in 2023.

    Between their model and the observation data, the team was able to show that the crack that preceded calving consistently grew during the spring tides, when tidal forces were at their strongest. The work gives us one more clue for refining our predictions of when major calving events are likely. (Image and research credit: O. Marsh et al.; via Gizmodo)

    #calving #fluidDynamics #iceShelf #iceberg #oceanTides #physics #science #viscoelasticity

  2. Ponding on the Ice Shelf

    Glaciers flow together and march out to sea along the Amery Ice Shelf in this satellite image of Antarctica. Three glaciers — flowing from the top, left, and bottom of the image — meet just to the right of center and pass from the continental bedrock onto the ice-covered ocean. The ice shelf is recognizable by its plethora of meltwater ponds, which appear as bright blue areas. Each austral summer, meltwater gathers in low-lying regions on the ice, potentially destabilizing the ice shelf through fracture and drainage. This region near the ice shelf’s grounding line is particularly prone to ponding. Regions further afield (right, beyond the image) are colder and drier, often allowing meltwater to refreeze. (Image credit: W. Liang; via NASA Earth Observatory)

    #fluidDynamics #geophysics #glacier #iceShelf #melting #physics #planetaryScience #satelliteImage #science

  3. I *really* like this photo of an #IceShelf edge shown by Noel Gourmelen on the #Polar+ project.

    It really emphasises that these are 3D and 4D problems, not the usual 2D cross section or plan view.. we really need to understand these processes to assess #Antarctic stability
    #ESSI

  4. Ummmm...

    Massive #Iceberg Breaks Off #Antarctic #Brunt #IceShelf - View From Space

    July 10, 2023

    A 1550 square km (963 sq mi.) iceberg, designated A81, recently broke off Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf. A time-lapse of the 'calving process' was captured by satellites, according to ESA.

    msn.com/en-us/weather/topstori

    #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateCatastrophe