Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1442
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1442
31 May 2024
 | 31 May 2024

Speed-up, slowdown, and redirection of ice flow on neighbouring ice streams in the Pope, Smith and Kohler region of West Antarctica

Heather Louise Selley, Anna E. Hogg, Benjamin J. Davison, Pierre Dutrieux, and Thomas Slater

Abstract. The ice streams feeding Dotson and Crosson Ice Shelves are some of the fastest changing in West Antarctica. We use satellite observations to measure the change in ice speed and flow direction on eight ice streams in the Pope, Smith and Kohler region of West Antarctica from 2005 to 2022. Seven ice streams have sped up at the grounding line, with the largest increase in ice speed at Smith West Glacier (87 %) whilst Kohler West Glacier has slowed by 10 %. We observe progressive redirection of ice flowlines from Kohler West into the more rapidly thinning and accelerating Kohler East Glacier, resulting in the deceleration of Kohler West Glacier and eastward migration of the ice divide between Dotson and Crosson Ice Shelves. These observations reveal previously undocumented impacts of spatially varying ice speed and thickness changes on flow direction and ice flux into downstream ice shelves, which may influence ice shelf and sheet mass change during the 21st century.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Heather Louise Selley, Anna E. Hogg, Benjamin J. Davison, Pierre Dutrieux, and Thomas Slater

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
Heather Louise Selley, Anna E. Hogg, Benjamin J. Davison, Pierre Dutrieux, and Thomas Slater
Heather Louise Selley, Anna E. Hogg, Benjamin J. Davison, Pierre Dutrieux, and Thomas Slater

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Ice streams are dynamical features that control the ice flow from an ice sheet's interior to its margin. Due to their dynamical nature, ice streams may change flow speed and direction in response to external forcing or due to internal variability. This study investigates the interplay between neighbouring ice streams that feed the Dotson and Crosson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica. The authors use satellite observations to measure the change in ice speed and flow direction from 2005 to 2022, and their observations reveal a highly complex pattern of dynamical changes and the redirection of ice flow from one stream to another. These observations reveal previously undocumented impacts of spatially varying ice flow, which may influence the ice shelf and ice sheet.
Short summary
We used satellite observations to measure recent changes in ice speed and flow direction in the Pope, Smith and Kohler Region of West Antarctica (2005–2022). We found substantial speed up on seven ice streams of up to 87 %. However, Kohler West Glacier has slowed by 10%, due to the redirection of ice flow into its rapidly thinning neighbour. This process of ‘ice piracy’ hasn’t previously been directly observed on this rapid timescale and may influence future ice shelf and sheet mass changes.