Grounding line retreat and tide-modulated ocean channels at Moscow University and Totten Glacier ice shelves, East Antarctica

Tian Li; Geoffrey J Dawson; Stephen J Chuter; Jonathan L Bamber

doi:10.5194/tc-17-1003-2023

Grounding line retreat and tide-modulated ocean channels at Moscow University and Totten Glacier ice shelves, East Antarctica

Tian Li^*, Geoffrey J Dawson, Stephen J Chuter, Jonathan L Bamber^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

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Abstract

The Totten and Moscow University glaciers, located in East Antarctica, contain 5.1 m sea-level equivalent of ice and have been losing mass over recent decades. Using ICESat-2 laser altimetry repeat track analysis and satellite radar interferometry from Sentinel-1a/b synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, we mapped the grounding line (GL) locations of these two glaciers between 2017 and 2021. By comparing the 2017–2021 GL measurements with historic GLs, we detected pervasive GL retreats along the ice plains at the glacier central trunk of Totten Glacier Ice Shelf (TGIS) and Moscow University Ice Shelf (MUIS). The GL retreated 3.51±0.49 km at TGIS, while it retreated 13.85±0.08 km at MUIS from 1996. Using CryoSat-2 radar altimetry, we found that the observed GL retreats are coincident with high thinning rates, in addition to high ice velocities, indicating a mass loss pattern dominated by ice dynamics. We also identified two tide-modulated ocean channels on Totten Glacier Eastern Ice Shelf (TGEIS) and Moscow University Western Ice Shelf (MUWIS), where the ocean channel widths are highly correlated with the differential tidal amplitudes. The opening of the MUWIS ocean channel connects the two previously separated TGIS and MUIS systems, which might open a pathway for the warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water to enter the main MUIS cavity and facilitate further GL retreat.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1003-1022
Number of pages	20
Journal	Cryosphere
Volume	17
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1003-2023
Publication status	Published - 2 Mar 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research has been supported by the European Research Council, H2020 European Research Council (GlobalMass (grant no. 694188)), the European Space Agency (grant no. 4000133466/20/I/NB), and the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (grant no. 01DD20001).This work was supported by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in the framework of the Open Access Publishing Program.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Tian Li et al.

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GlobalMass

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8087 ESA Chuter 4000133466/20/I/NB: Fingerprinting Approach To Close Regional Sea Level Budgets Using ESA-CCI
Chuter, S. J. (Principal Investigator)
1/02/21 → 31/01/23
Project: Research
GlobalMass: Global ice and ocean mass trends
Bates, P. D. (Co-Principal Investigator), Bingham, R. J. (Co-Principal Investigator), Chuter, S. J. (Researcher), Hofer, S. (Student), Llovell, W. (Researcher), Martin Espanol, A. (Researcher), Rougier, J. C. (Co-Principal Investigator), Schumacher, M. (Researcher), Sha, Z. (Researcher), Westaway, R. M. (Manager), Royston, S. J. (Researcher), Vishwakarma, B. D. (Researcher), Bamber, J. L. (Principal Investigator), Brady, A. (Researcher), Ziegler, Y. (Researcher), Abele, A. K. (Student) & Lehmann, F. (Student)
1/08/16 → 30/11/22
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Grounding line retreat and tide-modulated ocean channels at Moscow University and Totten Glacier ice shelves, East Antarctica",

abstract = "The Totten and Moscow University glaciers, located in East Antarctica, contain 5.1 m sea-level equivalent of ice and have been losing mass over recent decades. Using ICESat-2 laser altimetry repeat track analysis and satellite radar interferometry from Sentinel-1a/b synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, we mapped the grounding line (GL) locations of these two glaciers between 2017 and 2021. By comparing the 2017–2021 GL measurements with historic GLs, we detected pervasive GL retreats along the ice plains at the glacier central trunk of Totten Glacier Ice Shelf (TGIS) and Moscow University Ice Shelf (MUIS). The GL retreated 3.51±0.49 km at TGIS, while it retreated 13.85±0.08 km at MUIS from 1996. Using CryoSat-2 radar altimetry, we found that the observed GL retreats are coincident with high thinning rates, in addition to high ice velocities, indicating a mass loss pattern dominated by ice dynamics. We also identified two tide-modulated ocean channels on Totten Glacier Eastern Ice Shelf (TGEIS) and Moscow University Western Ice Shelf (MUWIS), where the ocean channel widths are highly correlated with the differential tidal amplitudes. The opening of the MUWIS ocean channel connects the two previously separated TGIS and MUIS systems, which might open a pathway for the warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water to enter the main MUIS cavity and facilitate further GL retreat.",

author = "Tian Li and Dawson, {Geoffrey J} and Chuter, {Stephen J} and Bamber, {Jonathan L}",

note = "Funding Information: This research has been supported by the European Research Council, H2020 European Research Council (GlobalMass (grant no. 694188)), the European Space Agency (grant no. 4000133466/20/I/NB), and the Bundesministerium f{\"u}r Bildung und Forschung (grant no. 01DD20001).This work was supported by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in the framework of the Open Access Publishing Program. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 Tian Li et al.",

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T1 - Grounding line retreat and tide-modulated ocean channels at Moscow University and Totten Glacier ice shelves, East Antarctica

AU - Li, Tian

AU - Dawson, Geoffrey J

AU - Chuter, Stephen J

AU - Bamber, Jonathan L

N1 - Funding Information: This research has been supported by the European Research Council, H2020 European Research Council (GlobalMass (grant no. 694188)), the European Space Agency (grant no. 4000133466/20/I/NB), and the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (grant no. 01DD20001).This work was supported by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in the framework of the Open Access Publishing Program. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Tian Li et al.

PY - 2023/3/2

Y1 - 2023/3/2

N2 - The Totten and Moscow University glaciers, located in East Antarctica, contain 5.1 m sea-level equivalent of ice and have been losing mass over recent decades. Using ICESat-2 laser altimetry repeat track analysis and satellite radar interferometry from Sentinel-1a/b synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, we mapped the grounding line (GL) locations of these two glaciers between 2017 and 2021. By comparing the 2017–2021 GL measurements with historic GLs, we detected pervasive GL retreats along the ice plains at the glacier central trunk of Totten Glacier Ice Shelf (TGIS) and Moscow University Ice Shelf (MUIS). The GL retreated 3.51±0.49 km at TGIS, while it retreated 13.85±0.08 km at MUIS from 1996. Using CryoSat-2 radar altimetry, we found that the observed GL retreats are coincident with high thinning rates, in addition to high ice velocities, indicating a mass loss pattern dominated by ice dynamics. We also identified two tide-modulated ocean channels on Totten Glacier Eastern Ice Shelf (TGEIS) and Moscow University Western Ice Shelf (MUWIS), where the ocean channel widths are highly correlated with the differential tidal amplitudes. The opening of the MUWIS ocean channel connects the two previously separated TGIS and MUIS systems, which might open a pathway for the warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water to enter the main MUIS cavity and facilitate further GL retreat.

AB - The Totten and Moscow University glaciers, located in East Antarctica, contain 5.1 m sea-level equivalent of ice and have been losing mass over recent decades. Using ICESat-2 laser altimetry repeat track analysis and satellite radar interferometry from Sentinel-1a/b synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, we mapped the grounding line (GL) locations of these two glaciers between 2017 and 2021. By comparing the 2017–2021 GL measurements with historic GLs, we detected pervasive GL retreats along the ice plains at the glacier central trunk of Totten Glacier Ice Shelf (TGIS) and Moscow University Ice Shelf (MUIS). The GL retreated 3.51±0.49 km at TGIS, while it retreated 13.85±0.08 km at MUIS from 1996. Using CryoSat-2 radar altimetry, we found that the observed GL retreats are coincident with high thinning rates, in addition to high ice velocities, indicating a mass loss pattern dominated by ice dynamics. We also identified two tide-modulated ocean channels on Totten Glacier Eastern Ice Shelf (TGEIS) and Moscow University Western Ice Shelf (MUWIS), where the ocean channel widths are highly correlated with the differential tidal amplitudes. The opening of the MUWIS ocean channel connects the two previously separated TGIS and MUIS systems, which might open a pathway for the warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water to enter the main MUIS cavity and facilitate further GL retreat.

U2 - 10.5194/tc-17-1003-2023

DO - 10.5194/tc-17-1003-2023

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

SN - 1994-0416

VL - 17

SP - 1003

EP - 1022

JO - Cryosphere

JF - Cryosphere

IS - 2

ER -

Grounding line retreat and tide-modulated ocean channels at Moscow University and Totten Glacier ice shelves, East Antarctica

Abstract

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8087 ESA Chuter 4000133466/20/I/NB: Fingerprinting Approach To Close Regional Sea Level Budgets Using ESA-CCI

GlobalMass: Global ice and ocean mass trends

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