Ocean forcing of glacier retreat in the western Antarctic Peninsula

Cook, A.J.; Holland, P.R.; Meredith, M.P.; Murray, T.; Luckman, A.; Vaughan, D.G.

Abstract

In recent decades, hundreds of glaciers draining the Antarctic Peninsula (63° to 70°S) have undergone systematic and progressive change. These changes are widely attributed to rapid increases in regional surface air temperature, but it is now clear that this cannot be the sole driver. Here, we identify a strong correspondence between mid-depth ocean temperatures and glacier-front changes along the ~1000-kilometer western coastline. In the south, glaciers that terminate in warm Circumpolar Deep Water have undergone considerable retreat, whereas those in the far northwest, which terminate in cooler waters, have not. Furthermore, a mid-ocean warming since the 1990s in the south is coincident with widespread acceleration of glacier retreat. We conclude that changes in ocean-induced melting are the primary cause of retreat for glaciers in this region.

Citation

Cook, A., Holland, P., Meredith, M., Murray, T., Luckman, A., & Vaughan, D. (2016). Ocean forcing of glacier retreat in the western Antarctic Peninsula. Science, 353(6296), 283-286. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aae0017

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 9, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jul 15, 2016
• Publication Date: Jul 15, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jul 27, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 9, 2016
• Journal: Science
• Print ISSN: 0036-8075
• Electronic ISSN: 1095-9203
• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 353
• Issue: 6296
• Pages: 283-286
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aae0017
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1407251