Science Source

Oceanic and atmospheric forcing of Larsen C Ice-Shelf thinning

States that the collapses of Larsen A and B ice shelves on the eastern Antarctic Peninsula have caused their tributary glaciers to accelerate, contributing to sea-level rise
States that the surface of Larsen C Ice Shelf (LCIS), the largest ice shelf on the peninsula, is lowering
Hypothesizes that this could be caused by unbalanced ocean melting (ice loss) or enhanced firn melting and compaction (englacial air loss)
Derives separate estimates of ice and air thickness changes during a 15-year period using a novel method to analyze eight radar surveys
Finds that the uncertainties are considerable, but the primary estimate is that the surveyed lowering (0.066 ± 0.017 meters per year) is caused by both ice loss (0.28 ± 0.18 meters per year) and firn-air loss (0.037 ± 0.026 meters per year)
Results indicate that the ice loss is much larger than the air loss, but both contribute approximately equally to the lowering because the ice is floating