Journal
JOURNAL OF GLACIOLOGY
Volume 60, Issue 224, Pages 1053-1064Publisher
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.3189/2014JoG14J052
Keywords
Antarctic glaciology; glacier flow; ice dynamics
Funding
- US National Science Foundation (NSF) [ANT-0944597]
- NASA [NNX11AR23G, NNX10AT68G]
- NSF [ANT-0424589]
- NASA [137547, NNX11AR23G] Funding Source: Federal RePORTER
- Office of Polar Programs (OPP)
- Directorate For Geosciences [0944597] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Force-balance calculations on Byrd Glacier, East Antarctica, reveal large spatial variations in the along-flow component of driving stress with corresponding sticky spots that are stationary over time. On the large scale, flow resistance is partitioned between basal (similar to 80%) and lateral (similar to 20%) drag. Ice flow is due mostly to basal sliding and concentrated vertical shear in the basal ice layers, indicating the bed is at or close to the pressure-melting temperature. There is a significant component of driving stress in the across-flow direction resulting in nonzero basal drag in that direction. This is an unrealistic result and we propose that there are spatial variations of bed features resulting in small-scale flow disturbances. The grounding line of Byrd Glacier is located in a region where the bed slopes upward. Nevertheless, despite a 10% increase in ice discharge between December 2005 and February 2007, following drainage of two subglacial lakes in the catchment area, the position of the grounding line has not retreated significantly and the glacier has decelerated since then. During the speed-up event, partitioning of flow resistance did not change, suggesting the increase in velocity was caused by a temporary decrease in basal effective pressure.
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