Categories: Cryosphere Capsules

Warm Surface Water “Bends” and Fractures Portions of West Antarctic Ice Shelf

Geophysical Research Letters, April 11

Although loss from Antarctica’s ice shelves is dominated by large calving events; smaller, more frequent fractures also occur. Such fractures can be caused by warm near-surface water in the summer, lifting a portion of the ice shelf behind its leading edge, causing the shelf to bend and fracture. This study observed such smaller fractures on the massive Ross Ice Shelf in West Antarctica. Rising ocean surface temperatures may lead to more such events in future.

https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/1501/2021/

Compiled by Amy Imdieke

Pam Pearson

Recent Posts

Extreme Summer Heat Melted 1% of Svalbard’s Glacier Ice in 6 Weeks

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 18 August 2025) A 6-week period of record-high…

1 month ago

Svalbard Winter Warming Rises Above Melting Point of Ice

Nature Communications, 21 July 2025 Winter air temperatures exceeded 0°C for 14 days during February…

1 month ago

COP Video of the Week: Disappearing Glaciers and Snowpack in Ny-Ålesund

Svalbard is warming six to seven times faster than the global average and strongly responds…

1 month ago

COP30 Cryosphere Pavilion: Applications Welcome

Dear Friends of the Cryosphere Pavilion and Cryosphere Capsule Readers, We are happy to announce…

3 months ago

COP30 Cryosphere Pavilion: Call for Side Events and ECS Volunteers

Dear Friends of the Cryosphere Pavilion and Cryosphere Capsule Readers! The COP30 Cryosphere Pavilion side…

3 months ago

Ancient River Landscapes Steer Ice Movement in East Antarctica

Nature Geoscience, 11 July 2025 New radar measurements identify remarkably flat surfaces and deep troughs…

3 months ago