Nature Communications (Feb 2019)

Direct measurements of ice-shelf flexure caused by surface meltwater ponding and drainage

  • Alison F. Banwell,
  • Ian C. Willis,
  • Grant J. Macdonald,
  • Becky Goodsell,
  • Douglas R. MacAyeal

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-08522-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Meltwater ponding on top of ice shelves is thought to play a role in ice-shelf flexure and fracture, however in-situ evidence of these mechanisms is lacking. Here, the authors provide field-based evidence showing the impact of the filling and draining of four surface lakes on ice-shelf flexure in Antarctica.