Understanding the effect of seasonal variability on the structure of ice shelves and meltwater plumes

Thesis

Ice shelves are important to the climate system as they control the release of fresh water from ice sheets into the ocean, with consequences for sea level rise and ocean dynamics. Channels modifying basal melt rates and structural integrity have been observed inscribed in the undersides of some ice shelves. Observations indicate that some channels run in a direction transverse to ice flow and it has been suggested that these form due to seasonal variations in ocean properties.

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Authors: MacMackin, C

• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Channelisation; Shallow Shelf Model; Ice Shelves; Pine Island Glacier; Plume Model
• Subjects: Geophysical Fluid Dynamics; Mathematical Modelling; Glaciology; Physics