%0 Journal Article
%T Mechanical effect of m¨Ślange-induced buttressing on embayment-terminating glacier dynamics
%A D. Seneca Lindsey
%A T. K. Dupont
%J The Cryosphere Discussions
%D 2012
%I Copernicus Publications
%R 10.5194/tcd-6-4123-2012
%X Embayment terminating glaciers interact dynamically with seasonal sea ice and icebergs, a mixture we refer to as m¨Ślange. For certain glaciers, m¨Ślange prevents calved bergs from rotating away from the front, thus allowing the ice front to advance into the embayment. Here we demonstrate that m¨Ślange can, if rigid enough, provide sufficient buttressing to reduce the calving rate, while leaving the ice-front velocity largely unaffected. The net result is additional ice-front advance. Observations indicate a seasonal advance/retreat cycle has occurred at Jakobshavn Isbr  since the 1950s. We model an idealized Jakobshavn Isbr -like scenario and find that m¨Ślange may be responsible for a seasonal ice-front advance of up to 0.6 km. These results come from a model that incorporates m¨Ślange into the interior of the domain, includes relevant stresses, and models drag via a kinematic boundary condition. A weakening or loss of m¨Ślange due to increasing temperatures would lead to further mass loss from glaciers such as Jakobshavn Isbr .
%U http://www.the-cryosphere-discuss.net/6/4123/2012/tcd-6-4123-2012.pdf