Cause of Massive Ice Shelf Collapse Questioned
Different views of the breakup of the massive Larsen B Ice Shelf which made numerous media headlines across the world back in 2002.
Climate change was not the only thing responsible for the collapse of the Larsen B ice shelf on the Antarctica Peninsula six years ago, but it was only only one of a number of contributory factors, according to a new study just published in the Journal of Glaciology by Dr. Neil Glasser of Aberystwyth University and Ted Scambos from Colorado University.
The study, as reported by the BBC article says that the ice shelf was on the brink of collapse for decades and that a combination of atmospheric, oceanic and glaciological factors contributed to its demise.
Melting from higher ocean temperatures or a gradual decline in the ice mass of the peninsula over the centuries pushed the Larsen B shelf to the brink, according to Dr. Scambos.
In their conclusion, the author's mentioned the following main reasons for the collapse....
1. Structural glaciological discontinuities played a large part because they rendered the ice shelf mechanically weak.
2. Failures along weakly sutured flow-unit boundaries.
3. Loss of ice at the shelf front, which is the strongest part of the shelf.
4. Perturbations of input velocity from tributary glacier flows caused the sutures to rupture and cause the ice shelf to collapse rapidly.
