Recent thinning and migration of the Western Divide, central West Antarctica
Recent thinning and migration of the Western Divide, central West Antarctica
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DOI：
10.1029/2009gl038072
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发表时间：
2009-06
影响因子：
5.2
通讯作者：
H. Conway;L. A. Rasmussen
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
H. Conway;L. A. Rasmussen
我们报告的观测结果显示，南极洲西部罗斯海和阿蒙森海之间的西部分水岭目前正在变薄~ 0.08 m a - 1，并以10 m a - 1的速度向罗斯海迁移。跨分水岭厚度变化的不对称模式不是由积累梯度的变化引起的，而是由阿蒙森海扇区比罗斯海扇区更强的动力减薄引起的。现有的地质和冰川学数据表明，这种变薄的模式至少持续了两千年，在过去的几个世纪里，不对称性可能有所增加。然而，我们的数据不足以确定目前西部分水岭的迁移是对长期（千年）强迫、短期（百年）强迫的响应，还是两者兼而有之。
We report observations that show the Western Divide, between the Ross and Amundsen Sea sectors in West Antarctica, is currently thinning ∼0.08 m a−1 and migrating toward the Ross Sea at 10 m a−1. The asymmetric pattern of thickness change across the divide is not caused by changes in the accumulation gradient, but rather by dynamical thinning that is stronger in the Amundsen Sea sector than in the Ross Sea sector. Available geological and glaciological data indicate that this pattern of thinning has persisted for at least two millennia, with increased asymmetry likely over the past few centuries. Our data however, are not sufficient to determine whether the present‐day migration of the Western Divide is a response to long‐term (millennial) forcing, shorter‐term (centennial) forcing, or both.