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Tracking the Cracking: a Holistic Analysis of Rapid Ice Shelf Fracture Using Seismology, Geodesy, and Satellite Imagery on the Pine Island Glacier Ice Shelf, West Antarctica
  • +2
  • Seth Olinger,
  • Bradley Paul Lipovsky,
  • Marine Denolle,
  • Brendan W Crowell,
  • Stephanie Olinger
Seth Olinger
Harvard University, Harvard University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Bradley Paul Lipovsky
University of Washington, University of Washington, University of Washington
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Marine Denolle
Harvard University, Harvard University, Harvard University
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Brendan W Crowell
University of Washington, University of Washington, University of Washington
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Stephanie Olinger
Harvard University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

Ice shelves regulate the stability of marine ice sheets. We track fractures on Pine Island Glacier (PIG) –a quickly accelerating glacier in West Antarctica that contributes more to sea level rise than any other glacier. TerraSAR-X imagery from 2012-2014 shows the formation of wing cracks, new rift formation, opening along a large rift, small calving events, and one large tabular calving event. Using a temporary on-ice seismic network, we catalog icequakes that dominantly consist of flexural gravity waves. The icequakes occur in three spatial groups: near the rift tip, where the rift reaches the margin, and the transition between intact and damaged margin. Rift tip icequakes correlate with ice speed and therefore link glaciological stresses and fracture. Using a simple flexural gravity wave model, we deconvolve wave propagation effects to estimate icequake source durations $O[10$ s$]$ and transient loads $O[$kPa$]$ corresponding to $ O[$m$]$ of crevasse growth per icequake.