Tidally controlled stick-slip discharge of a West Antarctic ice stream

Robert A. Bindschadler; Matt A. King; Richard B. Alley; Sridhar Anandakrishnan; Laurence Padman

doi:10.1126/science.1087231

Tidally controlled stick-slip discharge of a West Antarctic ice stream

Robert A. Bindschadler, Matt A. King, Richard B. Alley, Sridhar Anandakrishnan, Laurence Padman

Geosciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

185 Scopus citations

Abstract

A major West Antarctic ice stream discharges by sudden and brief periods of very rapid motion paced by oceanic tidal oscillations of about 1 meter. Acceleration to speeds greater than 1 meter per hour and deceleration back to a stationary state occur in minutes or less. Slip propagates at approximately 88 meters per second, suggestive of a shear wave traveling within the subglacial till. A model of an episodically slipping friction-locked fault reproduces the observed quasi-periodic event timing, demonstrating an ice stream's ability to change speed rapidly and its extreme sensitivity to subglacial conditions and variations in sea level.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1087-1089
Number of pages	3
Journal	Science
Volume	301
Issue number	5636
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1087231
State	Published - Aug 22 2003

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General

Access to Document

10.1126/science.1087231

Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Tidally controlled stick-slip discharge of a West Antarctic ice stream'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this

Bindschadler, R. A., King, M. A., Alley, R. B., Anandakrishnan, S., & Padman, L. (2003). Tidally controlled stick-slip discharge of a West Antarctic ice stream. Science, 301(5636), 1087-1089. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1087231

@article{dd10b78da14a42e9adc915b953cb0cbb,

title = "Tidally controlled stick-slip discharge of a West Antarctic ice stream",

abstract = "A major West Antarctic ice stream discharges by sudden and brief periods of very rapid motion paced by oceanic tidal oscillations of about 1 meter. Acceleration to speeds greater than 1 meter per hour and deceleration back to a stationary state occur in minutes or less. Slip propagates at approximately 88 meters per second, suggestive of a shear wave traveling within the subglacial till. A model of an episodically slipping friction-locked fault reproduces the observed quasi-periodic event timing, demonstrating an ice stream's ability to change speed rapidly and its extreme sensitivity to subglacial conditions and variations in sea level.",

author = "Bindschadler, {Robert A.} and King, {Matt A.} and Alley, {Richard B.} and Sridhar Anandakrishnan and Laurence Padman",

year = "2003",

month = aug,

day = "22",

doi = "10.1126/science.1087231",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "301",

pages = "1087--1089",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "5636",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Tidally controlled stick-slip discharge of a West Antarctic ice stream

AU - Bindschadler, Robert A.

AU - King, Matt A.

AU - Alley, Richard B.

AU - Anandakrishnan, Sridhar

AU - Padman, Laurence

PY - 2003/8/22

Y1 - 2003/8/22

N2 - A major West Antarctic ice stream discharges by sudden and brief periods of very rapid motion paced by oceanic tidal oscillations of about 1 meter. Acceleration to speeds greater than 1 meter per hour and deceleration back to a stationary state occur in minutes or less. Slip propagates at approximately 88 meters per second, suggestive of a shear wave traveling within the subglacial till. A model of an episodically slipping friction-locked fault reproduces the observed quasi-periodic event timing, demonstrating an ice stream's ability to change speed rapidly and its extreme sensitivity to subglacial conditions and variations in sea level.

AB - A major West Antarctic ice stream discharges by sudden and brief periods of very rapid motion paced by oceanic tidal oscillations of about 1 meter. Acceleration to speeds greater than 1 meter per hour and deceleration back to a stationary state occur in minutes or less. Slip propagates at approximately 88 meters per second, suggestive of a shear wave traveling within the subglacial till. A model of an episodically slipping friction-locked fault reproduces the observed quasi-periodic event timing, demonstrating an ice stream's ability to change speed rapidly and its extreme sensitivity to subglacial conditions and variations in sea level.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0042431626&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0042431626&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/science.1087231

DO - 10.1126/science.1087231

M3 - Article

C2 - 12934005

AN - SCOPUS:0042431626

VL - 301

SP - 1087

EP - 1089

JO - Science

JF - Science

SN - 0036-8075

IS - 5636

ER -