Hjem
Geofysisk institutt

GFI/BCCR Seminar: Foehn flows and ice shelf melt in the Antartic Peninsula

Hovedinnhold

Ian Renfrew (University of East Anglia):

Foehn flows and ice shelf melt in the Antartic Peninsula

Abstract

The ice shelves surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula are vulnerable to climate change. On the eastern side of the Peninsula, the Larsen C ice shelf is the most northerly remaining, following the recent collapses of Larsen A and Larsen B primarily driven by surface melting and hydrofracturing. One cause of surface melting is the relatively warm air flowing over the Antarctic Peninsula and flooding the ice shelves during foehn flows. Here I will review recent research on foehn flows: their characteristics and dynamics, and their impact on the surface energy balance of the Larsen C ice shelf.