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Evolution of Shear‐Zone Fractures Presages the Disintegration of Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf
,
David A. Lilien ,
Martin Truffer ,
Adrian Luckman ,
Christian T. Wild ,
Erin C. Pettit ,
Ted A. Scambos ,
Atsuhiro Muto ,
Karen E. Alley
Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, Volume: 130, Issue: 9
Swansea University Author:
Adrian Luckman
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DOI (Published version): 10.1029/2025jf008352
Abstract
Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf (TEIS) is a partially confined floating extension of Thwaites Glacier, anchored by an offshore pinning point at its northern terminus. Over the past two decades, the shelf has experienced progressive fracturing around a prominent shear zone upstream of its pinning point, g...
| Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface |
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| ISSN: | 2169-9003 2169-9011 |
| Published: |
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2025
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70868 |
| Abstract: |
Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf (TEIS) is a partially confined floating extension of Thwaites Glacier, anchored by an offshore pinning point at its northern terminus. Over the past two decades, the shelf has experienced progressive fracturing around a prominent shear zone upstream of its pinning point, gradually compromising its structural integrity. Here we present an analysis of shear-zone fracture evolution from 2002 to 2022 and its control on the flow dynamics of the ice shelf using satellite remote sensing and in situ GPS observations. We compiled multi-year statistics of fracture length and orientation from Landsat and Sentinel-1 imagery and compared their changes with evolving flow dynamics and surface strain rates. Ongoing disintegration driven by the shelf's shearing against the pinning point occurred in two stages: propagation of large shearing fractures approximately parallel to flow earlier in the record, followed by the rapid formation of smaller tensile fractures approximately perpendicular to flow later in the record. We also observed velocity perturbations originating from the shear zone and propagating across the main ice shelf, observationally demonstrating the direct impact that shear-zone disintegration has on the dynamics of TEIS. |
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| Keywords: |
Thwaites; ice-shelf flow dynamics; ice-shelf fractures; ice/ocean interactions; strain rates; shear margin |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
Canada Excellence Research Chairs Program; University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship; Centre for Earth Observation Science; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Grant Number: RGPIN-2021-02910; National Science Foundation. Grant Numbers: NSF OPP-1738992, 1929991; Natural Environment Research Council. Grant Number: NE/S006419/1. |
| Issue: |
9 |