title: Pan-ice-sheet glacier terminus change in East Antarctica reveals sensitivity of Wilkes Land to sea-ice changes.
abstract: The dynamics of ocean-terminating outlet glaciers are an important component of ice-sheet mass balance. Using satellite imagery for the past 40 years, we compile an approximately decadal record of outlet-glacier terminus position change around the entire East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) marine margin. We find that most outlet glaciers retreated during the period 1974-1990, before switching to advance in every drainage basin during the two most recent periods, 1990-2000 and 2000-2012. The only exception to this trend was in Wilkes Land, where the majority of glaciers (74%) retreated between 2000 and 2012. We hypothesize that this anomalous retreat is linked to a reduction in sea ice and associated impacts on ocean stratification, which increases the incursion of warm deep water toward glacier termini. Because Wilkes Land overlies a large marine basin, it raises the possibility of a future sea level contribution from this sector of East Antarctica.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Durham University, Science Site, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
authors.forename: Bertie W J
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Durham University, Science Site, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
authors.forename: Chris R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Stokes
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Durham University, Science Site, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
authors.forename: Stewart S R
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Jamieson
mesh_terms: D000864:Antarctic Regions; D002980:Climate; D005843:Geography; D007053:Ice; D046448:Ice Cover; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater
chemical_list: D007053:Ice
keywords: Antarctica; East Antarctic Ice Sheet; Wilkes Land; glaciers; sea ice