An investigation into the Amery Ice Shelf calving event based on multi-source remote sensing data

• 1、State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
• 2、Joint Center for Global Change and China Green Development, Beijing 100875, China

Abstract：Ice shelf calving is resulted from rifts propagation and is the main contributor to Antarctic ice shelf mass loss. To determine the causes of the Amery Ice Shelf front calving event and rifts propagation characteristics, we extracted ice shelf front line and rifts contours from multi-source remote sensing data including Declassified Intelligence Satellite Photographs (DISP), Landsat images and Envisat ASAR images. We found that the front of the Amery Ice Shelf calved into two tabular icebergs with total area exceeding 10000km2 in 1962-1965. The rifts propagation is part of the normal cycle of the Amery Ice Shelf when advancing beyond the confining embayment, which is controlled by inner glaciological forces, and suture zones on the Amery Ice Shelf can promote rift growth. Besides, our calculations also indicate that the calving cycle of the Amery Ice Shelf is about 70 years.

Keywords： Geography The Amery Ice Shelf Rifts Ice shelf calving