Journal article
Context for the Recent Massive Petermann Glacier Calving Event
Oregon State University1
California Institute of Technology2
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland3
Fisheries and Oceans Canada4
University of Delaware5
Ohio State University6
University of Oxford7
Microwaves and Remote Sensing, National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark8
National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark9
University of Ottawa10
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences11
...and 1 moreOn 4 August 2010, about one fifth of the floating ice tongue of Petermann Glacier (also known as “Petermann Gletscher”) in northwestern Greenland calved (Figure 1). The resulting “ice island” had an area approximately 4 times that of Manhattan Island (about 253±17 square kilometers). The ice island garnered much attention from the media, politicians, and the public, who raised concerns about downstream implications for shipping, offshore oil and gas operations, and possible connections to Arctic and global warming.
Does this event signal a change in the glacier's dynamics? Or can it be characterized as part of the glacier's natural variability? Understanding the known historical context of this event allows scientists and the public to judge its significance.
Language: | English |
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Year: | 2011 |
Pages: | 117-118 |
ISSN: | 23249250 and 00963941 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1029/2011EO140001 |