Abstract
Ice flow models typically assume that ice is incompressible, a reasonable assumption because ice density changes are indeed small and have a correspondingly small effect on the overall mass balance of glaciers and ice sheets. Given the immense volume of the ice sheets, however, even relatively small changes may influence global mean sea level to a degree that severely impacts humanity (Hauer and others, 2020). Here, we quantify the role of gravitational compression and thermal contraction in estimating ice sheet mass.
Highlights
Ice flow models typically assume that ice is incompressible, a reasonable assumption because ice density changes are small and have a correspondingly small effect on the overall mass balance of glaciers and ice sheets
We quantify the role of gravitational compression and thermal contraction in estimating ice sheet mass
We describe gravitational compression by considering an ice column in vertical hydrostatic equilibrium, ∂σz/∂z = −ρg with vertical Cauchy stress σz, gravitational acceleration g = 9.81 m s−2, ice density ρ and vertical coordinate z
Summary
Ice flow models typically assume that ice is incompressible, a reasonable assumption because ice density changes are small and have a correspondingly small effect on the overall mass balance of glaciers and ice sheets. Density matters: ice compressibility and glacier mass estimation. We quantify the role of gravitational compression and thermal contraction in estimating ice sheet mass.
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