Decay of surface topography on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica

Abstract

The time decay of surface undulations is modeled analytically. The particular application is the decay of flow stripes on the Ross Ice Shelf that emanate from Byrd Glacier. The model predicts two extreme undulation types. One extreme, which we term the buckle solution, has a decay time of only 13 years. The other, the pinch-and-swell case, can persist much longer (700 years), because each surface ridge is underlain by deep roots. Flow stripes may originate as a combination of both the buckle and pinch-and-swell extremes, but only the pinch-and-swell aspect is predicted to survive in the ice shelf The predicted decay time and that measured from satellite imagery are in close agreement.