Stability Assessment of Antarctic Ice Shelves Using Hydrostatic Flexure

This study presents a novel approach to evaluate the stability of Antarctic ice shelves by analyzing hydrostatic flexure and estimating the effective thickness near the grounding line. Airborne topographic surveys provided data on surface deflection, which was used to calculate the effective thickness. A comparison with measured thickness data revealed significant differences, indicating the possible presence of extensive crevasses on the ice shelf surface. Visual inspections and MODIS imagery supported these observations. It was found that assuming a constant ice thickness near the grounding line may not provide accurate results, highlighting the need for considering variable ice thickness. The choice of Young's modulus also influenced the estimation of effective thickness. The ratio between effective and measured thicknesses appeared to reflect the presence of local pinning points, which contribute to ice shelf stability. This study emphasizes the importance of understanding hydrostatic flexure and effective thickness in assessing the stability of Antarctic ice shelves, suggesting further research to improve our understanding of ice shelf dynamics and potential stability assessment.