Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf
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| Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf | |
|---|---|
| Name | Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf |
| Location | Antarctica |
| Area km2 | 422,000 |
| Width km | 900 |
| Thickness m | 600 |
| Status | Stable |
Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. It is the second largest ice shelf in Antarctica, located in the southern Weddell Sea. This immense floating platform of ice is fed by major glaciers from the Antarctic Ice Sheet and plays a critical role in regulating the flow of continental ice into the ocean. Scientific research conducted by organizations like the British Antarctic Survey and the Alfred Wegener Institute indicates its stability is a key factor in projections of future sea level rise.
Geography and Location
The ice shelf occupies a vast embayment in the Weddell Sea, nestled against the shoreline of West Antarctica. It is bounded to the east by the Berkner Island and the Luitpold Coast, and to the west by the Antarctic Peninsula. Key geographical features include the Henry Ice Rise and the Korff Ice Rise, which act as stabilizing pinning points. The shelf's seaward front, which calves icebergs into the Weddell Sea, extends for hundreds of kilometers.
Physical Characteristics
With an area of approximately 422,000 square kilometers, it is surpassed in size only by the Ross Ice Shelf. Its thickness varies significantly, averaging about 600 meters but exceeding 1,500 meters near its grounding lines. The shelf comprises two main sections: the eastern Filchner Ice Shelf and the larger western Ronne Ice Shelf, historically named for explorers Wilhelm Filchner and Edith Ronne. The sub-ice shelf cavity contains a complex system of ocean currents and sea water interactions that influence melting and freezing processes.
Formation and Dynamics
The shelf forms as ice flows from the Antarctic Ice Sheet via immense outlet glaciers like the Support Force Glacier and the Foundation Ice Stream. This ice merges and goes afloat, creating a permanent floating extension. Its dynamics are governed by the balance between ice inflow, basal melting from contact with relatively warm Circumpolar Deep Water, and mass loss through calving of tabular icebergs. Major calving events, such as the breakaway of iceberg A-76 in 2021, are monitored by agencies like NASA and the European Space Agency.
Exploration and Research History
The region was first sighted during the German Antarctic Expedition led by Wilhelm Filchner in 1912. The western portion was later mapped by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition under Finn Ronne and Edith Ronne in the 1940s. Significant modern research campaigns include the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf Programme and projects by the Alfred Wegener Institute. Pioneering sub-shelf oceanographic measurements were conducted during the International Geophysical Year.
Role in Global Climate
The ice shelf acts as a major brake on the flow of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet into the ocean. Its potential instability is a significant concern in climate models developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Processes here control the production of Antarctic Bottom Water, a cold, dense water mass that drives global thermohaline circulation. Changes in melt rates beneath the shelf, studied by missions like ICESat, have direct implications for predictions of global sea level rise.