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Thwaites Interdisciplinary Margin Evolution - The Role of Shear Margin Dynamics in the Future Evolution of Thwaites Drainage Basin (TIME)

TIME is an ice-based project using state-of-the-art geophysical techniques to observe rapidly deforming parts of Thwaites Glacier (shear margins) which may have significant control over future stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The TIME project will observe rapidly deforming parts of Thwaites Glacier which may have significant control over the future evolution of WAIS, and use these new observations to improve ice sheet models used to predict future sea level rise.

The team will be investigating two sites on the Thwaites Glacier using GPS, ApRES and seismics. One site will test if hydrology influences the behaviour and movement of the shear margin. The other will examine if the bed conditions influence the behaviour of these rapidly deforming regions. This project includes the first active source seismic survey of the Antarctic ice sheet.

If the Thwaites Glacier Eastern Shear Margin migrates outwards it could join the Pine Island Glacier, connecting the two glaciers which are already making large contributions to sea-level rise. The observations from TIME will be fed into computer models to improve predictions of future sea level contribution from the region.

Marianne Karplus, Steven Harder, and Galen Kaip, TIME project researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Geological Sciences, arrived in Antarctica in late December 2018. They use precision seismic, GPS and radar instrumentation to collect new data on the current behavior and future evolution of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. These new data will help improve computer models used to predict the future contribution of the West Antarctic ice sheet to global sea level changes. 

Grant Number
NSF PLR 1739027, NERC NE/S006788/1, NERC NE/S00677X/1

Principal Investigators

Poul Christoffersen

Slawek Tulaczyk

Team Members

Galen Kaip

Marianne Karplus

Blog Posts

TIME blog 2018-2019

Thwaites Interdisciplinary Margin Evolution (TIME) is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Environment Research Council (NERC) to study the Eastern Shear Margin of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. The project is trying to better understand the response of the glacier to changes in climate and the contributions to sea level rise of this collapsing glacier.

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