A moving-point approach to model shallow ice sheets: a study case with radially symmetrical ice sheets
Predicting the evolution of ice sheets requires numerical models able to accurately track the migration of ice sheet continental margins or grounding lines. We introduce a physically based moving-point approach for the flow of ice sheets based on the conservation of local masses. This allows the ice...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016-01-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/1/2016/tc-10-1-2016.pdf |
| Summary: | Predicting the evolution of ice sheets requires numerical models able
to accurately track the migration of ice sheet continental margins or
grounding lines. We introduce a physically based moving-point approach
for the flow of ice sheets based on the conservation of local
masses. This allows the ice sheet margins to be tracked explicitly. Our approach is also well suited to capture waiting-time behaviour efficiently.
A finite-difference moving-point scheme is derived and applied in a simplified
context (continental radially symmetrical shallow ice
approximation). The scheme, which is inexpensive, is verified by comparing the results with steady states obtained from an analytic solution and with exact moving-margin transient solutions.
In both cases the scheme is able to track the position of the
ice sheet margin with high accuracy. |
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| ISSN: | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |