Grounding-Line Retreat and Sea-Level Feedback in Pine Island Glacier: A Century-Scale Perspective

Nikhil Seth 

A vital component of the global climate system is the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS). West AIS’s major outlet is Pine Island Glacier (PIG), which has been rapidly thinned as well as accelerated recently. As per numerous studies, PIG is undergoing irreversible retreat and acceleration. Yet, there is a lack of studies on the coupled feedback mechanism between the ice sheets and Sea Level (SL) in the PIG. Therefore, this research aims to examine the feedback mechanism betwixt AISs as well as SL, specifically focusing on PIG evolution over a period of 100 years by utilizing datasets like MEaSUREs BedMachine Antarctica, Version 3, MEaSUREs Annual Antarctic Ice Velocity Maps, Version 1, along with ISMIP6 Antarctica Results. The study uses the Icepack framework. The study finds that the high stress zones of basal and driving shear stresses are near the Grounding Line (GL) and central flowline. Transect-based projection shows that there is an ice loss near the GL and downstream areas, and dynamic thickening in upstream zones. A surge in accumulation rate leads to a reduction in SL Equivalent (SLE).