The Cryosphere

Continued deceleration of Whillans Ice Stream, West Antarctica

  1. I. Joughin1,
  2. R. A. Bindschadler2,
  3. M. A. King3,
  4. D. Voigt4,
  5. R. B. Alley4,
  6. S. Anandakrishnan4,
  7. H. Horgan4,
  8. L. Peters4,
  9. P. Winberry4,
  10. S. B. Das5,
  11. G. Catania6

Article first published online: 17 NOV 2005

DOI: 10.1029/2005GL024319

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Additional Information

How to Cite

Joughin, I., et al. (2005), Continued deceleration of Whillans Ice Stream, West Antarctica, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L22501, doi:10.1029/2005GL024319.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Lab, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

  2. 2

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

  3. 3

    School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

  4. 4

    Department of Geosciences and Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

  5. 5

    Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA

  6. 6

    Institute for Geophysics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 17 NOV 2005
  2. Article first published online: 17 NOV 2005
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 11 OCT 2005
  4. Manuscript Revised: 26 SEP 2005
  5. Manuscript Received: 5 AUG 2005

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[1] Earlier observations indicated that Whillans Ice Stream slowed from 1973 to 1997. We collected new GPS observations of the ice stream's speed in 2003 and 2004. These data show that the ice stream is continuing to decelerate at rates of about 0.6%/yr2, with faster rates near the grounding line. Our data also indicate that the deceleration extends over the full width of the ice plain. Extrapolation of the deceleration trend suggests the ice stream could stagnate sometime between the middle of the 21st and 22nd Centuries.

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