Temporal and spatial changes of the basal channel of the Getz Ice Shelf in Antarctica derived from multi-source data

Basal melting is an important factor affecting the stability of the ice shelf. The basal channel is formed from uneven melting, which also has an important impact on the stability of the ice shelf. Therefore, it has important scientific value to study the basal channel changes. This study combined datasets of Mosaics of Antarctica, Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA) and Operation IceBridge to study the temporal and spatial changes of basal channels at the Getz Ice Shelf in Antarctica. The relationships between the cross-sectional area and width of basal channel and those of its corresponding surface depression were statistically analyzed. Then, the changes of the basal channels of Getz Ice Shelf were derived from the ICESat observations and REMA digital elevation models (DEMs). After a detailed analysis of the factors affecting the basal channel changes, we found that the basal channels of Getz Ice Shelf were mainly concentrated in the eastern of the ice shelf, and most of them belonged to the ocean-sourced basal channel. From 2009 to 2016, the total length of the basal channel has increased by approximately 60 km. Affected by the warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW), significant changes in the basal channel occurred in the middle reaches of the Getz Ice Shelf. The change of the basal channels at the edge of the Getz Ice Shelf is significantly weaker than that in its middle and upper reaches. Especially in 2005–2012, the eastward wind on the ocean wind field and the westward wind around the continental shelf caused the invasion and upwelling of CDW. Meanwhile, the continuous warming of deep seawater also caused the deepening of the basal channel. During from 2012 to 2020, the fluctuations of the basal channels seem to be caused by the changes in temperature of CDW.