Speed-up, slowdown, and redirection of ice flow on neighbouring ice streams in the Pope, Smith, and Kohler region of West Antarctica
8 May 2025
The authors used satellite observations to measure recent changes in ice speed and flow direction in the Pope, Smith, and Kohler region of West Antarctica (2005–2022). They found substantial speed-up on seven ice streams of up to 87 %. However, Kohler West Glacier has slowed by 10 %, due to the redirection of ice flow into its rapidly thinning neighbour. This process of "ice piracy" has not previously been directly observed on this rapid timescale and may influence future ice shelf and sheet mass changes.
Speed-up, slowdown, and redirection of ice flow on neighbouring ice streams in the Pope, Smith, and Kohler region of West Antarctica
The Cryosphere, 19, 1725–1738, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1725-2025, 2025
Contact: Heather L. Selley (h.l.selley@leeds.ac.uk)
