Evolution of ice shelf rifts: Implications for formation mechanics and morphological controls

Ice shelf rifts are predecessors to iceberg calving events. Observations of their morphology over time and interaction with their surroundings are presented. Newly-available Landsat-derived annual velocity data and laser altimetry from NASA's ICESat, ICESat-2 and Operation IceBridge missions were used to characterize several ice shelf rift systems. Actively propagating ice shelf rifts exhibit uplift on both sides, with an offset in height...