The Cryosphere, 6, 1031–1048, 2012 www.the-cryosphere.net/6/1031/2012/ The Cryosphere doi:10.5194/tc-6-1031-2012 © Author(s) 2012. CC Attribution 3.0 License. Variable glacier response to atmospheric warming, northern Antarctic Peninsula, 1988–2009 B. J. Davies1, J. L. Carrivick2, N. F. Glasser1, M. J. Hambrey1, and J. L. Smellie3 1Centre for Glaciology, Institute for Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Llandinam Building, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3DB, UK 2School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK 3Department of Geology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK Correspondence to: B. J. Davies (
[email protected]) Received: 2 December 2011 – Published in The Cryosphere Discuss.: 21 December 2011 Revised: 11 July 2012 – Accepted: 23 August 2012 – Published: 21 September 2012 Abstract. The northern Antarctic Peninsula has recently ex- receding into the fjords and reaching a new dynamic equi- hibited ice-shelf disintegration, glacier recession and accel- librium. The rapid shrinkage of tidewater glaciers on James eration. However, the dynamic response of land-terminating, Ross Island is likely to continue because of their low eleva- ice-shelf tributary and tidewater glaciers has not yet been tions and flat profiles. In contrast, the higher and steeper tide- quantified or assessed for variability, and there are sparse water glaciers on the eastern Antarctic Peninsula will attain data for glacier classification, morphology, area, length or more stable frontal positions after low-lying ablation areas altitude. This paper firstly classifies the area, length, alti- are removed, reaching equilibrium more quickly. tude, slope, aspect, geomorphology, type and hypsometry of 194 glaciers on Trinity Peninsula, Vega Island and James Ross Island in 2009 AD.