The four different movement patterns (IMAGE)
Caption
Figure 1 The four different movement patterns (clusters) that the ice on the edge of the ice sheet has over the course of a year, based on satellite measurements from 2016 onwards. Some areas of ice move faster as meltwater increases, while others move more slowly. This is related to whether meltwater has an easy or tough time escaping from beneath the ice. Cluster 1 shows an inefficient drainage system that is poor at diverting water away because the pressure at the bottom rises and reduces friction between ice and bottom, causing the ice to move faster into the ocean. Cluster 2 shows an efficient drainage system, where the speed of the ice can decrease in the middle of the melting season, when there is the most meltwater, as the drainage system suddenly becomes effective.
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University of Copenhagen
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