Ice cliff retreat and sea-ice formation observed around King Sejong Station in King George Island, west Antarctica
SCOPUS
KCI
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Title
- Ice cliff retreat and sea-ice formation observed around King Sejong Station in King George Island, west Antarctica
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Author(s)
- Chung, H.; Lee, B.Y.; Chang, S.-K.; Kim, J.H.; Kim, Y.
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Alternative Author(s)
- 정호성; 이방용; 장순근; 김지희; 김예동
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Publication Year
- 2004-03
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Abstract
- Ice cliff retreat and sea-ice formation around King Sejong Station in King George Island were analysed and compared with air temperature change. Analysis of 33-year (1969-2001) air temperature records at Bellingshausen Station has revealed regional atmospheric warming, and the increasing rate of air temperature is equivalent to a warming of 1°C for 27-year period. Here we present time-series of observations for the areal extent of the ice cliff and ice sheet, showing that they have retreated dramatically in the past 45 years (1956-2001). Retreat of 1,050 m in length of the ice cliff has changed the Marian Cove into a low rectangular form of 4 km in length and 1 to 1.3 km in width. The retreat rates have since increased from 6 m/yr of the primary investigated period to 54 and 81 m/yr in the recent years. Exceptionally, the ice cliff had been advanced of 21 m in length for a year between 1987 and 1988 of cold winters. Ice sheet in King George Island also shows a similar decrease, and the decreasing extent is much larger at the southern part of the Marian Cove, relatively more exposed to the sun, than at the northern part. Comparing sea-ice formation in winter with air temperature data shows a pattern starting to freeze below -5°C and to thaw over -3°C. It is conclusively estimated that the patterns and magnitudes of ice cliff retreat and sea-ice formation are consistent with fluctuations of the air temperature, and that the recent rapid retreat of ice cliff and less formation of sea-ice are caused especially by the warming trends in autumn accompanied with expansion of summer thawing period.
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ISSN
- 1598-141X
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URI
- https://sciwatch.kiost.ac.kr/handle/2020.kiost/6521
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DOI
- 10.4217/OPR.2004.26.1.001
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Bibliographic Citation
- Ocean and Polar Research, v.26, no.1, pp.1 - 10, 2004
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Publisher
- Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute
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Keywords
- King George Island; Sea-ice; Warming; Antarctica; Ice cliff retreat
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Type
- Article
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Language
- Korean
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Document Type
- Article
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