Using HiDEM and Elmer/Ice to investigate the modes through which ice cliffs can structurally fail, this article contributes a conservative ice-cliff failure retreat rate parameterization that can easily be included in ice-sheet models. Results show the importance of viscous deformation, shear-band formation, and brittle-tensile failure in the context of marine ice-cliff instability. The findings also include possible mechanisms to inhibit a runaway situation by two major contributions, namely, the backforce exhibited by iceberg mélange as well as viscous flow deformation changing the cliff's shape.

Read more: Crawford, A.J., Benn, D.I., Todd, J, Åström, J.A, Bassis, J.N. and Zwinger, T., 2021. Marine ice-cliff instability modeling shows mixed-mode ice-cliff failure and yields calving rate parameterization. Nat Commun 12, 2701, doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23070-7