{"id":439278,"date":"2026-04-13T10:34:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T17:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=439278"},"modified":"2026-04-13T10:34:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T17:34:34","slug":"non-linear-retreat-of-a-tidewater-glacier-in-the-northern-antarctic-peninsula-coupled-climatological-and-geological-drivers-in-marian-cove-king-george-island-1956-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=439278","title":{"rendered":"Non-Linear Retreat of a Tidewater Glacier in the Northern Antarctic Peninsula: Coupled Climatological and Geological Drivers in Marian Cove, King George Island (1956\u20132022)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The northern Antarctic Peninsula (and nearby islands like King George) has historically been one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth, with significant warming from the mid-20th century through the late 1990s\/early 2000s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, multiple lines of evidence support a hiatus or pause in that rapid warming during parts of the 21st century:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier work (e.g., Turner et al., 2016) documented an “absence of 21st century warming” on the Peninsula after the strong late-20th-century rise, with cooling or stabilization in some periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent analyses (including reconstructions up to the early 2020s) show regional cooling signals in parts of the Peninsula, sometimes exceeding -1 to -2\u00b0C in specific intervals (e.g., post-2003 in some datasets).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glacier behavior is highly variable:<\/strong> While many Peninsula glaciers retreated dramatically after ice-shelf collapses (e.g., Larsen B in 2002), retreat rates have not been uniform or constantly accelerating everywhere. Some periods show slowed retreat or localized advance linked to cooler phases, sea-ice conditions, or SAM variability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Climatological and Geological Drivers of Glacier Retreat Patterns in Marian Cove, King George Island:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Remote Sensing Study from 1956 to 2022 is the full title of the peer-reviewed paper by Ji-Eun Park, Hyun-Cheol Kim, Sung-Jae Lee, and Hyoungseok Lee, published in February 2026 in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation (Volume 146, 105029). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is an open-access remote-sensing analysis that reconstructs the longest continuous record of frontal changes for the tidewater glacier in Marian Cove using 19 satellite and aerial images spanning 66 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authors: Ji-Eun Park, Hyun-Cheol Kim, Sung-Jae Lee, Hyoungseok Lee<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Journal:<\/strong> International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, Volume 146, February 2026, Article 105029 (Open Access)
DOI:<\/strong> 10.1016\/j.jag.2025.105029 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climatological and geological drivers of glacier retreat patterns in Marian Cove, King George Island: A remote sensing study from 1956 to 2022 – ScienceDirect<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This peer-reviewed remote-sensing study reconstructs the longest continuous record (66 years) of frontal changes for the tidewater glacier in Marian Cove, a small fjord on the southwestern coast of King George Island (South Shetland Islands, northern Antarctic Peninsula). It integrates 19 high-quality visible images with in-situ, reanalysis, and bathymetric data to quantify retreat and identify the coupled drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe tidewater glacier in Marian Cove has retreated substantially toward the coastal cliffs over the past six decades. Using 19 satellite and aerial images from 1956 to 2022, we quantified frontal changes along 17 transects defined by glacier orientation and topography. The glacier exhibited a non-linear retreat pattern<\/strong>, alternating between phases of rapid retreat, slower retreat, and short advances. Mean retreat rates fluctuated from \u221210.8 to 178 m year\u207b\u00b9<\/strong> over the study period. From 1956 to 1978, the terminus remained stable while grounded on a shallow sill, but detachment from this topographic control initiated sustained retreat. The onset of major retreat coincided with a transition from negative to positive Southern Annular Mode (SAM) anomalies, which enhanced atmospheric warming and promoted oceanic heat delivery. Retreat accelerated during positive ocean and air temperature anomalies, whereas cooler phases slowed retreat. Variability across transects was strongly linked to bathymetry and vertical temperature stratification. Time series of surface elevation revealed land ice thinning after 2017, corresponding to the rapid retreat observed between 2017 and 2019. By integrating the longest record of glacier frontal change in Marian Cove with environmental observations, this study demonstrates how coupled fjord geometry\u2013ocean\u2013atmosphere interactions govern retreat behavior. These findings improve understanding of the sensitivity of tidewater glaciers in the northern Antarctic Peninsula under climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Retreat Patterns (Non-Linear and Phased)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall:<\/strong> Highly variable, non-linear behavior. No steady monotonic acceleration. Mean rates ranged \u221210.8 m yr\u207b\u00b9 (advance\/stability) to +178 m yr\u207b\u00b9 (rapid retreat).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phases (selected examples):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n