Ice Shelf

An ice shelf is the floating seaward extension of a grounded ice sheet, fed by glaciers crossing the grounding line and thinned from below by ocean melt. Shelves buttress the ice behind them, so their loss accelerates inland flow and sea-level contribution even though the floating ice itself displaces its own weight. The collapse of Larsen B in 2002 and the retreat monitored at the Brunt and Larsen C shelves are watched as indicators of Antarctic stability.