Ice-shelf ocean boundary layer dynamics from large-eddy simulations
Small scale, turbulent flow below ice shelves is regionally isolated and difficult to measure and simulate. Yet these small scale processes, which regulate heat transfer between the ocean and ice shelves, can affect sea-level rise by altering the ability of Antarctic ice shelves to “buttress” ice fl...
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ftcopernicus:oai:publications.copernicus.org:tcd96703 2023-05-15T14:02:17+02:00 Ice-shelf ocean boundary layer dynamics from large-eddy simulations Begeman, Carolyn Branecky Asay-Davis, Xylar Roekel, Luke 2021-09-01 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-242 https://tc.copernicus.org/preprints/tc-2021-242/ eng eng doi:10.5194/tc-2021-242 https://tc.copernicus.org/preprints/tc-2021-242/ eISSN: 1994-0424 Text 2021 ftcopernicus https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-242 2021-09-06T16:22:29Z Small scale, turbulent flow below ice shelves is regionally isolated and difficult to measure and simulate. Yet these small scale processes, which regulate heat transfer between the ocean and ice shelves, can affect sea-level rise by altering the ability of Antarctic ice shelves to “buttress” ice flux to the ocean. In this study, we improve our understanding of turbulence below ice shelves by means of large-eddy simulations at sub-meter resolution, capturing boundary layer mixing at scales intermediate between laboratory experiments or direct numerical simulations and regional or global ocean circulation models. Our simulations feature the development of an ice-shelf ocean boundary layer through dynamic ice melting in a regime with low thermal driving, low ice-shelf basal slope, and strong shear driven by the geostrophic flow. We present a preliminary assessment of existing ice-shelf basal melt parameterizations adopted in single component or coupled ice-sheet and ocean models on the basis of a small parameter study. While the parameterized linear relationship between ice-shelf melt rate and far-field ocean temperature appears to be robust, we point out a little-considered relationship between ice-shelf basal slope and melting worthy of further study. Text Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Copernicus Publications: E-Journals Antarctic Buttress ENVELOPE(-57.083,-57.083,-63.550,-63.550) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Copernicus Publications: E-Journals |
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ftcopernicus |
language |
English |
description |
Small scale, turbulent flow below ice shelves is regionally isolated and difficult to measure and simulate. Yet these small scale processes, which regulate heat transfer between the ocean and ice shelves, can affect sea-level rise by altering the ability of Antarctic ice shelves to “buttress” ice flux to the ocean. In this study, we improve our understanding of turbulence below ice shelves by means of large-eddy simulations at sub-meter resolution, capturing boundary layer mixing at scales intermediate between laboratory experiments or direct numerical simulations and regional or global ocean circulation models. Our simulations feature the development of an ice-shelf ocean boundary layer through dynamic ice melting in a regime with low thermal driving, low ice-shelf basal slope, and strong shear driven by the geostrophic flow. We present a preliminary assessment of existing ice-shelf basal melt parameterizations adopted in single component or coupled ice-sheet and ocean models on the basis of a small parameter study. While the parameterized linear relationship between ice-shelf melt rate and far-field ocean temperature appears to be robust, we point out a little-considered relationship between ice-shelf basal slope and melting worthy of further study. |
format |
Text |
author |
Begeman, Carolyn Branecky Asay-Davis, Xylar Roekel, Luke |
spellingShingle |
Begeman, Carolyn Branecky Asay-Davis, Xylar Roekel, Luke Ice-shelf ocean boundary layer dynamics from large-eddy simulations |
author_facet |
Begeman, Carolyn Branecky Asay-Davis, Xylar Roekel, Luke |
author_sort |
Begeman, Carolyn Branecky |
title |
Ice-shelf ocean boundary layer dynamics from large-eddy simulations |
title_short |
Ice-shelf ocean boundary layer dynamics from large-eddy simulations |
title_full |
Ice-shelf ocean boundary layer dynamics from large-eddy simulations |
title_fullStr |
Ice-shelf ocean boundary layer dynamics from large-eddy simulations |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ice-shelf ocean boundary layer dynamics from large-eddy simulations |
title_sort |
ice-shelf ocean boundary layer dynamics from large-eddy simulations |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-242 https://tc.copernicus.org/preprints/tc-2021-242/ |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-57.083,-57.083,-63.550,-63.550) |
geographic |
Antarctic Buttress |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Buttress |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves |
op_source |
eISSN: 1994-0424 |
op_relation |
doi:10.5194/tc-2021-242 https://tc.copernicus.org/preprints/tc-2021-242/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-242 |
_version_ |
1766272460463800320 |