Future Response of Antarctic Continental Shelf Temperatures to Ice Shelf Basal Melting and Calving

Abstract We investigate feedbacks between subsurface continental shelf ocean temperatures and Antarctic glacial melt using a coupled climate model. The model was forced with SSP5‐8.5 and an uncoupled projection of basal melt and calving fluxes. SSP5‐8.5 forcing with fixed pre‐industrial glacial melt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical Research Letters
Main Authors: Max Thomas, Jeff K. Ridley, Inga J. Smith, David P. Stevens, Paul R. Holland, Shona Mackie
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023
Subjects:
Antarctic
Southern Ocean
ice shelf
continental shelf
climate model
freshwater
Geophysics. Cosmic physics
QC801-809
Antarc*
Antarctica
East Antarctica
Ice Shelf
Ross Sea
Weddell Sea
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL102101
https://doaj.org/article/1f2dcbc8b658494282384f30f996f286
Description
Summary:Abstract We investigate feedbacks between subsurface continental shelf ocean temperatures and Antarctic glacial melt using a coupled climate model. The model was forced with SSP5‐8.5 and an uncoupled projection of basal melt and calving fluxes. SSP5‐8.5 forcing with fixed pre‐industrial glacial melt warms all continental shelves, such that historically “cool” and “fresh” shelves transition to “warm.” Additional glacial melt, added at depth, cools the Eastern Ross, Amundsen, and Bellingshausen seas, suggesting a negative feedback on basal melt—a novel result for a coarse resolution coupled model. From the Weddell Sea, along East Antarctica, and into the western Ross Sea—where continental shelves transition to a “warm” state—additional glacial melt increases temperatures at the continental shelf sea floor, suggesting a positive feedback. The sign of the glacial melt–subsurface temperature feedback is critically dependent on continental shelf properties, climate state, and the vertical distribution of glacial melt inputs.

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