An improved bathymetry compilation for the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica, to inform ice-sheet and ocean models
The southern Bellingshausen Sea (SBS) is a rapidly-changing part of West Antarctica, where oceanic and atmospheric warming has led to the recent basal melting and break-up of the Wilkins ice shelf, the dynamic thinning of fringing glaciers, and sea-ice reduction. Accurate sea-floor morphology is vit...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:cfac7914e466419290aa26dabb54b4e3 2023-05-15T13:59:15+02:00 An improved bathymetry compilation for the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica, to inform ice-sheet and ocean models A. G. C. Graham F. O. Nitsche R. D. Larter 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-95-2011 https://doaj.org/article/cfac7914e466419290aa26dabb54b4e3 EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/95/2011/tc-5-95-2011.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-5-95-2011 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/cfac7914e466419290aa26dabb54b4e3 The Cryosphere, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 95-106 (2011) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2011 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-95-2011 2022-12-31T16:29:29Z The southern Bellingshausen Sea (SBS) is a rapidly-changing part of West Antarctica, where oceanic and atmospheric warming has led to the recent basal melting and break-up of the Wilkins ice shelf, the dynamic thinning of fringing glaciers, and sea-ice reduction. Accurate sea-floor morphology is vital for understanding the continued effects of each process upon changes within Antarctica's ice sheets. Here we present a new bathymetric grid for the SBS compiled from shipborne multibeam echo-sounder, spot-sounding and sub-ice measurements. The 1-km grid is the most detailed compilation for the SBS to-date, revealing large cross-shelf troughs, shallow banks, and deep inner-shelf basins that continue inland of coastal ice shelves. The troughs now serve as pathways which allow warm deep water to access the ice sheet in the SBS. Our dataset highlights areas still lacking bathymetric constraint, as well as regions for further investigation, including the likely routes of palaeo-ice streams. The new compilation is a major improvement upon previous grids and will be a key dataset for incorporating into simulations of ocean circulation, ice-sheet change and history. It will also serve forecasts of ice stability and future sea-level contributions from ice loss in West Antarctica, required for the next IPCC assessment report in 2013. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Bellingshausen Sea Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Sea ice The Cryosphere West Antarctica Wilkins Ice Shelf Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles West Antarctica Bellingshausen Sea Wilkins ENVELOPE(59.326,59.326,-67.248,-67.248) Wilkins Ice Shelf ENVELOPE(-72.500,-72.500,-70.416,-70.416) The Cryosphere 5 1 95 106 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 A. G. C. Graham F. O. Nitsche R. D. Larter An improved bathymetry compilation for the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica, to inform ice-sheet and ocean models |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
The southern Bellingshausen Sea (SBS) is a rapidly-changing part of West Antarctica, where oceanic and atmospheric warming has led to the recent basal melting and break-up of the Wilkins ice shelf, the dynamic thinning of fringing glaciers, and sea-ice reduction. Accurate sea-floor morphology is vital for understanding the continued effects of each process upon changes within Antarctica's ice sheets. Here we present a new bathymetric grid for the SBS compiled from shipborne multibeam echo-sounder, spot-sounding and sub-ice measurements. The 1-km grid is the most detailed compilation for the SBS to-date, revealing large cross-shelf troughs, shallow banks, and deep inner-shelf basins that continue inland of coastal ice shelves. The troughs now serve as pathways which allow warm deep water to access the ice sheet in the SBS. Our dataset highlights areas still lacking bathymetric constraint, as well as regions for further investigation, including the likely routes of palaeo-ice streams. The new compilation is a major improvement upon previous grids and will be a key dataset for incorporating into simulations of ocean circulation, ice-sheet change and history. It will also serve forecasts of ice stability and future sea-level contributions from ice loss in West Antarctica, required for the next IPCC assessment report in 2013. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
A. G. C. Graham F. O. Nitsche R. D. Larter |
author_facet |
A. G. C. Graham F. O. Nitsche R. D. Larter |
author_sort |
A. G. C. Graham |
title |
An improved bathymetry compilation for the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica, to inform ice-sheet and ocean models |
title_short |
An improved bathymetry compilation for the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica, to inform ice-sheet and ocean models |
title_full |
An improved bathymetry compilation for the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica, to inform ice-sheet and ocean models |
title_fullStr |
An improved bathymetry compilation for the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica, to inform ice-sheet and ocean models |
title_full_unstemmed |
An improved bathymetry compilation for the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica, to inform ice-sheet and ocean models |
title_sort |
improved bathymetry compilation for the bellingshausen sea, antarctica, to inform ice-sheet and ocean models |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-95-2011 https://doaj.org/article/cfac7914e466419290aa26dabb54b4e3 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(59.326,59.326,-67.248,-67.248) ENVELOPE(-72.500,-72.500,-70.416,-70.416) |
geographic |
West Antarctica Bellingshausen Sea Wilkins Wilkins Ice Shelf |
geographic_facet |
West Antarctica Bellingshausen Sea Wilkins Wilkins Ice Shelf |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Bellingshausen Sea Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Sea ice The Cryosphere West Antarctica Wilkins Ice Shelf |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Bellingshausen Sea Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Sea ice The Cryosphere West Antarctica Wilkins Ice Shelf |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 95-106 (2011) |
op_relation |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/95/2011/tc-5-95-2011.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-5-95-2011 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/cfac7914e466419290aa26dabb54b4e3 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-95-2011 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
5 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
95 |
op_container_end_page |
106 |
_version_ |
1766267769552109568 |