Observations of submesoscale eddy-driven heat transport at an ice shelf calving front
Antarctica’s ice shelves buttress the continent’s terrestrial ice, helping slow the loss of grounded ice into the ocean and limiting sea level rise. Ice-ocean interaction plays a critical role in ice shelf stability by driving basal melt rates. Consequently, improved prediction of the future state o...
Published in: | Communications Earth & Environment |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Springer Nature
2022
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00460-3 |
id |
fteawag:oai:dora:eawag_25109 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
fteawag:oai:dora:eawag_25109 2023-06-18T03:38:12+02:00 Observations of submesoscale eddy-driven heat transport at an ice shelf calving front Friedrichs, Drew M. McInerney, Jasmin B.T. Oldroyd, Holly J. Lee, Won Sang Yun, Sukyoung Yoon, Seung-Tae Stevens, Craig L. Zappa, Christopher J. Dow, Christine F. Mueller, Derek Sepúlveda Steiner, Oscar Forrest, Alexander L. 2022 https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00460-3 eng eng Springer Nature Communications Earth & Environment--Commun. Earth Environ.--journals:6036--2662-4435 eawag:25109 doi:10.1038/s43247-022-00460-3 scopus: 2-s2.0-85132418752 journal id: journals:6036 e-issn: 2662-4435 ut: 000814644300002 Journal Article Text 2022 fteawag https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00460-3 2023-06-04T23:49:55Z Antarctica’s ice shelves buttress the continent’s terrestrial ice, helping slow the loss of grounded ice into the ocean and limiting sea level rise. Ice-ocean interaction plays a critical role in ice shelf stability by driving basal melt rates. Consequently, improved prediction of the future state of ice shelves lies in understanding the coastal ocean mechanics that deliver heat to their cavities. Here, we present autonomous glider-based observations of a coherent structure at the calving front of a cold-water cavity ice shelf (Nansen Ice Shelf, East Antarctica). This ~10 km-wide eddy dominated the local ocean circulation in the austral summer of 2018/2019, promoting an upwelling of cold ice shelf water and a deepening of warm surface water. Microstructure turbulence measurements show a resulting maximum vertical heat transport of 10 W m -2 at depths equivalent to the ice shelf draft. Similar eddy-driven heat transport further into the ice shelf cavity would support enhanced summertime melt in regions of shallower ice draft. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Shelf Ice Shelves DORA Eawag Austral Buttress ENVELOPE(-57.083,-57.083,-63.550,-63.550) East Antarctica Communications Earth & Environment 3 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
DORA Eawag |
op_collection_id |
fteawag |
language |
English |
description |
Antarctica’s ice shelves buttress the continent’s terrestrial ice, helping slow the loss of grounded ice into the ocean and limiting sea level rise. Ice-ocean interaction plays a critical role in ice shelf stability by driving basal melt rates. Consequently, improved prediction of the future state of ice shelves lies in understanding the coastal ocean mechanics that deliver heat to their cavities. Here, we present autonomous glider-based observations of a coherent structure at the calving front of a cold-water cavity ice shelf (Nansen Ice Shelf, East Antarctica). This ~10 km-wide eddy dominated the local ocean circulation in the austral summer of 2018/2019, promoting an upwelling of cold ice shelf water and a deepening of warm surface water. Microstructure turbulence measurements show a resulting maximum vertical heat transport of 10 W m -2 at depths equivalent to the ice shelf draft. Similar eddy-driven heat transport further into the ice shelf cavity would support enhanced summertime melt in regions of shallower ice draft. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Friedrichs, Drew M. McInerney, Jasmin B.T. Oldroyd, Holly J. Lee, Won Sang Yun, Sukyoung Yoon, Seung-Tae Stevens, Craig L. Zappa, Christopher J. Dow, Christine F. Mueller, Derek Sepúlveda Steiner, Oscar Forrest, Alexander L. |
spellingShingle |
Friedrichs, Drew M. McInerney, Jasmin B.T. Oldroyd, Holly J. Lee, Won Sang Yun, Sukyoung Yoon, Seung-Tae Stevens, Craig L. Zappa, Christopher J. Dow, Christine F. Mueller, Derek Sepúlveda Steiner, Oscar Forrest, Alexander L. Observations of submesoscale eddy-driven heat transport at an ice shelf calving front |
author_facet |
Friedrichs, Drew M. McInerney, Jasmin B.T. Oldroyd, Holly J. Lee, Won Sang Yun, Sukyoung Yoon, Seung-Tae Stevens, Craig L. Zappa, Christopher J. Dow, Christine F. Mueller, Derek Sepúlveda Steiner, Oscar Forrest, Alexander L. |
author_sort |
Friedrichs, Drew M. |
title |
Observations of submesoscale eddy-driven heat transport at an ice shelf calving front |
title_short |
Observations of submesoscale eddy-driven heat transport at an ice shelf calving front |
title_full |
Observations of submesoscale eddy-driven heat transport at an ice shelf calving front |
title_fullStr |
Observations of submesoscale eddy-driven heat transport at an ice shelf calving front |
title_full_unstemmed |
Observations of submesoscale eddy-driven heat transport at an ice shelf calving front |
title_sort |
observations of submesoscale eddy-driven heat transport at an ice shelf calving front |
publisher |
Springer Nature |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00460-3 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-57.083,-57.083,-63.550,-63.550) |
geographic |
Austral Buttress East Antarctica |
geographic_facet |
Austral Buttress East Antarctica |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Shelf Ice Shelves |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Shelf Ice Shelves |
op_relation |
Communications Earth & Environment--Commun. Earth Environ.--journals:6036--2662-4435 eawag:25109 doi:10.1038/s43247-022-00460-3 scopus: 2-s2.0-85132418752 journal id: journals:6036 e-issn: 2662-4435 ut: 000814644300002 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00460-3 |
container_title |
Communications Earth & Environment |
container_volume |
3 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1769003099820654592 |