Internal tsunamigenesis and ocean mixing driven by glacier calving in Antarctica

Ocean mixing around Antarctica exerts key influences on glacier dynamics and ice shelf retreats, sea ice, and marine productivity, thus affecting global sea level and climate. The conventional paradigm is that this is dominated by winds, tides, and buoyancy forcing. Direct observations from the Anta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science Advances
Main Authors: Meredith, Michael P., Inall, Mark E., Brearley, J. Alexander, Ehmen, Tobias, Sheen, Katy, Munday, David, Cook, Alison, Retallick, Katherine, Van Landeghem, Katrien, Gerrish, Laura, Annett, Amber, Carvalho, Filipa, Jones, Rhiannon, Naveira Garabato, Alberto C., Bull, Christopher Y.S., Wallis, Benjamin J., Hogg, Anna E., Scourse, James
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: AAAS 2022
Subjects:
Arctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula
Greenland
Antarc*
Antarctica
glacier
Ice Shelf
Sea ice
Online Access:http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532214/
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532214/1/sciadv.add0720.pdf
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.add0720
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Summary:Ocean mixing around Antarctica exerts key influences on glacier dynamics and ice shelf retreats, sea ice, and marine productivity, thus affecting global sea level and climate. The conventional paradigm is that this is dominated by winds, tides, and buoyancy forcing. Direct observations from the Antarctic Peninsula demonstrate that glacier calving triggers internal tsunamis, the breaking of which drives vigorous mixing. Being widespread and frequent, these internal tsunamis are at least comparable to winds, and much more important than tides, in driving regional shelf mixing. They are likely relevant everywhere that marine-terminating glaciers calve, including Greenland and across the Arctic. Calving frequency may change with higher ocean temperatures, suggesting possible shifts to internal tsunamigenesis and mixing in a warming climate.

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