Modelling the Response of Ice Shelf Basal Melting to Different Ocean Cavity Environmental Regimes

We present simulation results from a version of the Regional Ocean Modeling System modified for ice shelf/ocean interaction, including the parameterisation of basal melting by molecular diffusion alone. Simulations investigate the differences in melting for an idealised ice shelf experiencing a rang...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of Glaciology
Main Authors: Gwyther, David E., Cougnon, Eva A., Galton-Fenzi, Benjamin K., Roberts, Jason L., Hunter, John R., Dinniman, Michael S.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: ODU Digital Commons 2016
Subjects:
Ice shelves
Ice/Ocean interactions
Melt basal
Boundary layer
Thermohaline circulation
Antarctica
Rates
Parameterization
Friction
Surface
Beneath
System
Sea
Climate
Glaciology
Oceanography
Antarc*
Ice Shelf
Ice Shelves
Online Access:https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/ccpo_pubs/228
https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2016.31
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/context/ccpo_pubs/article/1232/viewcontent/Dinniman_2016_ModellingTheResponseofIceShelfOCR.pdf
Description
Summary:We present simulation results from a version of the Regional Ocean Modeling System modified for ice shelf/ocean interaction, including the parameterisation of basal melting by molecular diffusion alone. Simulations investigate the differences in melting for an idealised ice shelf experiencing a range of cold to hot ocean cavity conditions. Both the pattern of melt and the location of maximum melt shift due to changes in the buoyancy-driven circulation, in a different way to previous studies. Tidal forcing increases both the circulation strength and melting, with the strongest impact on the cold cavity case. Our results highlight the importance of including a complete melt parameterisation and tidal forcing. In response to the 2.4 degrees C ocean warming initially applied to a cold cavity ice shelf, we find that melting will increase by about an order of magnitude (24 x with tides and 41 x without tides).

Similar Items