Evidence of glacial melt water input in the Western Ross Sea (Antarctica) water masses

• Main Authors: Paola Rivaro, Francisco Ardini, Pasquale Castagno, Massimo De Stefano, Pierpaolo Falco
• Other Authors: European Geoscience Union, Rivaro, Paola, Ardini, Francisco, Castagno, Pasquale, DE STEFANO, Massimo, Falco, Pierpaolo
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus GmBH 2018
• Subjects: Antarctic; Ross Sea; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Sheet; Ice Shelf; Ice Shelves; Iceberg*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11367/69758

Ice shelves are believed to control the glacial stability and the Antarctic Ice Sheet balance, thus their melting is a critical issue. One of the recognized drivers of the ice shelf melting is the intrusion of the warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) onto the Antarctic continental shelves. In the Ross Sea: CDW is a primary source of heat, salt, iron (Fe) and nutrients and plays a major role on the shelf biogeochemical processes; CDW intrudes onto the shelf preferably in the western sector, where the local glaciers are potentially exposed to this warm intrusion; CDW, besides contributing directly to the Fe input, may also have an indirect, but relevant role on the Fe bulk by enhancing the ice shelves melting and iceberg calving. The CELEBeR (CDW Effects on glaciaL mElting and on Bulk of Fe in the Western Ross Sea) project aims to investigate the role of the CDW in supplying Fe to the Ross Sea biological system both directly, as one of the main Fe sources, and indirectly by inducing the Fe-rich glacial melt water inputs in the western Ross Sea. Preliminary data on evidence of glacial melt water input in selected areas are here presented.