Modelling the response of ice shelf basal melting to different ocean cavity environmental regimes

• Published in: Annals of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Gwyther, DE, Cougnon, EA, Galton-Fenzi, BK, Roberts, JL, Hunter, JR, Dinniman, MS
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Int Glaciol Soc 2016
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Oceanography; Physical Oceanography; Annals of Glaciology; Ice Shelf
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2016.31; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/112300

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 2.4C ocean warming initially applied to a cold cavity ice shelf, we find that melting will increase by about an order of magnitude (24with tides and 41without tides).