Bathymetric control of warm ocean water access along the East Antarctic Margin
Observed thinning of the Totten Glacier in East Antarctica has cast doubt upon the stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Recent oceanographic observations at the front of the Totten Ice Shelf have confirmed the presence of modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW), which likely promotes enhanced m...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074433 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/122421 |
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ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:122421 2023-05-15T13:49:03+02:00 Bathymetric control of warm ocean water access along the East Antarctic Margin Nitsche, FO Porter, D Williams, G Cougnon, EA Fraser, AD Correia, R Guerrero, R 2017 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074433 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/122421 en eng Amer Geophysical Union http://ecite.utas.edu.au/122421/1/Nitsche_etal_2017_Bathymetry-control-ocean-access-Totten_GRL.pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074433 Nitsche, FO and Porter, D and Williams, G and Cougnon, EA and Fraser, AD and Correia, R and Guerrero, R, Bathymetric control of warm ocean water access along the East Antarctic Margin, Geophysical Research Letters, 44, (17) pp. 8936-8944. ISSN 0094-8276 (2017) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/122421 Earth Sciences Oceanography Physical Oceanography Refereed Article PeerReviewed 2017 ftunivtasecite https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074433 2019-12-13T22:21:18Z Observed thinning of the Totten Glacier in East Antarctica has cast doubt upon the stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Recent oceanographic observations at the front of the Totten Ice Shelf have confirmed the presence of modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW), which likely promotes enhanced melting. Details of how this water accesses the shelf remain uncertain. Here we present new bathymetry and autumnal oceanographic data from the outer continental shelf, north of the Totten Glacier, that show up to 0.7C mCDW in a>100km wide and >500m deep depression within the shelf break. In other parts of East Antarctica, a shelf break bathymetry shallower than 400m prevents these warmer waters from entering the shelf environment. Our observations demonstrate that detailed knowledge of the bathymetry is critical to correctly model the across-shelf exchange of warm water to the various glaciers/ice shelves of Antarctica for future sea level prediction. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Totten Glacier Totten Ice Shelf eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) Antarctic East Antarctica East Antarctic Ice Sheet Totten Glacier ENVELOPE(116.333,116.333,-66.833,-66.833) Geophysical Research Letters 44 17 8936 8944 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtasecite |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth Sciences Oceanography Physical Oceanography |
spellingShingle |
Earth Sciences Oceanography Physical Oceanography Nitsche, FO Porter, D Williams, G Cougnon, EA Fraser, AD Correia, R Guerrero, R Bathymetric control of warm ocean water access along the East Antarctic Margin |
topic_facet |
Earth Sciences Oceanography Physical Oceanography |
description |
Observed thinning of the Totten Glacier in East Antarctica has cast doubt upon the stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Recent oceanographic observations at the front of the Totten Ice Shelf have confirmed the presence of modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW), which likely promotes enhanced melting. Details of how this water accesses the shelf remain uncertain. Here we present new bathymetry and autumnal oceanographic data from the outer continental shelf, north of the Totten Glacier, that show up to 0.7C mCDW in a>100km wide and >500m deep depression within the shelf break. In other parts of East Antarctica, a shelf break bathymetry shallower than 400m prevents these warmer waters from entering the shelf environment. Our observations demonstrate that detailed knowledge of the bathymetry is critical to correctly model the across-shelf exchange of warm water to the various glaciers/ice shelves of Antarctica for future sea level prediction. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nitsche, FO Porter, D Williams, G Cougnon, EA Fraser, AD Correia, R Guerrero, R |
author_facet |
Nitsche, FO Porter, D Williams, G Cougnon, EA Fraser, AD Correia, R Guerrero, R |
author_sort |
Nitsche, FO |
title |
Bathymetric control of warm ocean water access along the East Antarctic Margin |
title_short |
Bathymetric control of warm ocean water access along the East Antarctic Margin |
title_full |
Bathymetric control of warm ocean water access along the East Antarctic Margin |
title_fullStr |
Bathymetric control of warm ocean water access along the East Antarctic Margin |
title_full_unstemmed |
Bathymetric control of warm ocean water access along the East Antarctic Margin |
title_sort |
bathymetric control of warm ocean water access along the east antarctic margin |
publisher |
Amer Geophysical Union |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074433 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/122421 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(116.333,116.333,-66.833,-66.833) |
geographic |
Antarctic East Antarctica East Antarctic Ice Sheet Totten Glacier |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic East Antarctica East Antarctic Ice Sheet Totten Glacier |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Totten Glacier Totten Ice Shelf |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Totten Glacier Totten Ice Shelf |
op_relation |
http://ecite.utas.edu.au/122421/1/Nitsche_etal_2017_Bathymetry-control-ocean-access-Totten_GRL.pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074433 Nitsche, FO and Porter, D and Williams, G and Cougnon, EA and Fraser, AD and Correia, R and Guerrero, R, Bathymetric control of warm ocean water access along the East Antarctic Margin, Geophysical Research Letters, 44, (17) pp. 8936-8944. ISSN 0094-8276 (2017) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/122421 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074433 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
44 |
container_issue |
17 |
container_start_page |
8936 |
op_container_end_page |
8944 |
_version_ |
1766250738736955392 |