Freshening by glacial meltwater enhances melting of ice shelves and reduces formation of Antarctic Bottom Water

• Published in: Science Advances
• Main Authors: Silvano, A, Rintoul, SR, Pena-Molino, B, Hobbs, WR, van Wijk, E, Aoki, S, Tamura, T, Williams, GD
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science 2018
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Oceanography; Physical Oceanography; Antarctic; The Antarctic; East Antarctica; West Antarctica; Amundsen Sea; Getz; Sabrina Coast; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Sheet; Ice Shelf; Ice Shelves; Sea ice; Totten Ice Shelf
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aap9467; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29675467; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/125485

Strong heat loss and brine release during sea ice formation in coastal polynyas act to cool and salinify waters on the Antarctic continental shelf. Polynya activity thus both limits the ocean heat flux to the Antarctic Ice Sheet and promotes formation of Dense Shelf Water (DSW), the precursor to Ant...