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Abstract

Ice shelf basal melt is the dominant contribution to mass loss from Antarctic ice shelves. However, the sensitivity of basal melt to changes in icescape (grounded icebergs, ice shelves and sea ice) and related ocean circulation is poorly understood. Here, we simulate the impact of the major 2010 calving event of the Mertz Glacier Tongue (MGT), East Antarctica, and related redistribution of sea ice and icebergs on the basal melt rate of the local ice shelves. We find that the position of the grounded tabular iceberg B9B controls the water masses that reach the nearby ice shelf cavities. After the calving of the MGT and the removal of B9B, warmer water is present both within the MGT cavity and on the continental shelf driving a 57% increase of the deep MGT basal melting. Major changes in icescape influence the oceanic heat flux responsible for basal ice shelf melting.

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Cougnon, EA and Galton-Fenzi, BK and Rintoul, SR and Legresy, B and Williams, GD and Fraser, AD and Hunter, JR
Keywords:	ocean-ice shelf interactions, Mertz Glacier, Antarctica, regional icescape changes, iceberg, calving
Journal or Publication Title:	Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher:	Amer Geophysical Union
ISSN:	0094-8276
DOI / ID Number:	10.1002/2017GL074943
Copyright Information:	Copyright 2017 American Geophysical Union
Related URLs:	Google Scholar: Cougnon, EA Google Scholar: Williams, GD UTAS Profile: Williams, GD Google Scholar: Fraser, AD
Item Statistics:	View statistics for this item

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