What question did this study set out to answer?

Investigate how tidal vertical mixing drives basal ice shelf melting and thermohaline circulation beneath the Ross Ice Shelf.

January 20, 1984Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres

Thermohaline circulation below the Ross Ice Shelf: A consequence of tidally induced vertical mixing and basal melting

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Authors

DMDouglas R. MacAyealAlfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung

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Implication

Numerical modeling reveals tidal mixing drives basal melting and deep thermohaline circulation under the Ross Ice Shelf, indicating stability against climate change.

Key Points

Investigate how tidal vertical mixing drives basal ice shelf melting and thermohaline circulation beneath the Ross Ice Shelf.
Conducted a numerical tidal simulation to model vertical water column mixing and sub-ice-shelf circulation dynamics.
Vertically well-mixed water columns predominate in the southeastern sub-ice-shelf cavity where water depth is shallow.
Basal melting rates of 0.05 to 0.5 m/yr drive thermohaline circulation, drawing high salinity shelf water (−1.8°C) across the seafloor and expelling meltwater (−2.2°C) along the ice base.
Ablation sensitivity to climate change is expected to be low because high salinity shelf water is thermally bounded by sea-surface freezing temperatures.

Cite This Study

Douglas R. MacAyeal (1984) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a896eff65b7d5248dc12313 https://doi.org/10.1029/jc089ic01p00597

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Implication

Numerical modeling reveals tidal mixing drives basal melting and deep thermohaline circulation under the Ross Ice Shelf, indicating stability against climate change.

Thermohaline circulation below the Ross Ice Shelf: A consequence of tidally induced vertical mixing and basal melting

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Thermohaline circulation below the Ross Ice Shelf: A consequence of tidally induced vertical mixing and basal melting

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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