Modeling the spreading of glacial meltwater from the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas

• Published in: Geophysical research letters Vol. 41; no. 22; pp. 7942 - 7949
• Main Authors: Nakayama, Y., Timmermann, R., Rodehacke, C. B., Schröder, M., Hellmer, H. H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Blackwell Publishing Ltd 28.11.2014; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Amundsen Sea; Bellingshausen Sea; Circulation; Circumpolar Deep Water; Coastal currents; Coastal environments; Computer simulation; Finite element method; Finite Element Sea Ice/Ice Shelf/Ocean Model; Glacier melting; Ice; ice shelf basal melting; Ice shelves; Icebergs; Land ice; Marine; Mass; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Melting; Meltwater; Modelling; Ocean models; Oceans; Ross Sea freshening; Sea ice; Sea level; Shelf dynamics; Shelves; Spatial distribution; Spreading; Tracers; Transport; PSW, Bellingshausen Sea; PSW, Amundsen Sea; PSW, Antarctica, West Antarctica, Getz Ice Shelf; PS, Ross Sea
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1002/2014GL061600

It has been suggested that an increased melting of continental ice in the Amundsen Sea (AS) and Bellingshausen Sea (BS) is a likely source of the observed freshening of Ross Sea (RS) water. To test this hypothesis, we simulate the spreading of glacial meltwater using the Finite Element Sea Ice/Ice Shelf/Ocean Model. Based on the spatial distribution of simulated passive tracers, most of the basal meltwater from AS ice shelves flows toward the RS with more than half of the melt originating from the Getz Ice Shelf. Further, the model results show that a slight increase of the basal mass loss can substantially intensify the transport of meltwater into the RS due to a strengthening of the melt‐driven shelf circulation and the westward flowing coastal current. This supports the idea that the basal melting of AS and BS ice shelves is one of the main sources for the RS freshening. Key PointsThe meltwater from Amundsen Sea ice shelves flows into the Ross SeaA slight ice loss increase can strongly intensify meltwater transportThe mechanism purposed in this study may explain the Ross Sea freshening