Double Diffusion As a Driver of Turbulence in the Stratified Boundary Layer Beneath George VI Ice Shelf

Abstract: Warmer and more persistent intrusions of Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) onto the West Antarctic Peninsula are a key driver of the recent increase in ice shelf mass loss. The relatively warm and salty CDW is thought to be mixed up to the base of the ice shelves via shear‐driven turbulence where it has a high capacity to melt the ice. We analyze data from a year‐long mooring beneath George VI Ice Shelf at a location where double‐diffusive layering was observed. The turbulent dissipation rates do not vary with mean flow speed, suggesting shear‐driven mixing is not the driver of basal melt at this site. Instead, we predict the observed dissipation using a new method that links along‐isopycnal stirring of temperature anomalies with double‐diffusive convection. Our work suggests that along‐isopycnal temperature variance may be a stronger indicator of melt than flow speed within strongly stratified ice shelf‐ocean boundary layers

Variability in Basal Melting Beneath Pine Island Ice Shelf on Weekly to Monthly Timescales

Ocean-driven basal melting of Amundsen Sea ice shelves has triggered acceleration, thinning, and grounding line retreat on many West Antarctic outlet glaciers. Here we present the first year-long (2014) record of basal melt rate at sub-weekly resolution from a location on the outer Pine Island Ice Shelf. Adjustment of the upper thermocline to local wind forced variability in the vertical Ekman velocity is the dominant control on basal melting at weekly to monthly timescales. Atmosphere-ice-ocean surface heat fluxes or changes in advection of modified Circumpolar Deep Water play no discernible role at these timescales. We propose that during other years, a deepening of the thermocline in Pine Island Bay driven by longer timescale processes may have suppressed the impact of local wind forcing on high-frequency upper thermocline height variability and basal melting. This highlights the complex interplay between the different processes and their timescales that set the basal melt rate beneath Pine Island Ice Shelf

West Antarctic ice loss influenced by internal climate variability and anthropogenic forcing

Recent ice loss from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has been caused by ocean melting of ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea. Eastward wind anomalies at the shelf break enhance the import of warm Circumpolar Deep Water onto the Amundsen Sea continental shelf, which creates transient melting anomalies with an approximately decadal period. No anthropogenic influence on this process has been established. Here, we combine observations and climate model simulations to suggest that increased greenhouse gas forcing caused shelf-break winds to transition from mean easterlies in the 1920s to the near-zero mean zonal winds of the present day. Strong internal climate variability, primarily linked to the tropical Pacific, is superimposed on this forced trend. We infer that the Amundsen Sea experienced decadal ocean ariability throughout the twentieth century, with warm anomalies gradually becoming more prevalent, offering a credible explanation for the ongoing ice loss. Existing climate model projections show that strong future greenhouse gas forcing creates persistent mean westerly shelf-break winds by 2100, suggesting a further enhancement of warm ocean anomalies. These wind changes are weaker under a scenario in which greenhouse gas concentrations are stabilized

Propagation and vertical structure of the tidal flow in Nares Strait

The southward freshwater flux through Nares Strait is an important component of the Arctic's freshwater budget. On short time scales, flow through the strait is dominated by the tides, and tidal dynamics may be important for the magnitude of the freshwater flux over longer periods. Here we build upon our existing knowledge of the tides in the region by exploring their propagation and vertical structure using data from four bottom‐mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers deployed in Nares Strait between 2003 and 2006. We observe that propagating barotropic semidiurnal tidal waves interact to create a standing wave pattern, explaining the abnormally large tidal amplitudes that are observed in this region. In the along‐strait direction, semidiurnal tidal currents exhibit strong variations with depth. In contrast, the diurnal tides propagate northward through the strait as progressive waves, and the tidal currents are broadly depth invariant. Proximity of Nares Strait to the semidiurnal critical latitude and the topographical restriction imposed by the steep side wall of Ellesmere Island are primary drivers behind the observed vertical variability. In the upper part of the water column, baroclinic activity increases the tidal current amplitude by up to 25%. In the across‐strait direction, a two‐layer structure exists in both the diurnal and semidiurnal tidal flow, with a phase lag of approximately a quarter of a tidal cycle across the strait for the semidiurnal tide. Our results suggest that strong vertical motion exists against the side walls of Nares Strait, as the across‐strait flow interacts with the steeply sloping bathymetry

Competing effects of elevated vertical mixing and increased freshwater input on the stratification and sea ice cover in a changing Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is undergoing a period of rapid transition. Freshwater input is projected to increase, and the decline in Arctic sea ice is likely to drive periodic increases in vertical mixing during ice-free periods. Here, a 1D model of the Arctic Ocean is used to explore how these competing processes will affect the stratification, the stability of the cold halocline, and the sea-ice cover at the surface. Initially, stronger shear leads to elevated vertical mixing which causes the mixed layer to warm. The change in temperature, however, is too small to affect the sea-ice cover. Most importantly, in the Eurasian Basin, the elevated shear also deepens the halocline and strengthens the stratification over the Atlantic Water thermocline, reducing the vertical heat flux. After about a decade this effect dominates, and the mixed layer begins to cool. The sea-ice cover can only be significantly affected if the elevated mixing is sufficient to erode the stratification barrier associated with the cold halocline. Whilst freshwater generally dominates in the Canadian Basin (further isolating the mixed layer from the Atlantic Water layer), in the Eurasian Basin elevated shear reduces the strength of the stratification barrier, potentially allowing AtlanticWater heat to be directly entrained into the mixed layer during episodic mixing events. Therefore, although most sea ice retreat to date has occurred in the Canadian Basin, our results suggest that in future decades elevated vertical mixing may play a more significant role in sea ice melt in the Eurasian Basin

The Ocean Boundary Layer beneath Larsen C Ice Shelf: Insights from Large-Eddy Simulations with a Near-Wall Model

Abstract The melt rate of Antarctic ice shelves is of key importance for rising sea levels and future climate scenarios. Recent observations beneath Larsen C Ice Shelf revealed an ocean boundary layer that was highly turbulent and raised questions on the effect of these rich flow dynamics on the ocean heat transfer and the ice shelf melt rate. Directly motivated by the field observations, we have conducted large-eddy simulations (LES) to further examine the ocean boundary layer beneath Larsen C Ice Shelf. The LES was initialized with uniform temperature and salinity (T–S) and included a realistic tidal cycle and a small basal slope. A new parameterization based on previous work was applied at the top boundary to model near-wall turbulence and basal melting. The resulting vertical T–S profiles, melt rate, and friction velocity matched well with the Larsen C Ice Shelf observations. The instantaneous melt rate varied strongly with the tidal cycle, with faster flow increasing the turbulence and mixing of heat toward the ice base. An Ekman layer formed beneath the ice base and, due to the strong vertical shear of the current, Ekman rolls appeared in the mixed layer and stratified region (depth ≈ 20–60 m). In an additional high-resolution simulation (conducted with a smaller domain) the Ekman rolls were associated with increased turbulent kinetic energy, but a relatively small vertical heat flux. Our results will help with interpreting field observations and parameterizing the ocean-driven basal melting of ice shelves.Natural Environment Research Counci

Heterogeneous melting near the Thwaites Glacier grounding line

Thwaites Glacier represents 15% of the ice discharge from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and influences a wider catchment1-3. Because it is grounded below sea level4,5, Thwaites Glacier is thought to be susceptible to runaway retreat triggered at the grounding line (GL) at which the glacier reaches the ocean6,7. Recent ice-flow acceleration2,8 and retreat of the ice front8-10 and GL11,12 indicate that ice loss will continue. The relative impacts of mechanisms underlying recent retreat are however uncertain. Here we show sustained GL retreat from at least 2011 to 2020 and resolve mechanisms of ice-shelf melt at the submetre scale. Our conclusions are based on observations of the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf (TEIS) from an underwater vehicle, extending from the GL to 3 km oceanward and from the ice-ocean interface to the sea floor. These observations show a rough ice base above a sea floor sloping upward towards the GL and an ocean cavity in which the warmest water exceeds 2 °C above freezing. Data closest to the ice base show that enhanced melting occurs along sloped surfaces that initiate near the GL and evolve into steep-sided terraces. This pronounced melting along steep ice faces, including in crevasses, produces stratification that suppresses melt along flat interfaces. These data imply that slope-dependent melting sculpts the ice base and acts as an important response to ocean warming