Oceanic heat transport onto the Amundsen Sea shelf through a submarine glacial trough

Walker, Dziga P.; Brandon, Mark A.; Jenkins, Adrian; Allen, John T.; Dowdeswell, Julian A.; Evans, Jeff. 2007 Oceanic heat transport onto the Amundsen Sea shelf through a submarine glacial trough. Geophysical Research Letters, 34 (2), L02602. 4, pp. 10.1029/2006GL028154

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Abstract/Summary

Glaciers which drain the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) into the Amundsen Sea are accelerating and thinning rapidly. These observations have been attributed to the regional oceanography whereby heat contained within Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) drives the basal melting of floating glaciers. On the basis of new data we calculate that 2.8 terra-Watts (1012) of oceanic heat flow onto the continental shelf and toward the glaciers via a submarine glacial trough. This is enough to account for most of the basal melting in the entire region suggesting the ocean is supplying an excess of heat toward the Antarctic continent.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number/DOI:	10.1029/2006GL028154
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Other Special Projects
ISSN:	0094-8276
Additional Keywords:	Ocean circulation, Circumpolar Deep Water, Ice sheets, Glaciers, West Antarctic
NORA Subject Terms:	Marine Sciences Glaciology
Date made live:	13 Nov 2007 15:28
URI:	http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/1199

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