Swirls and scoops: Ice base melt revealed by multibeam imagery of an Antarctic ice shelf

Anna Wåhlin; Karen E. Alley; Carolyn Begeman; Øyvind Hegrenæs; Xiaohan Yuan; Alastair G.C. Graham; Kelly Hogan; Peter E.D. Davis; Tiago S. Dotto; Clare Eayrs; Robert A. Hall; David M. Holland; Tae Wan Kim; Robert D. Larter; Li Ling; Atsuhiro Muto; Erin C. Pettit; Britney E. Schmidt; Tasha Snow; Filip Stedt; Peter M. Washam; Stina Wahlgren; Christian Wild; Julia Wellner; Yixi Zheng; Karen J. Heywood

doi:10.1126/sciadv.adn9188

Swirls and scoops: Ice base melt revealed by multibeam imagery of an Antarctic ice shelf

Anna Wåhlin, Karen E. Alley, Carolyn Begeman, Øyvind Hegrenæs, Xiaohan Yuan, Alastair G.C. Graham, Kelly Hogan, Peter E.D. Davis, Tiago S. Dotto, Clare Eayrs, Robert A. Hall, David M. Holland, Tae Wan Kim, Robert D. Larter, Li Ling, Atsuhiro Muto, Erin C. Pettit, Britney E. Schmidt, Tasha Snow, Filip StedtPeter M. Washam, Stina Wahlgren, Christian Wild, Julia Wellner, Yixi Zheng, Karen J. Heywood

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Knowledge gaps about how the ocean melts Antarctica’s ice shelves, borne from a lack of observations, lead to large uncertainties in sea level predictions. Using high-resolution maps of the underside of Dotson Ice Shelf, West Antarctica, we reveal the imprint that ice shelf basal melting leaves on the ice. Convection and intermittent warm water intrusions form widespread terraced features through slow melting in quiescent areas, while shear-driven turbulence rapidly melts smooth, eroded topographies in outflow areas, as well as enigmatic teardrop-shaped indentations that result from boundary-layer flow rotation. Full-thickness ice fractures, with bases modified by basal melting and convective processes, are observed throughout the area. This new wealth of processes, all active under a single ice shelf, must be considered to accurately predict future Antarctic ice shelf melt.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	eadn9188
Journal	Science Advances
Volume	10
Issue number	31
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn9188
State	Published - Aug 2 2024

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Wåhlin, A., Alley, K. E., Begeman, C., Hegrenæs, Ø., Yuan, X., Graham, A. G. C., Hogan, K., Davis, P. E. D., Dotto, T. S., Eayrs, C., Hall, R. A., Holland, D. M., Kim, T. W., Larter, R. D., Ling, L., Muto, A., Pettit, E. C., Schmidt, B. E., Snow, T., ... Heywood, K. J. (2024). Swirls and scoops: Ice base melt revealed by multibeam imagery of an Antarctic ice shelf. Science Advances, 10(31), Article eadn9188. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn9188

Wåhlin, A, Alley, KE, Begeman, C, Hegrenæs, Ø, Yuan, X, Graham, AGC, Hogan, K, Davis, PED, Dotto, TS, Eayrs, C, Hall, RA, Holland, DM, Kim, TW, Larter, RD, Ling, L, Muto, A, Pettit, EC, Schmidt, BE, Snow, T, Stedt, F, Washam, PM, Wahlgren, S, Wild, C, Wellner, J, Zheng, Y & Heywood, KJ 2024, 'Swirls and scoops: Ice base melt revealed by multibeam imagery of an Antarctic ice shelf', Science Advances, vol. 10, no. 31, eadn9188. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn9188

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title = "Swirls and scoops: Ice base melt revealed by multibeam imagery of an Antarctic ice shelf",

abstract = "Knowledge gaps about how the ocean melts Antarctica{\textquoteright}s ice shelves, borne from a lack of observations, lead to large uncertainties in sea level predictions. Using high-resolution maps of the underside of Dotson Ice Shelf, West Antarctica, we reveal the imprint that ice shelf basal melting leaves on the ice. Convection and intermittent warm water intrusions form widespread terraced features through slow melting in quiescent areas, while shear-driven turbulence rapidly melts smooth, eroded topographies in outflow areas, as well as enigmatic teardrop-shaped indentations that result from boundary-layer flow rotation. Full-thickness ice fractures, with bases modified by basal melting and convective processes, are observed throughout the area. This new wealth of processes, all active under a single ice shelf, must be considered to accurately predict future Antarctic ice shelf melt.",

author = "Anna W{\aa}hlin and Alley, {Karen E.} and Carolyn Begeman and {\O}yvind Hegren{\ae}s and Xiaohan Yuan and Graham, {Alastair G.C.} and Kelly Hogan and Davis, {Peter E.D.} and Dotto, {Tiago S.} and Clare Eayrs and Hall, {Robert A.} and Holland, {David M.} and Kim, {Tae Wan} and Larter, {Robert D.} and Li Ling and Atsuhiro Muto and Pettit, {Erin C.} and Schmidt, {Britney E.} and Tasha Snow and Filip Stedt and Washam, {Peter M.} and Stina Wahlgren and Christian Wild and Julia Wellner and Yixi Zheng and Heywood, {Karen J.}",

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year = "2024",

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doi = "10.1126/sciadv.adn9188",

language = "English (US)",

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AU - Wåhlin, Anna

AU - Alley, Karen E.

AU - Begeman, Carolyn

AU - Hegrenæs, Øyvind

AU - Yuan, Xiaohan

AU - Graham, Alastair G.C.

AU - Hogan, Kelly

AU - Davis, Peter E.D.

AU - Dotto, Tiago S.

AU - Eayrs, Clare

AU - Hall, Robert A.

AU - Holland, David M.

AU - Kim, Tae Wan

AU - Larter, Robert D.

AU - Ling, Li

AU - Muto, Atsuhiro

AU - Pettit, Erin C.

AU - Schmidt, Britney E.

AU - Snow, Tasha

AU - Stedt, Filip

AU - Washam, Peter M.

AU - Wahlgren, Stina

AU - Wild, Christian

AU - Wellner, Julia

AU - Zheng, Yixi

AU - Heywood, Karen J.

PY - 2024/8/2

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N2 - Knowledge gaps about how the ocean melts Antarctica’s ice shelves, borne from a lack of observations, lead to large uncertainties in sea level predictions. Using high-resolution maps of the underside of Dotson Ice Shelf, West Antarctica, we reveal the imprint that ice shelf basal melting leaves on the ice. Convection and intermittent warm water intrusions form widespread terraced features through slow melting in quiescent areas, while shear-driven turbulence rapidly melts smooth, eroded topographies in outflow areas, as well as enigmatic teardrop-shaped indentations that result from boundary-layer flow rotation. Full-thickness ice fractures, with bases modified by basal melting and convective processes, are observed throughout the area. This new wealth of processes, all active under a single ice shelf, must be considered to accurately predict future Antarctic ice shelf melt.

AB - Knowledge gaps about how the ocean melts Antarctica’s ice shelves, borne from a lack of observations, lead to large uncertainties in sea level predictions. Using high-resolution maps of the underside of Dotson Ice Shelf, West Antarctica, we reveal the imprint that ice shelf basal melting leaves on the ice. Convection and intermittent warm water intrusions form widespread terraced features through slow melting in quiescent areas, while shear-driven turbulence rapidly melts smooth, eroded topographies in outflow areas, as well as enigmatic teardrop-shaped indentations that result from boundary-layer flow rotation. Full-thickness ice fractures, with bases modified by basal melting and convective processes, are observed throughout the area. This new wealth of processes, all active under a single ice shelf, must be considered to accurately predict future Antarctic ice shelf melt.

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Swirls and scoops: Ice base melt revealed by multibeam imagery of an Antarctic ice shelf

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