Ocean variability beneath Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf driven by the Pine Island Bay Gyre strength

Tiago S. Dotto (), Karen J. Heywood, Rob A. Hall, Ted A. Scambos, Yixi Zheng, Yoshihiro Nakayama, Shuntaro Hyogo, Tasha Snow, Anna K. Wåhlin, Christian Wild, Martin Truffer, Atsuhiro Muto, Karen E. Alley, Lars Boehme, Guilherme A. Bortolotto, Scott W. Tyler and Erin Pettit
Additional contact information
Tiago S. Dotto: University of East Anglia
Karen J. Heywood: University of East Anglia
Rob A. Hall: University of East Anglia
Ted A. Scambos: University of Colorado Boulder
Yixi Zheng: University of East Anglia
Yoshihiro Nakayama: Hokkaido University
Shuntaro Hyogo: Hokkaido University
Tasha Snow: Colorado School of Mines
Anna K. Wåhlin: University of Gothenburg
Christian Wild: Oregon State University
Martin Truffer: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Atsuhiro Muto: Temple University
Karen E. Alley: University of Manitoba
Lars Boehme: University of St Andrews
Guilherme A. Bortolotto: University of St Andrews
Scott W. Tyler: University of Nevada
Erin Pettit: Oregon State University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract West Antarctic ice-shelf thinning is primarily caused by ocean-driven basal melting. Here we assess ocean variability below Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf (TEIS) and reveal the importance of local ocean circulation and sea-ice. Measurements obtained from two sub-ice-shelf moorings, spanning January 2020 to March 2021, show warming of the ice-shelf cavity and an increase in meltwater fraction of the upper sub-ice layer. Combined with ocean modelling results, our observations suggest that meltwater from Pine Island Ice Shelf feeds into the TEIS cavity, adding to horizontal heat transport there. We propose that a weakening of the Pine Island Bay gyre caused by prolonged sea-ice cover from April 2020 to March 2021 allowed meltwater-enriched waters to enter the TEIS cavity, which increased the temperature of the upper layer. Our study highlights the sensitivity of ocean circulation beneath ice shelves to local atmosphere-sea-ice-ocean forcing in neighbouring open oceans.

Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-35499-5

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35499-5

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