Thermohaline structure and circulation beneath the Langhovde Glacier ice shelf in East Antarctica

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23534-w
• Publication Date: 2021-07-09T10:03:11Z
• Authors: Masahiro Minowa; Shin Sugiyama; Masato Ito; Shiori Yamane; Shigeru Aoki
• Keywords: Iceberg; Glacier ice accumulation

Abstract Basal melting of ice shelves is considered to be the principal driver recent mass loss in Antarctica. Nevertheless, in-situ oceanic data covering extensive areas a subshelf cavity are sparse. Here we show comprehensive structures temperature, salinity and current measured January 2018 through four boreholes drilled at ~3-km-long shelf Langhovde Glacier East The measurements were performed 302–12 m-thick ocean beneath 234–412 shelf. indicate that Modified Warm Deep Water transported into grounding zone stratified buoyant plume. ice-ocean interface was warmer than freezing point by 0.65–0.95°C, leading mean basal melt rate estimate 1.42 m −1 . Our existence density-driven water circulation Glacier, similar proposed for warm-ocean cavities larger Antarctic shelves.