BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Ice-ocean interaction at the Totten Glacier - Alessandro Silvano\,
  University of Tasmania
DTSTART:20170719T100000Z
DTEND:20170719T110000Z
UID:TALK72743@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Peter Davis
DESCRIPTION:Mass loss from the West Antarctic ice shelves and glaciers has
  been linked to basal melt by ocean heat flux. The Totten Glacier on the S
 abrina Coast (East Antarctica)\, which holds a 3.5 m sea-level change equi
 valent\, also experiences rapid mass loss. Here we show for the first time
  that warm Modified Circumpolar Deep Water (MCDW) enters the cavity beneat
 h the Totten Ice Shelf through a newly discovered deep channel\, driving r
 apid basal melt (> 10 m yr-1) and presumably triggering the mass loss of t
 he Totten Glacier. MCDW is not only found in this deep channel but is wide
 spread on the continental shelf\, forming a warm (> 0.3°C) and saline (34
 .5–34.6) bottom layer overlaid by cold (freezing point) and fresh (34.3)
  Winter Water. The absence of Dense Shelf Water comes as a surprise given 
 the relatively high rates of sea-ice production in the Dalton Polynya\, ea
 st of the Totten Ice Shelf. Using a simple model driven by observed forcin
 g\, we show that freshwater input from basal melt of the Moscow University
  Ice Shelf (upstream of the Dalton Polynya) suppresses Dense Shelf Water f
 ormation. Consequently\, MCDW is not eroded by polynya activity and floods
  the continental shelf. We show that the same process is underway in the A
 mundsen Polynya\, where meltwater from basal melt of Pine Island and Thwai
 tes ice shelves inhibits dense water formation in the Amundsen Sea. Our st
 udy indicates that the ocean conditions on the Sabrina Coast more resemble
  those found in West Antarctica than those typical of East Antarctica\, wh
 ere cold and dense waters dominate the continental shelf.
LOCATION:British Antarctic Survey\, Innovation Centre\, Seminar Room 2
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR