Response to Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf cavity warming in a coupled ocean-ice sheet model - Part 1: The ocean perspective


Contact
Ralph.Timmermann [ at ] awi.de

Abstract

The Regional Antarctic ice and Global Ocean (RAnGO) model has been developed to study the interaction between the world ocean and the Antarctic ice sheet. The coupled model is based on a global implementation of the Finite Element Sea-ice Ocean Model (FESOM) with a mesh refinement in the Southern Ocean, particularly in its marginal seas and in the sub-ice shelf cavities. The cryosphere is represented by a regional setup of the ice flow model RIMBAY comprising the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf and the grounded ice in its catchment area up to the ice divides. At the base of the RIMBAY ice shelf, melt rates from FESOM's ice-shelf component are supplied. RIMBAY returns ice thickness and the position of the grounding line. The ocean model uses a pre-computed mesh to allow for an easy adjustment of the model domain to a varying cavity geometry. RAnGO simulations with a 20th-century climate forcing yield realistic basal melt rates and a quasi-stable grounding line position close to the presently observed state. In a centennial-scale warm-water-inflow scenario, the model suggests a substantial thinning of the ice shelf and a local retreat of the grounding line. The potentially negative feedback from ice-shelf thinning through a rising in-situ freezing temperature is more than outweighed by the increasing water column thickness in the deepest parts of the cavity. Compared to a control simulation with fixed ice-shelf geometry, the coupled model thus yields a slightly stronger increase of ice-shelf basal melt rates.



Item Type
Article
Authors
Divisions
Primary Division
Programs
Primary Topic
Research Networks
Publication Status
Published
Eprint ID
45570
DOI 10.5194/os-13-765-2017

Cite as
Timmermann, R. and Goeller, S. (2017): Response to Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf cavity warming in a coupled ocean-ice sheet model - Part 1: The ocean perspective , Ocean Science, 13 , pp. 765-776 . doi: 10.5194/os-13-765-2017


Download
[thumbnail of rangopap4epic.pdf]
Preview
PDF
rangopap4epic.pdf

Download (38MB) | Preview
Cite this document as:

Share
Add to AnyAdd to TwitterAdd to FacebookAdd to LinkedinAdd to PinterestAdd to Email


Citation

Geographical region

Research Platforms

Campaigns
N/A


Actions
Edit Item Edit Item