Phys.org November 24, 2022
Researchers in the UK took ocean measurements close to the William Glacier, situated on the Antarctic Peninsula. It has one or two large calving events per year, and the team estimated this one broke off around 78,000 square meters of ice. Before it broke away, the water temperature was cooler at around 50-100 meters in depth, and warmer below this. After the calving temperature was much more even across different depths. Glaciers that end up in the sea cause big waves at the surface and create waves inside the ocean causing the sea to mix. This affects life in the sea, how warm it is at different depths and how much ice it can melt. Ocean mixing influences where nutrients are in the water and that matters for ecosystems and biodiversity. As global warming could increase the number of internal tsunamis and the mixing they cause. This process is not factored into current computer models…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Field area and glacier retreat due to calving. Credit: SCIENCE ADVANCES, 23 Nov 2022, Vol 8, Issue 47Â