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The influence of an Antarctic glacier tongue on near-field ocean circulation and mixing
Citation
Stevens, CL and McPhee, MG and Forrest, AL and Leonard, GH and Stanton, T and Haskell, TG, The influence of an Antarctic glacier tongue on near-field ocean circulation and mixing, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 119, (4) pp. 2344-2362. ISSN 2169-9291 (2014) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2014 American Geophysical Union
Abstract
In situ measurements of flow and stratification in the vicinity of the Erebus Glacier Tongue, a
12 km long floating Antarctic glacier, show the significant influence of the glacier. Three ADCPs (75, 300,
and 600 kHz) were deployed close (<50 m) to the sidewall of the glacier in order to capture near-field flow
distortion. Scalar (temperature and conductivity) and shear microstructure profiling captured small-scale
vertical variability. Flow magnitudes exceeded 0.3 m s21 through a combination of tidal flow (8 cm s21)
and a background/residual flow (4–10 cm s21) flowing to the NW. Turbulence was dominated by deeper
mixing during spring tide, likely indicative of the role of bathymetric variation which locally forms an obstacle
as great as the glacier. During the neap tide, near-surface mixing was as energetic as that seen in the
spring tide, suggesting the presence of buoyancy-driven near-surface flows. Estimates of integrated dissipation
rate suggest that these floating extensions of the Antarctic ice sheet alter energy budgets through
enhanced dissipation, and thus influence coastal near-surface circulation.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | ice tongues, mixing, turbulence |
Research Division: | Earth Sciences |
Research Group: | Oceanography |
Research Field: | Physical oceanography |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Other environmental management |
Objective Field: | Other environmental management not elsewhere classified |
UTAS Author: | Forrest, AL (Dr Alexander Forrest) |
ID Code: | 91376 |
Year Published: | 2014 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 9 |
Deposited By: | NC Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics |
Deposited On: | 2014-05-15 |
Last Modified: | 2017-11-30 |
Downloads: | 128 View Download Statistics |
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