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Measurements beneath an Antarctic ice shelf using an autonomous underwater vehicle
Author(s) -
Nicholls K. W.,
Abrahamsen E. P.,
Buck J. J. H.,
Dodd P. A.,
Goldblatt C.,
Griffiths G.,
Heywood K. J.,
Hughes N. E.,
Kaletzky A.,
LaneSerff G. F.,
McPhail S. D.,
Millard N. W.,
Oliver K. I. C.,
Perrett J.,
Price M. R.,
Pudsey C. J.,
Saw K.,
Stansfield K.,
Stott M. J.,
Wadhams P.,
Webb A. T.,
Wilkinson J. P.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl025998
Subject(s) - ice shelf , geology , underwater , oceanography , iceberg , antarctic sea ice , sea ice , arctic ice pack , cryosphere
The cavities beneath Antarctic ice shelves are among the least studied regions of the World Ocean, yet they are sites of globally important water mass transformations. Here we report results from a mission beneath Fimbul Ice Shelf of an autonomous underwater vehicle. The data reveal a spatially complex oceanographic environment, an ice base with widely varying roughness, and a cavity periodically exposed to water with a temperature significantly above the surface freezing point. The results of this, the briefest of glimpses of conditions in this extraordinary environment, are already reforming our view of the topographic and oceanographic conditions beneath ice shelves, holding out great promises for future missions from similar platforms.