Ice‐Shelf Meltwater Overturning in the Bellingshausen Sea

Hydrographic data are analyzed for the broad continental shelf of Bellingshausen Sea, which is host to a number rapidly thinning ice shelves. The flow warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) onto observed in two major glacially carved troughs, Belgica and Latady troughs. Using ship-based measurements potential temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, collected across several coast-to-coast transects over 2007, velocity circulation patterns inferred based on geostrophic balance further constrained by tracer mass budgets. Meltwater was at surface intermediate depth toward western side shelf, collocated with outflows. maximum conversion rate from dense CDW lighter water masses mixing glacial meltwater estimated be 0.37 ± 0.1 Sv both density spaces. This diapycnal overturning comparable previous estimates made neighboring Amundsen highlighting overlooked importance modification production associated melting Sea.