Articles | Volume 21, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-3341-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-3341-2025
Research article
 | 
10 Dec 2025
Research article |  | 10 Dec 2025

Observations of turbulent mixing in the Dotson Ice Shelf cavity

Maren Elisabeth Richter, Karen J. Heywood, Rob A. Hall, and Peter E. D. Davis

Data sets

Vertical ocean profiles collected by a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) package in the Amundsen Sea NSF/NERC ARTEMIS and ITGC TARSAN https://doi.org/10.15784/601785

Lowered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (LADCP) data collected in the Amundsen Sea for the TARSAN Project, January - February 2022 Tiago S. Dotto et al. https://doi.org/10.5285/18a8be08-07c6-d76c-e063-7086abc01604

Data from AUV Ran missions during Nathaniel B. Palmer cruise NBP2202 A. Wåhlin et al. https://doi.org/10.5878/jej3-kv87

CTD, microstructure and ADCP data from Autosub Long Range under Dotson Ice Shelf, VMP data from the Dotson Ice Shelf front M. E. Richter et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15280917

Thwaites MELT: Velocity microstructure profiles from the grounding zone region of Thwaites Glacier Eastern Ice Shelf P. E. D. Davis et al. https://doi.org/10.5285/2b33895b-5069-4c49-95bd-2624c980498b

Turbulence beneath Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica P. Davis and K. Nicholls https://doi.org/10.5285/16ee2665-d0d0-41b9-a046-23b0a7369c61

Autosub Long Range beneath Ronne Ice Shelf (2018): hydrographic, velocity and turbulence observations along the Modified Warm Deep Water Inflow P. Davis and A. Jenkins https://doi.org/10.5285/eb2f66fa-1c64-49af-b9e8-ce3124ce3c03

CTD, microstructure and ADCP data from Autosub Long Range under Dotson Ice Shelf, VMP data from the Dotson Ice Shelf front, (Version V1) M. E. Richter et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15280917

Download
Short summary
Warm ocean water causes rapid melting of Antarctic glaciers. The circulation and mixing of warm water in ice shelf cavities is mostly unknown. We observed ocean currents and mixing under Dotson Ice Shelf. Mixing is low, with patches of higher mixing associated with stronger currents and vertical current shear. The levels of turbulent mixing will lead to negligible heat loss during the path of the warm water to the grounding line, leaving plenty of heat available to melt the ice shelf there.
Share