Articles | Volume 16, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-451-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-451-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
08 Feb 2022
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 08 Feb 2022
| 08 Feb 2022
Layered seawater intrusion and melt under grounded ice
School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
Earle Wilson
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
Helene Seroussi
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
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Cited
36 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Next-generation radar bed measurements should be optimized for assimilation or repeat-pass profiling D. Schroeder et al. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2024.0548
- Monitoring shear-zone weakening in East Antarctic outlet glaciers through differential InSAR measurements C. Wild et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4533-2025
- Climate intervention on a high-emissions pathway could delay but not prevent West Antarctic Ice Sheet demise J. Sutter et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01738-w
- Horizontal force-balance calving laws: Ice shelves, marine- and land-terminating glaciers N. Coffey & C. Lai https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2025.10068
- Impacts of bed topography resolution on sea-level rise projections from coupled subglacial hydrology and ice dynamics for Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica S. Ehrenfeucht & C. Dow https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2024.0545
- Antarctica in 2025: Drivers of deep uncertainty in projected ice loss H. Fricker et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adt9619
- Modeling Ice Melt Rates From Seawater Intrusions in the Grounding Zone of Petermann Gletscher, Greenland R. Gadi et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105869
- Widespread seawater intrusions beneath the grounded ice of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica E. Rignot et al. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404766121
- Sensitivity of the future evolution of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin ice sheet to grounding-line melt parameterizations Y. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5117-2024
- Laboratory-scale study of mixed barriers in stratified layers with an inclined ocean aquifer boundary V. Sharma & S. Chakma https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2024.104438
- Contrasting melt regime in the Ice Grounding Zone of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica R. Gadi et al. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2512626122
- Antarctic grounding zone and bedrock: the interplay shaping Antarctic sea-level contribution S. Nowicki & H. Seroussi https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2024.0544
- Surface expression of low basal friction upstream of Antarctic grounding lines E. Stewart et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2026.10054
- Spatial and temporal variability of 21st century sea level changes J. Roffman et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggad170
- Seasonal variability in Antarctic ice shelf velocities forced by sea surface height variations C. Mosbeux et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2585-2023
- Thirty years of glacier grounding line retreat in Antarctica E. Rignot et al. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2524380123
- The case for a Framework for UnderStanding Ice-Ocean iNteractions (FUSION) in the Antarctic-Southern Ocean system F. McCormack et al. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2024.00036
- Rapid retreat of Berry Glacier, West Antarctica, linked to seawater intrusions revealed by radar interferometry H. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64330-0
- Evidence of active subglacial lakes under a slowly moving coastal region of the Antarctic Ice Sheet J. Arthur et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-375-2025
- Review article: The Foundation-Patuxent-Academy ice stream system, Antarctica N. Ross et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3705-2026
- Reversal of ocean gyres near ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea caused by the interaction of sea ice and wind Y. Zheng et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3005-2022
- A fast and simplified subglacial hydrological model for the Antarctic Ice Sheet and outlet glaciers E. Kazmierczak et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5887-2024
- Emergent decadal predictability in Antarctic contribution to sea-level rise F. McCormack et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10614-4
- Subglacial hydrology modulates basal sliding response of the Antarctic ice sheet to climate forcing E. Kazmierczak et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4537-2022
- Reinforced ridges in Thwaites Glacier yield insights into resolution requirements for coupled ice sheet and solid Earth models L. Houriez et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4355-2025
- Sea-level contribution from Thwaites Glacier doubles in an observation-constrained ice-sheet model M. Poinelli et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-77976-1
- Melt rates in the kilometer-size grounding zone of Petermann Glacier, Greenland, before and during a retreat E. Ciracì et al. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2220924120
- Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity in Greenland Firn From the Synthesis of Satellite Radar Altimetry and Passive Microwave Measurements K. Scanlan et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTARS.2026.3651847
- Antarctica’s ice cliff conundrum A. Robel https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr5921
- Observations of grounding zones are the missing key to understand ice melt in Antarctica E. Rignot https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01819-w
- Modes of Antarctic tidal grounding line migration revealed by Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) laser altimetry B. Freer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4079-2023
- Modeling mixing and melting in laminar seawater intrusions under grounded ice M. Mamer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3227-2025
- Exploring the utility of the entropy method for classifying household livelihood vulnerability and adaptation strategies to salinity intrusion Impact - empirical evidence in coastal communities of the Vietnamese Mekong delta L. Thanh Dang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2023.100912
- Tipping point in ice-sheet grounding-zone melting due to ocean water intrusion A. Bradley & I. Hewitt https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01465-7
- Subglacial hydrology regulates oscillations in marine ice streams M. Haseloff et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5939-2025
- Parameterizing tidal-water intrusions in long-term Antarctic ice-sheet projections A. Juarez-Martinez et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-5345-2026
36 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Next-generation radar bed measurements should be optimized for assimilation or repeat-pass profiling D. Schroeder et al. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2024.0548
- Monitoring shear-zone weakening in East Antarctic outlet glaciers through differential InSAR measurements C. Wild et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4533-2025
- Climate intervention on a high-emissions pathway could delay but not prevent West Antarctic Ice Sheet demise J. Sutter et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01738-w
- Horizontal force-balance calving laws: Ice shelves, marine- and land-terminating glaciers N. Coffey & C. Lai https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2025.10068
- Impacts of bed topography resolution on sea-level rise projections from coupled subglacial hydrology and ice dynamics for Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica S. Ehrenfeucht & C. Dow https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2024.0545
- Antarctica in 2025: Drivers of deep uncertainty in projected ice loss H. Fricker et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adt9619
- Modeling Ice Melt Rates From Seawater Intrusions in the Grounding Zone of Petermann Gletscher, Greenland R. Gadi et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105869
- Widespread seawater intrusions beneath the grounded ice of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica E. Rignot et al. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404766121
- Sensitivity of the future evolution of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin ice sheet to grounding-line melt parameterizations Y. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5117-2024
- Laboratory-scale study of mixed barriers in stratified layers with an inclined ocean aquifer boundary V. Sharma & S. Chakma https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2024.104438
- Contrasting melt regime in the Ice Grounding Zone of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica R. Gadi et al. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2512626122
- Antarctic grounding zone and bedrock: the interplay shaping Antarctic sea-level contribution S. Nowicki & H. Seroussi https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2024.0544
- Surface expression of low basal friction upstream of Antarctic grounding lines E. Stewart et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2026.10054
- Spatial and temporal variability of 21st century sea level changes J. Roffman et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggad170
- Seasonal variability in Antarctic ice shelf velocities forced by sea surface height variations C. Mosbeux et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2585-2023
- Thirty years of glacier grounding line retreat in Antarctica E. Rignot et al. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2524380123
- The case for a Framework for UnderStanding Ice-Ocean iNteractions (FUSION) in the Antarctic-Southern Ocean system F. McCormack et al. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2024.00036
- Rapid retreat of Berry Glacier, West Antarctica, linked to seawater intrusions revealed by radar interferometry H. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64330-0
- Evidence of active subglacial lakes under a slowly moving coastal region of the Antarctic Ice Sheet J. Arthur et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-375-2025
- Review article: The Foundation-Patuxent-Academy ice stream system, Antarctica N. Ross et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3705-2026
- Reversal of ocean gyres near ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea caused by the interaction of sea ice and wind Y. Zheng et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3005-2022
- A fast and simplified subglacial hydrological model for the Antarctic Ice Sheet and outlet glaciers E. Kazmierczak et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5887-2024
- Emergent decadal predictability in Antarctic contribution to sea-level rise F. McCormack et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10614-4
- Subglacial hydrology modulates basal sliding response of the Antarctic ice sheet to climate forcing E. Kazmierczak et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4537-2022
- Reinforced ridges in Thwaites Glacier yield insights into resolution requirements for coupled ice sheet and solid Earth models L. Houriez et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4355-2025
- Sea-level contribution from Thwaites Glacier doubles in an observation-constrained ice-sheet model M. Poinelli et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-77976-1
- Melt rates in the kilometer-size grounding zone of Petermann Glacier, Greenland, before and during a retreat E. Ciracì et al. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2220924120
- Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity in Greenland Firn From the Synthesis of Satellite Radar Altimetry and Passive Microwave Measurements K. Scanlan et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTARS.2026.3651847
- Antarctica’s ice cliff conundrum A. Robel https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr5921
- Observations of grounding zones are the missing key to understand ice melt in Antarctica E. Rignot https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01819-w
- Modes of Antarctic tidal grounding line migration revealed by Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) laser altimetry B. Freer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4079-2023
- Modeling mixing and melting in laminar seawater intrusions under grounded ice M. Mamer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3227-2025
- Exploring the utility of the entropy method for classifying household livelihood vulnerability and adaptation strategies to salinity intrusion Impact - empirical evidence in coastal communities of the Vietnamese Mekong delta L. Thanh Dang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2023.100912
- Tipping point in ice-sheet grounding-zone melting due to ocean water intrusion A. Bradley & I. Hewitt https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01465-7
- Subglacial hydrology regulates oscillations in marine ice streams M. Haseloff et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5939-2025
- Parameterizing tidal-water intrusions in long-term Antarctic ice-sheet projections A. Juarez-Martinez et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-5345-2026
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 28 Oct 2026
Short summary
Warm seawater may intrude as a thin layer below glaciers in contact with the ocean. Mathematical theory predicts that this intrusion may extend over distances of kilometers under realistic conditions. Computer models demonstrate that if this warm seawater causes melting of a glacier bottom, it can cause rates of glacier ice loss and sea level rise to be up to 2 times faster in response to potential future ocean warming.
Warm seawater may intrude as a thin layer below glaciers in contact with the ocean. Mathematical...
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