Articles | Volume 20, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-135-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-135-2026
Research article
 | 
08 Jan 2026
Research article |  | 08 Jan 2026

Modelled dynamics of floating and grounded icebergs, with application to the Amundsen Sea

Yavor Kostov, Paul R. Holland, Kelly A. Hogan, James A. Smith, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Pierre Mathiot, Anna Olivé Abelló, Andrew H. Fleming, and Andrew J. S. Meijers

Model code and software

Kostov et al 2025. Updates to the NEMO iceberg dynamics and grounding Yavor Kostov et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15484879

Video supplement

Modelled dynamics of floating and grounded icebergs, with application to the Amundsen Sea. Mosaic of satellite images showing Copernicus Sentinel-1 SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data. Yavor Kostov et al. https://doi.org/10.5446/70447

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Short summary
Icebergs ground when they reach shallow topography such as Bear Ridge in the Amundsen Sea. Grounded icebergs can block the transport of sea-ice and create areas of higher and lower sea-ice concentration. We introduce a physically and observationally motivated representation of grounding in an ocean model. In addition, we improve the way simulated icebergs respond to winds, ocean currents, and density differences in sea water. We analyse the forces acting on freely floating and grounded icebergs.
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