Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-61
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-61
17 May 2021
 | 17 May 2021
Status: this discussion paper is a preprint. It has been under review for the journal The Cryosphere (TC). The manuscript was not accepted for further review after discussion.

Winter growth and tidal variability of the sub-ice platelet layer observed with electromagnetic induction soundings

Gemma M. Brett, Gregory H. Leonard, Wolfgang Rack, Christian Haas, Patricia J. Langhorne, and Anne Irvin

Abstract. Here, we present the first electromagnetic induction time-series measurements of ice shelf-influenced fast ice and sub-ice platelet layer thickness over winter and in late spring in McMurdo Sound. Significant increases in sub-ice platelet layer thickness (~0.5–1 m) co-occurred with strong southerly wind events and satellite-observed polynya activity suggesting wind-driven surface circulation of supercooled Ice Shelf Water outflow from the McMurdo-Ross ice shelf cavity. Temporal variability observed in sub-ice platelet layer thickness on diurnal timescales correlated with tidally-induced current patterns previously observed in McMurdo Sound. The thickness of the sub-ice platelet layer increased on spring and neap ebb tides corresponding with northward currents circulating out from the ice shelf cavity. The late spring spatial distributions of first-year and second-year fast ice and sub-ice platelet layer thickness in McMurdo Sound were assessed with drill hole and electromagnetic induction surveys and were comparable to a previous four-year dataset. We resolved second-year fast ice thicknesses of 4 m with a substantial sub-ice platelet layer beneath of up to 11 m using electromagnetic induction techniques suggesting that the longer temporal persistence of the two-year-old fast ice allowed a substantially thicker sub-ice platelet layer to form. The variability observed in the sub-ice platelet layer indicates that a combination of the tides, wind-driven polynya activity and the presence of multi-year ice influences the circulation of Ice Shelf Water in the upper surface ocean and consequently sub-ice platelet layer formation over a range of timescales.

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Gemma M. Brett, Gregory H. Leonard, Wolfgang Rack, Christian Haas, Patricia J. Langhorne, and Anne Irvin

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on tc-2021-61', Anonymous Referee #1, 15 Jul 2021
  • RC2: 'Comment on tc-2021-61', Anonymous Referee #2, 20 Jul 2021

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on tc-2021-61', Anonymous Referee #1, 15 Jul 2021
  • RC2: 'Comment on tc-2021-61', Anonymous Referee #2, 20 Jul 2021
Gemma M. Brett, Gregory H. Leonard, Wolfgang Rack, Christian Haas, Patricia J. Langhorne, and Anne Irvin
Gemma M. Brett, Gregory H. Leonard, Wolfgang Rack, Christian Haas, Patricia J. Langhorne, and Anne Irvin

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Short summary
Using a geophysical technique, we observe temporal variability in the influence of ice shelf meltwater on coastal sea ice which forms platelet ice crystals which contribute to the thickness of the sea ice and accumulate into a thick mass called a sub-ice platelet layer (SIPL). The variability observed in the SIPL indicated that circulation of ice shelf meltwater out from the cavity in McMurdo Sound is influenced by tides and strong offshore winds which affect surface ocean circulation.