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Observations suggest a major melting event at the Ross Ice Shelf was connected to atmospheric turbulence.
The Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica typically melts on its underside as warmer ocean water flows beneath. But in January 2016, an unusual melting episode occurred on its topside.
A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Haystack Observatory used data from existing GNSS stations, in conjunction with 13 stations installed on shelf, to examine the turbulent state of the atmosphere. Key were delay differences at each station and between stations that showed the strength (or rockiness) of atmospheric turbulence over the ice shelf.
Wind, water vapor, and temperature variations drawn in by warm and humid air caused the surface to melt, with turbulence four times greater than usual during the 2016 surface melting event.
The study also demonstrated a novel application of the GNSS station data to remotely observe unusual atmospheric conditions.
The open-access study was published Feb. 27 in Geophysical Research Letters.
