Ice-shelf freshwater triggers for the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf melt tipping point in a global ocean-sea-ice model

Summary

This study investigated the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf (FRIS) melt tipping point using the E3SM global ocean-sea-ice model at a low resolution (30-60 km). It identified that a more realistic distribution of iceberg melt fluxes and an improved mesoscale eddy mixing parameterization were crucial to prevent an unrealistic FRIS melt regime change under historical forcing. Sensitivity experiments showed that modestly increased melt rates (2-4 m yr−1, corresponding to 140.8-281.7 Gt yr−1) in adjacent eastern Weddell Sea ice shelves could trigger a FRIS melt regime change, where melt rates increased approximately 10-fold within 21 years. The study highlights the challenges and importance of accurately simulating ocean-ice interactions in low-resolution climate models for projecting Antarctic ice sheet behavior and future sea-level rise.

Key Facts

Source Document

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