Modeling tabular icebergs submerged in the ocean
Key Points: A novel-modeling framework is developed to explicitly model large tabular icebergs submerged in the ocean. Tabular icebergs are represented using Lagrangian elements that drift in the ocean, and are held together by numerical bonds Breaking the numerical bonds allows us to model iceberg breakup and calving.
Abstract: Large tabular icebergs calved from Antarctic ice shelves have long lifetimes (due to their large size), during which they drift across large distances, altering ambient ocean circulation, bottom-water formation, sea-ice formation, and biological primary productivity in the icebergs’ vicinity. However, despite their importance, the current generation of ocean circulation models usually do not represent large tabular icebergs. In this study, we develop a novel framework to model large tabular icebergs submerged in the ocean. In this framework, tabular icebergs are represented by pressure-exerting Lagrangian elements that drift in the ocean. The elements are held together and interact with each other via bonds. A breaking of these bonds allows the model to emulate calving events (i.e., detachment of a tabular iceberg from an ice shelf) and tabular icebergs breaking up into smaller pieces. Idealized simulations of a calving tabular iceberg, its drift, and its breakup demonstrate capabilities of the developed framework.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017MS001002/pdf