Seasonal Ice Flow Backed Up

Abstract:

C-19 iceberg that calved off the Ross Ice shelf and its companion B-15 iceberg, which is anchored near the coast. The two large bergs may have disrupted normal ocean circulation that clears the Ross Sea of seasonal ice during the first months of austral summer. The ice remained in the sea long past previous thaw dates, and created trouble for ships trying to bring in supplies to McMurdo research station on Ross Island. But after months of stillness, in mid-January C-19 changed position dramatically over just a few days, pivoting northward from its eastern end. The effect was like opening a floodgate, and the sea ice trapped between C-19 and B-15 poured out into the Southern Ocean.

Subject:

Science and Technology

Grade Level:

Secondary, Post-secondary

Collection:

NASA GSFC Scientific Visualization Studio