What

Our goal is to understand the interaction of the ocean and ice (heat, mass and salt fluxes) at the sub-ice-shelf interface and to incorporate this knowledge into a coupled model that includes dynamics of the ocean and of the ice along with their interaction.

The primary objectives to achieve this goal are listed below with the lead scientist responsible for this aspect of the research.

• Define the shape (surface elevation and thickness) of the ice shelf (Bindschadler)
• Define the shape of the ocean cavity beneath the ice shelf (Anandakrishnan)
• Access the cavity by drilling through the ice shelf (Truffer)
• Visually explore the ocean cavity, sea floor and ice-shelf underside (Behar)
• Develop and deploy remotely-controlled instrumentation to measure the temporal and spatial variations of water properties and of the mass exchange with the ice shelf (Stanton)
• Interpret these measurements to define the nature of heat, mass and salt exchange between the ocean and the ice (McPhee)
• Incorporate the interactive processes into a coupled ocean-ice dynamics model (Holland)