Fjord circulation induced by melting icebergs

Abstract

Abstract. In an iceberg-choked fjord, meltwater can drive circulation. Down-fjord of the ice, buoyancy and rotation lead to an outflowing surface coastal current hugging one side of the fjord with an inflowing counter-current below. To predict the structure and evolution of these currents, we develop an analytical model – complemented by numerical simulations – that involves a rectangular fjord initially at rest. Specifically, we (i) start with the so-called Rossby adjustment problem; (ii) reconfigure it for a closed channel with stratification; and (iii) generalize the conventional “dam-break” scenario to a gradual-release one that mimics the continual, slow injection of meltwater. Implicit in this description is the result that circulation is mediated by internal Kelvin waves. The analytical model shows that if the total meltwater flux increases (e.g., a larger mélange, warmer water, or enhanced ice–ocean turbulence) then circulation strength increases as would be expected. For realistic parameters, a given meltwater flux induces an exchange flow that is ∼50 times larger. This factor decreases with increasing water column stratification and vice versa. Overall, this paper is a step toward making Greenland-wide predictions of fjord inflows and outflows induced by icebergs.