Abstract
Iceberg D28, a giant tabular iceberg that calved from Amery Ice Shelf in September 2019, grounded off Kemp Coast, East Antarctica, from August to September of 2020. The motion of the iceberg is characterized herein by time-series images captured by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on Sentinel-1 and the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) boarded on Terra from 6 August to 15 September 2020. The thickness of iceberg D28 was estimated by utilizing data from altimeters on Cryosat-2, Sentinel-3, and ICESat-2. By using the iceberg draft and grounding point locations inferred from its motion, the maximum water depths at grounding points were determined, varying from 221.72 ± 21.77 m to 269.42 ± 25.66 m. The largest disagreements in seabed elevation inferred from the grounded iceberg and terrain models from the Bedmap2 and BedMachine datasets were over 570 m and 350 m, respectively, indicating a more complicated submarine topography in the study area than that presented by the existing seabed terrain models. Wind and sea water velocities from reanalysis products imply that the driving force from sea water is a more dominant factor than the wind in propelling iceberg D28 during its grounding, which is consistent with previous findings on iceberg dynamics.
Highlights
Grounding is a common process during the life course of an iceberg
The ocean-terminated part was thinner than the part adjacent to the ice shelf
The results indicate that the existence of banks or ridges on the continental shelf near
Summary
Grounding is a common process during the life course of an iceberg. When an iceberg drifts into shallow water areas, its keel cuts into sediments; a grounding event occurs.The process can last from days to years [1,2], during which the iceberg scours on the seabed under multiple environmental factors, such as the Coriolis force, wind, and currents around it [3]. Grounding is a common process during the life course of an iceberg. When an iceberg drifts into shallow water areas, its keel cuts into sediments; a grounding event occurs. The process can last from days to years [1,2], during which the iceberg scours on the seabed under multiple environmental factors, such as the Coriolis force, wind, and currents around it [3]. A recent study implies that iceberg grounding can trigger submarine landslides on certain occasions and can become hazards to coastal regions thousands of kilometers away [8]. In addition to modifying submarine topography, grounded icebergs can damage benthic communities through their interactions with the seabed, supported by in situ observations of several benthic habitats in polar areas [9,10,11,12]
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