Contribution of giant icebergs to the Southern Ocean freshwater flux

Silva, T. A.M., Bigg, G. R. and Nicholls, K. W. (2006) Contribution of giant icebergs to the Southern Ocean freshwater flux. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 111 (3). ISSN 2169-9275

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Abstract

In the period 1979-2003 the mass of "giant" icebergs (icebergs larger than 18.5 km in length) calving from Antarctica averaged 1089 ± 300 Gt yr-1 of ice, under half the snow accumulation over the continent given by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2246 ± 86 Gt yr-1). Here we combine a database of iceberg tracks from the National Ice Center and a model of iceberg thermodynamics in order to estimate the amount and distribution of meltwater attributable to giant icebergs. By comparing with published modeled meltwater distribution for smaller bergs we show that giant icebergs have a different melting pattern: An estimated 35% of giant icebergs' mass is exported north of 63°S versus 3% for smaller bergs, although giant bergs spend more of the earlier part of their history nearer to the coast. We combine both estimates to produce the first iceberg meltwater map that takes into account giant icebergs. The average meltwater input is shown to exceed precipitation minus evaporation (P - E) in certain areas and is a nonnegligible term in the balance of freshwater fluxes in the Southern Ocean. The calving of giant icebergs is, however, episodic; this might have implications for their impact on the freshwater budget of the ocean. It is estimated that over the period 1987-2003 the meltwater flux in the Weddell and Ross seas has varied by at least 15,000 m3 s-1 over a month. Because of the potential sensitivity of the production of deep waters to abrupt changes in the freshwater budget, variations in iceberg melt rates of this magnitude might be climatologically significant.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	geochemistry and petrology,geophysics,earth and planetary sciences (miscellaneous),space and planetary science,atmospheric science,astronomy and astrophysics,oceanography,sdg 13 - climate action ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1906
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Use of the Seas
Related URLs:	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?...
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	16 Feb 2026 14:31
Last Modified:	23 Feb 2026 01:06
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/101950
DOI:	10.1029/2004JC002843

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