Monica Nelson: Circulation features observed in Vincennes Bay, East Antarctica, using novel SWOT techniques
At the continental shelf in Antarctica, cross-shelf exchange is a major source of heat for ice-shelf melting, particularly near the grounding line. This heat supply to ice-shelf cavities occurs primarily at depth, along troughs, and is associated with ocean dynamics on scales as small as 1–5 km. With recent advances in modeling capabilities and remote-sensing technologies, our ability to resolve dynamics at these scales is improving. However, while the SWOT satellite enables us to observe ocean dynamics at unprecedented horizontal resolution, sea ice makes the interpretation of these observations challenging at the Antarctic margins. Here, we use a novel method to interpret SWOT observations in the presence of sea ice and provide a first assessment of small-scale ocean dynamics in Vincennes Bay, East Antarctica. Pairing these new observational estimates with a high-resolution model (1/40 o longitude, 1/80 o latitude) we aim to narrow the gap in our understanding of how small-scale dynamics deliver heat to Antarctic ice-shelves.