Ice shelf ocean currents, Antarctica

Credit: NASA/GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER SCIENTIFIC VISUALIZATION STUDIO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Caption: Ice shelf ocean currents, Antarctica. Model of the flow of ocean currents (coloured arrows) under the ice shelf associated with the Pine Island Glacier in Antarctica. The ice shelf has been partially removed. The colour coding (key at top right) shows the speed of the currents, from faster (orange) through yellow and green to blue (slower). The data was obtained by drilling through the ice shelf (shaft at centre). Temperature and salinity were also recorded. The research (part of the ECCO3 ocean modelling) was published in 2013. It showed that channels were cut into the underside of the ice, and that the ice shelf was melting by 6 centimetres a day.

Release details: Model release not required. Property release not required.

Keywords: 2013, 21st century, antarctic, antarctica, artwork, cgi, circulating, circulation, climate change, climatological, climatology, computer graphic, digitally generated, drill, drilling, earth science, earth sciences, ecco, ecco 3, ecco3, environmental science, estimating the circulation and climate of the ocean, flowing, glaciology, global warming, ice shelf, illustration, model, no-one, nobody, ocean, ocean current, ocean current flows, oceanography, pine island, pine island bay, pine island glacier, research, shaft, southern ocean, west antarctic ice sheet

Licence fees: A licence fee will be charged for any media (low or high resolution) used in your project.