Rates and Mechanisms of Iceberg Ablation in the D’Urville Sea, Southern Ocean

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Abstract
Wave action causes ablation in a narrow zone around an iceberg’s waterline, at up to 0.3 m per day, in water of −1°C with waves up to 0.4 m high. Subsequent subaerial calving of ice from iceberg sides takes place up to a similar rate. Submarine melting is an order of magnitude slower than wave action but acts over the largest part of an iceberg. Ablation rates derived theoretically or statistically elsewhere for comparable environmental conditions, are in reasonable agreement with those measured here. Drifting icebergs trail a plume of mixed, slightly cooled and diluted sea-water in their wake.