The Currents off the Coast of Queen Maud Land

Abstract

The “coast” of Queen Maud Land is generally formed by floating shelf ice which is about 200 m thick whereas the depth to the bottom is 300 to 400 m. The prevailing wind blows parallel to the coast, towards the west. The wind current transports the low salinity, about 50 m thick surface layer towards the coast where it must descend. Therefore, directly off the shelf ice, we find low salinities to a depth of more than 200 m. In summer, when the surface layer has a temperature about zero degree, the water that sinks close to the shelf has a temperature that lies from 0.5° to 1.0° above freezing point. The question of melting at the bottom of the shelf ice is examined. The conclusion is that such melting may take place, but it cannot account for the nearly similar thickness of different ice shelves.