MIMEX: Mapping Iceberg Melting EXperiment

About half of ice mass loss from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets occurs through iceberg calving, or solid ice breaking off into the ocean. In Greenland, these icebergs float through ocean fjords characterized by strong stratification and vertical velocity shear. Recent laboratory experiments suggest that the rate and pattern of iceberg melt, and resulting meltwater distribution, are strongly affected by these ocean properties (figure 1). Our goal is to quantify these effects using field measurements and laboratory simulations, in collaboration with colleagues at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Northeastern University, and the University of Oregon. These results will be used to improve iceberg melt parameterizations in ocean models.