New MPAS-Ocean domains include active ocean cells below ice shelves, in order to investigate the interaction between ocean currents and land ice. Warmer ocean currents may speed up ice shelf melting and retreat.  At the same time, changing land ice fluxes could affect ocean temperature, salinity, and currents below the ice shelf.  Modeling these regions is particularly important because these dynamics are poorly understood, and observations are sparse.

Progress since June includes global simulations out to ten years for lower resolution, and successful high-resolution simulations in ACME.  These use the EC 60to30km and RRS 30to10km meshes, with grid cells of 30 and 10 km below land ice, respectively.  Preliminary analysis shows currents flowing below the ice shelves, ice sheet melting in the same locations as observational estimates, and melting / freezing rates relatively close to observed values.