Breeding biology of weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) at Drescher Inlet, riiser larsen ice shelf, Antarctica

Polar Biology ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
PeterJ.H. Reijnders ◽  
J. Pl�tz ◽  
J. Zegers ◽  
M. Gr�fe
2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (11) ◽  
pp. 1438-1452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilary B Moors ◽  
John M Terhune

Harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus (Erxleben, 1777)) daytime calling depth during the breeding season and Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii (Lesson, 1826)) daytime and nighttime calling depth during the winter and breeding seasons were investigated using a small vertical array with hydrophones placed at depths of 10 and 60 m. Rough calling depth estimates (<35 m, ~35 m, >35 m) and more accurate point depth estimates (±5–10 m in most cases) were obtained. Significantly more calls were produced at depths ≤35 m for both species. The point depth estimates indicated that the calls occurred most frequently at depths >10 m; 60% of harp seal calls and 71% of Weddell seal calls occurred at depths between 10 and 35 m. The seals called predominately within areas of the water column where light would likely penetrate, but still avoided sea-ice interference to some extent. The vocalizations did not change over depth with respect to call type, the number of elements within a call, or total call duration, or with respect to season and light condition for Weddell seals. Frequency (kHz) of calls also did not change with depth, suggesting that harp and Weddell seals control the pitch of their vocalizations with the vocal cords of the larynx.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongyang Hu ◽  
Peter Kuipers Munneke ◽  
Stef Lhermitte ◽  
Maaike Izeboud ◽  
Michiel van den Broeke

&lt;p&gt;Presently, surface melt over Antarctica is estimated using climate modeling or remote sensing. However, accurately estimating surface melt remains challenging. Both climate modeling and remote sensing have limitations, particularly in the most crucial areas with intense surface melt.&amp;#160; The motivation of our study is to investigate the opportunities and challenges in improving the accuracy of surface melt estimation using a deep neural network. The trained deep neural network uses meteorological observations from automatic weather stations (AWS) and surface albedo observations from satellite imagery to improve surface melt simulations from the regional atmospheric climate model version 2.3p2 (RACMO2). Based on observations from three AWS at the Larsen B and C Ice Shelves, cross-validation shows a high accuracy (root mean square error = 0.898 mm.w.e.d&lt;sup&gt;&amp;#8722;1&lt;/sup&gt;, mean absolute error = 0.429 mm.w.e.d&lt;sup&gt;&amp;#8722;1&lt;/sup&gt;, and coefficient of determination = 0.958). The deep neural network also outperforms conventional machine learning models (e.g., random forest regression, XGBoost) and a shallow neural network. To compute surface melt for the entire Larsen Ice Shelf, the deep neural network is applied to RACMO2 simulations. The resulting, corrected surface melt shows a better correlation with the AWS observations in AWS 14 and 17, but not in AWS 18. Also, the spatial pattern of the surface melt is improved compared to the original RACMO2 simulation. A possible explanation for the mismatch at AWS 18 is its complex geophysical setting. Even though our study shows an opportunity to improve surface melt simulations using a deep neural network, further study is needed to refine the method, especially for complicated, heterogeneous terrain.&lt;/p&gt;


1994 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 319-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Bindschadler ◽  
M. A. Fahnestock ◽  
P. Skvarca ◽  
T. A. Scambos

Three satellite images of the northern Larsen Ice Shelf arc used to derive velocity fields for the periods 1975–86 and 1986 89. Substantial increases in the speed of the ice between these periods are detected to a high degree of confidence. Ice which entered the ice shelf between Fothergill Point and Cape Worsley and ice from Drygalski Glacier has accelerated by approximately 15% over the measurement period. Ice from Bombardier and Dinsmoor Glaciers also exhibits acceleration but by a lesser amount. These accelerations may be the result of either significant retreat experienced by the ice shelf during this period or warming in the Antarctic Peninsula region. Velocities measured by surface survey over a 15 d period in 1991 indicate a slower velocity than the image-derived velocities in the limited region of overlap. These differences appear to be systematic and may be the result of uncontrolled errors in the surface survey. Limited control of one image could also contribute to some of these differences.


Science ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (5250) ◽  
pp. 788-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Rott ◽  
P. Skvarca ◽  
T. Nagler
Keyword(s):  

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (209) ◽  
pp. 540-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Cochran ◽  
Robin E. Bell

AbstractA possible cause for accelerated thinning and break-up of floating marine ice shelves is warming of the water in the cavity below the ice shelf. Accurate bathymetry beneath large ice shelves is crucial for developing models of the ocean circulation in the sub-ice cavities. A grid of free-air gravity data over the floating Larsen C ice shelf collected during the IceBridge 2009 Antarctic campaign was utilized to develop the first bathymetry model of the underlying continental shelf. Independent control on the continental shelf geologic structures from marine surveys was used to constrain the inversion. Depths on the continental shelf beneath the ice shelf estimated from the inversion generally range from about 350 to 650 m, but vary from <300 to >1000 m. Localized overdeepenings, 20-30 km long and 900-1000 m deep, are located in inlets just seaward of the grounding line. Submarine valleys extending seaward from the overdeepenings coalesce into two broad troughs that extend to the seaward limit of the ice shelf and appear to extend to the edge of the continental shelf. The troughs are generally at a depth of 550-700 m although the southernmost mapped trough deepens to over 1000 m near the edge of the ice shelf just south of 68° S. The combination of the newly determined bathymetry with published ice-draft determinations based on laser altimetry and radar data defines the geometry of the water-filled cavity. These newly imaged troughs provide a conduit for water to traverse the continental shelf and interact with the overlying Larsen C ice shelf and the grounding lines of the outlet glaciers.


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