| The evolution of the thickness and area of two large southern ocean icebergs, having drifted in open water for more than a year, is estimated through the combined analysis of altimeter data and visible satellite images. Most of the iceberg modelling studies uses two main melting formulations that are compared with the observed thickness evolution of our two icebergs, to test their validity in case of large icebergs. The first formulation, based on a fluid dynamics approach, would tend to underestimate basal melt rates, so that using the second one (using a thermodynamic budget consideration) may be more relevant. Fragmentation is, before melting, the major decay process of large icebergs, yet it is a complex and still poorly documented mechanism. A... |
