Localized velocity, temperature, salinity, and backscatter data from melting icebergs near Xeitl Sít' (LeConte Glacier, Southeast Alaska), 2023

Parameterization of submarine melt at near-vertical ice faces is a significant source of uncertainty in predicting ice mass loss and freshwater input into the ocean. Direct observations in this environment have historically been hindered by the dangers posed by actively calving glacier termini and potentially unstable icebergs. Aimed at filling this gap, this dataset contains observations from robotically-deployed Meltstakes at the near-vertical sides of icebergs in Xeitl Geeyí (LeConte Bay, Alaska). Measured quantities are ocean temperature, ocean salinity, ocean velocity, and backscatter data used to track the retreat (melt) of the ice-ocean interface. The observations are separated into 31 discrete segments (lasting 13-71 minutes) under which ocean forcing is relatively stationary and a reliable melt rate can be determined from the backscatter data. These sets of observations enable a direct comparison between small-scale oceanic forcing (~1 meter) and localized submarine melt rate across a wide parameter space (3-10°Celsius and 1-12 centimeters per second (cm/s) flows). Additionally, the observations allow testing of ice-ocean melt rate parameterizations. For more information about the Meltstake platform, see: Nash, J.D., Weiss, K., Wengrove, M.E., Osman, N., Pettit, E.C., Zhao, K., Jackson, R.H., Nahorniak, J., Jensen, K., Tindal, E., Skyllingstad, E., Cohen, N., and Sutherland, D (2024) Turbulent Dynamics of Buoyant Melt Plumes Adjacent Near-Vertical Glacier Ice. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2024GL108790. https://doi.org/10.1029/ 2024GL108790