A decade-long hydrographic moored time series near the Drygalski Ice Tongue, Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea

Abstract. In this paper we describe a decade-long timeseries of hydrographic mooring observations around the Drygalski Ice Tongue in southern Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. Unique aspects of the data are that (i) the instruments were placed very close to the Ice Tongue due to its significant influence on the region’s ocean and sea ice, and (ii) the upper sensors were positioned relatively close (< 100 m) to the ocean surface compared to typical Antarctic moorings. Starting in December 2014, the mooring array included three locations – the Drygalski Basin, the edge of the Crary Bank and, on the southern side of the ice tongue, in Geikie Inlet. The instruments measure temperature, salinity, pressure, and current velocity. The “DITx” mooring locations were chosen in order to support questions regarding the influence of the Drygalski Ice Tongue on regional ocean processes. The observations are relevant to water mass formation, glaciology and ice melt, sea ice production and decay, ice shelf cavity processes – as well as regional marine ecosystem processes. The data from the instruments show the seasonal cycle along with interannual variability, as well as a range of singular events. All data can be downloaded from the SEANOE database.