Ponds that form on sea ice can cause it to thin or break-up, which can promote calving from an adjacent ice shelf. Studies of sea ice ponds have predominantly focused on Arctic ponds formed by in situ melting/ponding. Our study documents another mechanism for the formation of sea ice ponds. Using Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 images from the 2015–16 to 2018–19 austral summers, we analyze the evolution of sea ice ponds that form adjacent to the McMurdo Ice Shelf, Antarctica. We find that each summer, meltwater flows from the ice shelf onto the sea ice and forms large (up to 9 km2) ponds. These ponds decrease the sea ice's albedo, thinning it. We suggest the added mass of runoff causes the ice to flex, potentially promoting sea-ice instability by the ice-shelf front. As surface melting on ice shelves increases, we suggest that ice-shelf surface hydrology will have a greater effect on sea-ice stability.

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冰架径流形成海冰池，毗邻南极洲麦克默多冰架

海冰上形成的池塘会导致其变薄或破裂，这会促进相邻冰架的产犊。海冰池的研究主要集中在由原地融化/蓄积形成的北极池塘。我们的研究记录了海冰池形成的另一种机制。利用 2015-16 年至 2018-19 年南方夏季的 Landsat 8 和 Sentinel-2 图像，我们分析了在南极洲麦克默多冰架附近形成的海冰池的演变。我们发现，每年夏天，融水都会从冰架流入海冰并形成大型（长达 9 公里）2) 池塘。这些池塘降低了海冰的反照率，使其变薄。我们认为增加的径流质量会导致冰弯曲，从而可能通过冰架前沿促进海冰的不稳定性。随着冰架表面融化的增加，我们认为冰架表面水文将对海冰稳定性产生更大的影响。