Amundsen Sea

A marginal sea of the Southern Ocean off West Antarctica, bordered by Marie Byrd Land. Its continental shelf fronts the Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers.

Amundsen Sea Embayment: A broad coastal indentation of West Antarctica opening onto the Amundsen Sea. Its shelf waters reach the glaciers that drain into the sea.
Thwaites Glacier: A large West Antarctic glacier that drains into the Amundsen Sea. Its retreat is a central focus of research on the region's changing ice.
Roald Amundsen: Norwegian polar explorer who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole. The sea was named in his honor.
West Antarctic Ice Sheet: The large ice sheet covering much of West Antarctica, grounded partly below sea level. Its future stability depends in part on glaciers draining through this sea.
Circumpolar Deep Water: Relatively warm, salty deep water circulating around Antarctica. It crosses the continental shelf and supplies heat beneath local ice shelves.
Pine Island Glacier: A fast-flowing glacier in West Antarctica that ends in an ice shelf on the Amundsen Sea. Its thinning and retreat provide a closely observed example of ocean-driven ice loss.
Norwegian Antarctic Expedition (1928–1929): An expedition led by Nils Larsen that explored parts of the Antarctic coast in 1928–1929. Its surveys contributed to the mapping and naming of the Amundsen Sea.
Antarctic ice-sheet contribution to sea-level rise: The amount by which Antarctic ice loss raises global mean sea level. The Amundsen Sea sector is a major source of uncertainty in projections.
Antarctic coastal current: A current flowing westward along the Antarctic continental margin. Its interaction with shelf circulation helps shape water movement in the region.
Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf: An ice shelf extending from the eastern side of Thwaites Glacier. Its ocean-facing underside is a site of active study of melting and structural change.

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