Iceberg A-76a Late-Stage Monitoring with a Seismometer and Satellite Remote Sensing Evidence

Giant Antarctic tabular icebergs travel northward until they disintegrate and melt.Tracking their movement and state is challenging because remote sensing is sporadic. Combining a close-by seismic station and evidence from the SWOT KaRIn SSHA and MODIS True Color imagery, we achieved daily reconstruction of the A-76a iceberg's late-stage evolution (March-July 2023). Seismic spectrograms revealed bursts, harmonic tremors, and a micro-tsunami signal, with locations validated by satellite images. Bursts were associated with iceberg fracturing, tremors with seafloor scraping and collisions, and a micro-tsunami with capsizing. This study demonstrates the value of integrating remote sensing and seismic data to monitor iceberg dynamics. It is the first to observe a micro-tsunami with SWOT that generates a seiche-like signal on the 37-km-distant II.HOPE station. This approach astutely combines the strengths of continuous seismic monitoring and large-area satellite imaging to monitor this massive tabular iceberg.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Published
2026-11-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.15011389/v1
Primary Topic
Cryospheric studies and observations
Type
preprint
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
preprint

Iceberg A-76a Late-Stage Monitoring with a Seismometer and Satellite Remote Sensing Evidence

Fabrice Ardhuin, Lisa Tomasetto
2 links
Cryospheric studies and observations
preprint

Iceberg A-76a Late-Stage Monitoring with a Seismometer and Satellite Remote Sensing Evidence

Fabrice Ardhuin, Lisa Tomasetto
preprint en

Abstract

Giant Antarctic tabular icebergs travel northward until they disintegrate and melt.Tracking their movement and state is challenging because remote sensing is sporadic. Combining a close-by seismic station and evidence from the SWOT KaRIn SSHA and MODIS True Color imagery, we achieved daily reconstruction of the A-76a iceberg's late-stage evolution (March-July 2023). Seismic spectrograms revealed bursts, harmonic tremors, and a micro-tsunami signal, with locations validated by satellite images. Bursts were associated with iceberg fracturing, tremors with seafloor scraping and collisions, and a micro-tsunami with capsizing. This study demonstrates the value of integrating remote sensing and seismic data to monitor iceberg dynamics. It is the first to observe a micro-tsunami with SWOT that generates a seiche-like signal on the 37-km-distant II.HOPE station. This approach astutely combines the strengths of continuous seismic monitoring and large-area satellite imaging to monitor this massive tabular iceberg.

Ifremer (FR), Université de Bretagne Occidentale (FR), Laboratory for Ocean Physics and Satellite Remote Sensing (FR)
Climate action
Cryospheric studies and observations
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Laika access coming soon
Iceberg A-76a Late-Stage Monitoring with a Seismometer and Satellite Remote Sensing Evidence — Fabrice Ardhuin, Lisa Tomasetto · (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS