DeepMelt-GL v1: A neural network emulator of ice-shelf melt rates for use in ocean models which partially resolve ice-shelf cavities

Abstract. The spatial pattern of melting beneath Antarctic ice shelves influences ice flow and retreat, and the resulting fresh-water input into the Southern Ocean influences global carbon storage and primary productivity. It is therefore crucial that interactions at the ice-ocean interface are adequately represented in global climate models. However, due to computational limitations, existing climate models are forced to choose between either high resolution or long period simulations, and struggle to resolve melt rates in ice shelf cavities. Here, we show that a simple multilayer perceptron can be used to emulate sub-shelf melt rates in the parts of cavities closest to the grounding zone. We find that the melt rates produced by applying neural network emulators are a good match for melt rates from high resolution simulations, provided that similar conditions were included in the neural network training. We also find that neural networks are particularly sensitive to temperatures and ice-draft slopes outside those used in the training dataset. However, if we train multiple neural networks on the same input data, we demonstrate that the ensemble spread of the neural networks is a good indicator of the reliability of the emulator in any given conditions. The neural network emulator of sub-shelf melt which is presented here, DeepMelt-GL, can be used to improve the representation of ice shelf cavities in both ocean and global climate models.