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Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) transport across the Antarctic continental slope regulates the delivery of heat to the shelf and its availability to melt floating ice shelves. The cross‐slope density field, calculated from profiles collected by conductivity‐temperature‐depth‐tagged marine mammals on the East Antarctic slope (0–160°E, above 1,000‐ to 3,000‐m isobaths), indicates eddy‐driven overturning: onshore transport of CDW and offshore transport of shallower Antarctic Surface Water. Enhanced eddy activity, determined by a spice standard deviation threshold in the CDW layer, is present over about a third of the East Antarctic slope analyzed. Significantly stronger CDW transport in regions of elevated spice variability produces subsurface temperature anomalies of 0.2–0.25 °C relative to the East Antarctic average. Estimating eddy diffusivity from the hydrography yields about 0.8 m²/s of warm CDW transport to the shelf break in high‐variability regions. Variability of eddy‐induced CDW transport influences the reservoir of heat available for transport across the shelf break.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	Southern Ocean, Antarctic slope, overturning circulation, eddies, eddy fluxes, water-mass exchange
Research Division:	Earth Sciences
Research Group:	Oceanography
Research Field:	Physical oceanography
Objective Division:	Environmental Policy, Climate Change and Natural Hazards
Objective Group:	Understanding climate change
Objective Field:	Understanding climate change not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Foppert, A (Dr Annie Foppert)
UTAS Author:	Rintoul, SR (Dr Steve Rintoul)
ID Code:	140524
Year Published:	2019
Web of Science® Times Cited:	4
Deposited By:	Australian Antarctic Program Partnership
Deposited On:	2020-08-25
Last Modified:	2020-09-18
Downloads:	5 View Download Statistics