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Recent recovery of Antarctic Bottom Water formation in the Ross Sea driven by climate anomalies
Citation
Silvano, A and Foppert, A and Rintoul, SR and Holland, PR and Tamura, T and Kimura, N and Castagno, P and Falco, P and Budillon, G and Haumann, FA and Naveira Garabato, AC and Macdonald, AM, Recent recovery of Antarctic Bottom Water formation in the Ross Sea driven by climate anomalies, Nature Geoscience, 13, (12) pp. 780-786. ISSN 1752-0894 (2020) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2020
DOI: doi:10.1038/s41561-020-00655-3
Abstract
Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) supplies the lower limb of the global overturning circulation, ventilates the abyssal ocean and sequesters heat and carbon on multidecadal to millennial timescales. AABW originates on the Antarctic continental shelf, where strong winter cooling and brine released during sea ice formation produce Dense Shelf Water, which sinks to the deep ocean. The salinity, density and volume of AABW have decreased over the last 50 years, with the most marked changes observed in the Ross Sea. These changes have been attributed to increased melting of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Here we use in situ observations to document a recovery in the salinity, density and thickness (that is, depth range) of AABW formed in the Ross Sea, with properties in 2018–2019 similar to those observed in the 1990s. The recovery was caused by increased sea ice formation on the continental shelf. Increased sea ice formation was triggered by anomalous wind forcing associated with the unusual combination of positive Southern Annular Mode and extreme El Niño conditions between 2015 and 2018. Our study highlights the sensitivity of AABW formation to remote forcing and shows that climate anomalies can drive episodic increases in local sea ice formation that counter the tendency for increased ice-sheet melt to reduce AABW formation.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | Antarctic Bottom Water, Ross Sea, Antarctica |
Research Division: | Earth Sciences |
Research Group: | Oceanography |
Research Field: | Physical oceanography |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Management of Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments |
Objective Field: | Antarctic and Southern Ocean oceanic processes |
UTAS Author: | Foppert, A (Dr Annie Foppert) |
UTAS Author: | Rintoul, SR (Dr Steve Rintoul) |
ID Code: | 143772 |
Year Published: | 2020 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 24 |
Deposited By: | Oceans and Cryosphere |
Deposited On: | 2021-04-01 |
Last Modified: | 2021-09-14 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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