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Cumulative solar irradiance and potential large-scale sea ice algae distribution off East Antarctica (30oE-150oE)
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-17, 02:05 authored by Ben Raymond, Klaus MeinersKlaus Meiners, Fowler, CW, Benedicte PasquerBenedicte Pasquer, Guy Williams, Nicol, SWe present a computational model of the largescale cumulative light exposure of sea ice in the Southern Ocean off East Antarctica (30E-150E). The model uses remotely sensed or modelled sea ice concentration, snow depth over sea ice, and solar irradiance data, and tracks sea ice motion over the season of interest in order to calculate the cumulative exposure of the ice field to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Light is the limiting factor to sea ice algal growth over winter and early spring, and so the results have implications for the estimation of algal biomass in East Antarctica. The model results indicate that highly light-exposed ice is restricted to within a few degrees of the coast in the eastern part of the study region, but extends much further north in the 30E-100E sector. The relative influences of sea ice motion, solar flux, and snow depth variations on interannual variations in model predictions were evaluated. The model estimates of cumulative PAR were found to correlate with satellite estimates of subsequent open-water chlorophyll-a concentration, consistent with the notion that sea ice algae can provide inocula for phytoplankton blooms.
History
Publication title
Polar BiologyVolume
32Pagination
443-452ISSN
0722-4060Department/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesPublisher
Springer-VerlagPlace of publication
175 Fifth Ave, New York, USA, Ny, 10010Rights statement
The original publication is available at http://www.springerlink.comRepository Status
- Restricted