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Antarctic Bottom Water production by intense sea-ice formation in the Cape Darnley polynya
Citation
Ohshima, KI and Fukamachi, Y and Williams, GD and Nihashi, S and Roquet, F and Kitade, Y and Tamura, T and Hirano, D and Herraiz-Borreguero, L and Field, I and Hindell, MA and Aoki, S and Wakatsuchi, M, Antarctic Bottom Water production by intense sea-ice formation in the Cape Darnley polynya, Nature Geoscience, 6 pp. 235-240. ISSN 1752-0894 (2013) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited
DOI: doi:10.1038/ngeo1738
Abstract
The formation of Antarctic Bottom Water-the cold, dense water that occupies the abyssal layer of the global ocean-is a key process in global ocean circulation. This water mass is formed as dense shelf water sinks to depth. Three regions around Antarctica where this process takes place have been previously documented. The presence of another source has been identified in hydrographic and tracer data, although the site of formation is not well constrained. Here we document the formation of dense shelf water in the Cape Darnley polynya (65°-69°E) and its subsequent transformation into bottom water using data from moorings and instrumented elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). Unlike the previously identified sources of Antarctic Bottom Water, which require the presence of an ice shelf or a large storage volume, bottom water production at the Cape Darnley polynya is driven primarily by the flux of salt released by sea-ice formation. We estimate that about 0.3-0.7 × 106 m3 s-1 of dense shelf water produced by the Cape Darnley polynya is transformed into Antarctic Bottom Water. The transformation of this water mass, which we term Cape Darnley Bottom Water, accounts for 6-13% of the circumpolar total. Copyright © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | Antarctica, bottom water, Cape Darnley polynya |
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: | Williams, GD (Associate Professor Guy Williams) |
UTAS Author: | Tamura, T (Dr Takeshi Tamura) |
UTAS Author: | Herraiz-Borreguero, L (Dr Laura Herraiz-Borreguero) |
UTAS Author: | Hindell, MA (Professor Mark Hindell) |
ID Code: | 84349 |
Year Published: | 2013 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 165 |
Deposited By: | CRC-Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems |
Deposited On: | 2013-05-08 |
Last Modified: | 2017-10-31 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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