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Southern ocean–sea-ice interaction: implications for climate and modelling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2011

Douglas G. Martinson
Douglas G. Martinson
Affiliation:
Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory and Department of Geological Sciences, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, U.S.A.
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Abstract

The ocean/sea-ice interaction of the Antarctic open ocean region is described through a one-dimensional model. The model includes processes responsible for maintaining stability in this marginally stable region and reveals the importance of the various processes controlling deep water formation/ventilation and sea-ice thickness and their sensitivity to climate change. This information is used to estimate changes, as they impact water column stability, induced by glacial conditions. Increased stability is conducive to greater ice cover and less deep water formation/ventilation; decreased stability conducive to the opposite.

Sensitivity studies show that the system is destabilised given: (1) shallowing of the pycnocline (induced by increased gyre vigor); (2) decrease in the ratio of heat to salt through the pycnocline (induced by introducing a colder and/or saltier deep water or by increasing the salinity of the surface water); (3) decreased pycnocline strength (induced by a fresher deep water or saltier surface water) and (4) increased atmospheric heat loss. Most of the assumed glacial conditions drive the system toward destabilisation, but the critical effect of changes in NADW characteristics depends strongly on the temperature and salinity of the replacement water. The importance of this deep water influence is evident today—as little as 3Wm−2 in the upper ocean heat balance or an additional 15 cm of ice growth is sufficient to overturn the water column in some regions.

Keywords

deep water formationdeep water ventilationopen ocean convectionAntarctic oceanographyclimate change.
Type
Research Article
Information
Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh , Volume 81 , Issue 4: The Late Cezozoic Ice Age , 1990 , pp. 397 - 405
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1990

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