Ekman-driven salt transport as a key mechanism for open-ocean polynya formation at Maud Rise
Open-ocean polynyas formed over the Maud Rise, in the Weddell Sea, during the winters of 2016–2017. Such polynyas are rare events in the Southern Ocean and are associated with deep convection, affecting regional carbon and heat budgets. Using an ocean state estimate, we found that during 2017, early...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj0777 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.adj0777 |
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craaas:10.1126/sciadv.adj0777 2024-06-09T07:49:28+00:00 Ekman-driven salt transport as a key mechanism for open-ocean polynya formation at Maud Rise Narayanan, Aditya Roquet, Fabien Gille, Sarah T. Gülk, Birte Mazloff, Matthew R. Silvano, Alessandro Naveira Garabato, Alberto C. 2024 http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj0777 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.adj0777 en eng American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science Advances volume 10, issue 18 ISSN 2375-2548 journal-article 2024 craaas https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj0777 2024-05-16T12:55:46Z Open-ocean polynyas formed over the Maud Rise, in the Weddell Sea, during the winters of 2016–2017. Such polynyas are rare events in the Southern Ocean and are associated with deep convection, affecting regional carbon and heat budgets. Using an ocean state estimate, we found that during 2017, early sea ice melting occurred in response to enhanced vertical mixing of heat, which was accompanied by mixing of salt. The melting sea ice compensated for the vertically mixed salt, resulting in a net buoyancy gain. An additional salt input was then necessary to destabilize the upper ocean. This came from a hitherto unexplored polynya-formation mechanism: an Ekman transport of salt across a jet girdling the northern flank of the Maud Rise. Such transport was driven by intensified eastward surface stresses during 2015–2018. Our results illustrate how highly localized interactions between wind, ocean flow and topography can trigger polynya formation in the open Southern Ocean. Article in Journal/Newspaper Sea ice Southern Ocean Weddell Sea AAAS Resource Center (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Southern Ocean Weddell Sea Weddell Maud Rise ENVELOPE(3.000,3.000,-66.000,-66.000) Science Advances 10 18 |
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Open Polar |
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AAAS Resource Center (American Association for the Advancement of Science) |
op_collection_id |
craaas |
language |
English |
description |
Open-ocean polynyas formed over the Maud Rise, in the Weddell Sea, during the winters of 2016–2017. Such polynyas are rare events in the Southern Ocean and are associated with deep convection, affecting regional carbon and heat budgets. Using an ocean state estimate, we found that during 2017, early sea ice melting occurred in response to enhanced vertical mixing of heat, which was accompanied by mixing of salt. The melting sea ice compensated for the vertically mixed salt, resulting in a net buoyancy gain. An additional salt input was then necessary to destabilize the upper ocean. This came from a hitherto unexplored polynya-formation mechanism: an Ekman transport of salt across a jet girdling the northern flank of the Maud Rise. Such transport was driven by intensified eastward surface stresses during 2015–2018. Our results illustrate how highly localized interactions between wind, ocean flow and topography can trigger polynya formation in the open Southern Ocean. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Narayanan, Aditya Roquet, Fabien Gille, Sarah T. Gülk, Birte Mazloff, Matthew R. Silvano, Alessandro Naveira Garabato, Alberto C. |
spellingShingle |
Narayanan, Aditya Roquet, Fabien Gille, Sarah T. Gülk, Birte Mazloff, Matthew R. Silvano, Alessandro Naveira Garabato, Alberto C. Ekman-driven salt transport as a key mechanism for open-ocean polynya formation at Maud Rise |
author_facet |
Narayanan, Aditya Roquet, Fabien Gille, Sarah T. Gülk, Birte Mazloff, Matthew R. Silvano, Alessandro Naveira Garabato, Alberto C. |
author_sort |
Narayanan, Aditya |
title |
Ekman-driven salt transport as a key mechanism for open-ocean polynya formation at Maud Rise |
title_short |
Ekman-driven salt transport as a key mechanism for open-ocean polynya formation at Maud Rise |
title_full |
Ekman-driven salt transport as a key mechanism for open-ocean polynya formation at Maud Rise |
title_fullStr |
Ekman-driven salt transport as a key mechanism for open-ocean polynya formation at Maud Rise |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ekman-driven salt transport as a key mechanism for open-ocean polynya formation at Maud Rise |
title_sort |
ekman-driven salt transport as a key mechanism for open-ocean polynya formation at maud rise |
publisher |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj0777 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.adj0777 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(3.000,3.000,-66.000,-66.000) |
geographic |
Southern Ocean Weddell Sea Weddell Maud Rise |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean Weddell Sea Weddell Maud Rise |
genre |
Sea ice Southern Ocean Weddell Sea |
genre_facet |
Sea ice Southern Ocean Weddell Sea |
op_source |
Science Advances volume 10, issue 18 ISSN 2375-2548 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj0777 |
container_title |
Science Advances |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
18 |
_version_ |
1801382074451492864 |