Ekman-driven salt transport as a key mechanism for open-ocean polynya formation at Maud Rise

• Published in: Science Advances
• Main Authors: Narayanan, Aditya, Roquet, Fabien, Gille, Sarah T., Gülk, Birte, Mazloff, Matthew R., Silvano, Alessandro, Naveira Garabato, Alberto C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2024
• Subjects: Southern Ocean; Weddell Sea; Weddell; Maud Rise; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj0777; https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.adj0777

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...