Localized rapid warming of West Antarctic subsurface waters by remote winds
The highest rates of Antarctic glacial ice mass loss are occurring to the west of the Antarctica Peninsula in regions where warming of subsurface continental shelf waters is also largest. However, the physical mechanisms responsible for this warming remain unknown. Here we show how localized changes...
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ftanucanberra:oai:openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au:1885/218193 2024-01-14T10:02:04+01:00 Localized rapid warming of West Antarctic subsurface waters by remote winds Spence, P. Holmes, Ryan M. Hogg, Andrew Griffies, S. M. Stewart, Kial England, Matthew application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1885/218193 https://doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE3335 https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/218193/3/Localized_rapid_warming_of_Wes.pdf.jpg en_AU eng Nature Publishing Group http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE150100223 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT120100842 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL100100214 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP150101331 1758-678X http://hdl.handle.net/1885/218193 doi:10.1038/NCLIMATE3335 https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/218193/3/Localized_rapid_warming_of_Wes.pdf.jpg © 2017 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. Nature Climate Change Journal article ftanucanberra https://doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE3335 2023-12-15T09:32:53Z The highest rates of Antarctic glacial ice mass loss are occurring to the west of the Antarctica Peninsula in regions where warming of subsurface continental shelf waters is also largest. However, the physical mechanisms responsible for this warming remain unknown. Here we show how localized changes in coastal winds off East Antarctica can produce significant subsurface temperature anomalies (>2 °C) around much of the continent. We demonstrate how coastal-trapped barotropic Kelvin waves communicate the wind disturbance around the Antarctic coastline. The warming is focused on the western flank of the Antarctic Peninsula because the circulation induced by the coastal-trapped waves is intensified by the steep continental slope there, and because of the presence of pre-existing warm subsurface water offshore. The adjustment to the coastal-trapped waves shoals the subsurface isotherms and brings warm deep water upwards onto the continental shelf and closer to the coast. This result demonstrates the vulnerability of the West Antarctic region to a changing climate. P.S. was supported by an Australian Research Council (ARC) DECRA Fellowship DE150100223, A.M.H. by an ARC Future Fellowship FT120100842 and M.H.E. by an ARC Laureate Fellowship FL100100214 and R.M.H. by an ARC Discovery Project DP150101331. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica East Antarctica Australian National University: ANU Digital Collections Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica Nature Climate Change 7 8 595 603 |
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Australian National University: ANU Digital Collections |
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ftanucanberra |
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English |
description |
The highest rates of Antarctic glacial ice mass loss are occurring to the west of the Antarctica Peninsula in regions where warming of subsurface continental shelf waters is also largest. However, the physical mechanisms responsible for this warming remain unknown. Here we show how localized changes in coastal winds off East Antarctica can produce significant subsurface temperature anomalies (>2 °C) around much of the continent. We demonstrate how coastal-trapped barotropic Kelvin waves communicate the wind disturbance around the Antarctic coastline. The warming is focused on the western flank of the Antarctic Peninsula because the circulation induced by the coastal-trapped waves is intensified by the steep continental slope there, and because of the presence of pre-existing warm subsurface water offshore. The adjustment to the coastal-trapped waves shoals the subsurface isotherms and brings warm deep water upwards onto the continental shelf and closer to the coast. This result demonstrates the vulnerability of the West Antarctic region to a changing climate. P.S. was supported by an Australian Research Council (ARC) DECRA Fellowship DE150100223, A.M.H. by an ARC Future Fellowship FT120100842 and M.H.E. by an ARC Laureate Fellowship FL100100214 and R.M.H. by an ARC Discovery Project DP150101331. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Spence, P. Holmes, Ryan M. Hogg, Andrew Griffies, S. M. Stewart, Kial England, Matthew |
spellingShingle |
Spence, P. Holmes, Ryan M. Hogg, Andrew Griffies, S. M. Stewart, Kial England, Matthew Localized rapid warming of West Antarctic subsurface waters by remote winds |
author_facet |
Spence, P. Holmes, Ryan M. Hogg, Andrew Griffies, S. M. Stewart, Kial England, Matthew |
author_sort |
Spence, P. |
title |
Localized rapid warming of West Antarctic subsurface waters by remote winds |
title_short |
Localized rapid warming of West Antarctic subsurface waters by remote winds |
title_full |
Localized rapid warming of West Antarctic subsurface waters by remote winds |
title_fullStr |
Localized rapid warming of West Antarctic subsurface waters by remote winds |
title_full_unstemmed |
Localized rapid warming of West Antarctic subsurface waters by remote winds |
title_sort |
localized rapid warming of west antarctic subsurface waters by remote winds |
publisher |
Nature Publishing Group |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1885/218193 https://doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE3335 https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/218193/3/Localized_rapid_warming_of_Wes.pdf.jpg |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica East Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica East Antarctica |
op_source |
Nature Climate Change |
op_relation |
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE150100223 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT120100842 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL100100214 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP150101331 1758-678X http://hdl.handle.net/1885/218193 doi:10.1038/NCLIMATE3335 https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/218193/3/Localized_rapid_warming_of_Wes.pdf.jpg |
op_rights |
© 2017 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE3335 |
container_title |
Nature Climate Change |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
595 |
op_container_end_page |
603 |
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1788056912591323136 |