Intrinsically episodic Antarctic shelf intrusions of circumpolar deep water via canyons ...

• Main Authors: Ong, Ellie Q. Y., Doddridge, Edward, Constantinou, Navid C., Hogg, Andrew McC., England, Matthew H.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: arXiv 2023
• Subjects: Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics physics.ao-ph; FOS Physical sciences; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica; East Antarctica; Ice Shelf; Ice Shelves
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2304.13225; https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13225

The structure of the Antarctic Slope Current at the continental shelf is crucial in governing the poleward transport of warm water. Canyons on the continental slope may provide a pathway for warm water to cross the slope current and intrude onto the continental shelf underneath ice shelves, which can increase rates of ice shelf melting, leading to reduced buttressing of ice shelves, accelerating glacial flow and hence increased sea level rise. Observations and modelling studies of the Antarctic Slope Current and cross-shelf warm water intrusions are limited, particularly in the East Antarctica region. To explore this topic, an idealised configuration of the Antarctic Slope Current is developed, using an eddy-resolving isopycnal model that emulates the dynamics and topography of the East Antarctic sector. Warm water intrusions via canyons are found to occur in discrete episodes of large onshore flow induced by eddies, even in the absence of any temporal variability in external forcings, demonstrating the ...