Sensitivity of simulated water mass transformation on the Antarctic shelf to tides, topography and model resolution ...

• Main Authors: Boeira Dias, Fabio, Rintoul, Steve, Richter, Ole, Galton-Fenzi, Benjamin, Zika, Jan, Pellichero, Violaine, Uotila, Petteri
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences 2023
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarctic Ocean; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Sheet; Ice Shelf; Ice Shelves
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.57757/iugg23-2687; https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5019187

<!--!introduction!--> Water mass transformation (WMT) around the Antarctic margin controls Antarctica Bottom Water formation and the abyssal limb of the global meridional overturning circulation, besides mediating ocean-ice shelf exchange, ice sheet stability and its contribution to sea level rise. However, the mechanisms controlling the rate of WMT in the Antarctic shelf are poorly understood due to the lack of observations and the inability of climate models to simulate those mechanisms, particularly beneath the floating ice shelves. We used a circum-Antarctic ocean-ice shelf model to assess the contribution of surface fluxes, mixing, and ocean-ice shelf interaction to the WMT on the continental shelf. The salt budget dominates the WMT rates, with the basal melt of ice shelves driving buoyancy gain at lighter density classes and salt input at coastal polynyas driving buoyancy loss at heavier densities . We found a considerable sensitivity of the WMT rates to model horizontal resolution, tides and ... : The 28th IUGG General Assembly (IUGG2023) (Berlin 2023) ...