Isotopic evidence for an intensified hydrological cycle in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean ...

• Main Authors: Akhoudas, Camille, Sallée, Jean-Baptiste, Reverdin, Gilles, Haumann, F. Alexander, Pauthenet, Etienne, Chapman, C. Christopher, Margirier, Félix, Lo Monaco, Claire, Metzl, Nicolas, Meilland, Julie, Stranne, Christian
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences 2023
• Subjects: Southern Ocean; Indian; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.57757/iugg23-2697; https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5019197

<!--!introduction!--> The hydrological cycle is expected to intensify in a warming climate. However, observational evidence of such changes in the Southern Ocean is difficult to obtain due to sparse measurements and a complex superposition of changes in precipitation, sea ice, and glacial meltwater. To unravel these signals, we leverage a unique dataset of salinity and seawater oxygen isotope (δ 18 O) observations collected in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. Much of the surface south (north) of 46°S experienced a freshening (salinification) associated with decreases (increases) in δ 18 O between 1993 and 2021. Many processes have been proposed to explain surface salinity changes, including intensified freshwater fluxes from the atmosphere or increased glacial meltwater or from intensification of sea ice freshwater transport. However, the contribution of each mechanism that led to observed changes of the Southern Ocean surface waters, remains unclear. Here, we argue that the atmospheric water ... : The 28th IUGG General Assembly (IUGG2023) (Berlin 2023) ...