Mechanism of sea-ice expansion in the Indian Ocean sector of Antarctica: Insights from satellite observation and model reanalysis.

In the backdrop of global warming, Antarctic sea-ice variability showed an overall expansion with the regional heterogeneity of increasing and decreasing patterns. Analysis of satellite derived sea-ice extent, during 1979 to 2015, in the Indian Ocean sector of Antarctica (IOA) revealed expansion of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLOS ONE
Main Authors: Babula Jena, Avinash Kumar, M Ravichandran, Stefan Kern
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2018
Subjects:
Medicine
R
Science
Q
Antarctic
Austral
Kerguelen
Indian
Antarc*
Antarctica
Sea ice
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203222
https://doaj.org/article/0226611922204bb2bf49f034654c1a87
Description
Summary:In the backdrop of global warming, Antarctic sea-ice variability showed an overall expansion with the regional heterogeneity of increasing and decreasing patterns. Analysis of satellite derived sea-ice extent, during 1979 to 2015, in the Indian Ocean sector of Antarctica (IOA) revealed expansion of 2.4±1.2% decade-1. We find strengthening of westerly wind during the austral summer (between 50°S to 62°S) facilitated northward advection of a cool and fresh layer. Also, the strong westerly wind cools the upper ocean due to net heat loss from the ocean surface. The combined effect of northward advection of cold fresh layer and net heat loss from the surface, favours sea-ice expansion in the subsequent seasons, in the IOA region, north of 62°S. However, sea-ice retreat was observed near the Kerguelen Plateau, due to upper ocean warming, and hence a non-annular pattern of sea-ice extent in the IOA was observed.

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