Interannual Variation of Summer Sea Surface Salinity in the Dotson–Getz Trough, West Antarctica

• Published in: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
• Main Authors: Lu-Sha Yu, Hailun He, Hengling Leng, Xiaohui Chen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2024
• Subjects: Sea Surface Salinity; Dotson–Getz Trough; interannual variability; sea ice concentration; curl of surface stress; Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering; VM1-989; Oceanography; GC1-1581; Antarc*; Antarctica; Sea ice; West Antarctica
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12071067; https://doaj.org/article/9f73dda9a2b64bb7917d81360c665561

In this study, we explore the interannual variability of Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) in the Dotson–Getz Trough located in West Antarctica, focusing on the month of February. Utilizing the oceanic analysis product EN4, we first validate the EN4 SSS with data from a singular ship-based survey, and then delve into potential factors that may influence SSS, with a particular emphasis on surface freshwater flux, sea ice concentration (SIC), and also the surface stress curl, which will induce upwelling via Ekman transport to affect the SSS. Our findings primarily indicate a link between SSS and sea ice concentration, showcasing a negative correlation where the peak (average) coefficient is around −0.6 (−0.4), further affirming the substantial interannual variability of SSS in this region.