Decadal Variability of Ice‐Shelf Melting in the Amundsen Sea Driven by Sea‐Ice Freshwater Fluxes
Abstract The ice streams flowing into the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, are losing mass due to changes in oceanic basal melting of their floating ice shelves. Rapid ice‐shelf melting is sustained by the delivery of warm Circumpolar Deep Water to the ice‐shelf cavities, which is first supplied to th...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108406 https://doaj.org/article/b6a5c5011cf94cd997b1ffbbce842176 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:b6a5c5011cf94cd997b1ffbbce842176 2024-09-15T17:38:56+00:00 Decadal Variability of Ice‐Shelf Melting in the Amundsen Sea Driven by Sea‐Ice Freshwater Fluxes Michael Haigh Paul R. Holland 2024-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108406 https://doaj.org/article/b6a5c5011cf94cd997b1ffbbce842176 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108406 https://doaj.org/toc/0094-8276 https://doaj.org/toc/1944-8007 1944-8007 0094-8276 doi:10.1029/2024GL108406 https://doaj.org/article/b6a5c5011cf94cd997b1ffbbce842176 Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 51, Iss 9, Pp n/a-n/a (2024) Amundsen Sea ice shelves sea ice undercurrent decadal variability Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 article 2024 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108406 2024-08-05T17:49:23Z Abstract The ice streams flowing into the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, are losing mass due to changes in oceanic basal melting of their floating ice shelves. Rapid ice‐shelf melting is sustained by the delivery of warm Circumpolar Deep Water to the ice‐shelf cavities, which is first supplied to the continental shelf by an undercurrent that flows eastward along the shelf break. Temporal variability of this undercurrent controls ice‐shelf basal melt variability. Recent work shows that on decadal timescales the undercurrent variability opposes surface wind variability. Using a regional model, we show that undercurrent variability is induced by sea‐ice freshwater fluxes, particularly those north of the shelf break, which affect the cross‐shelf break density gradient. This sea‐ice variability is linked to tropical Pacific variability impacting atmospheric conditions over the Amundsen Sea. Ice‐shelf melting also feeds back onto the undercurrent by affecting the on‐shelf density, thereby influencing shelf‐break density gradient anomalies. Article in Journal/Newspaper Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Sea ice West Antarctica Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Geophysical Research Letters 51 9 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Amundsen Sea ice shelves sea ice undercurrent decadal variability Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 |
spellingShingle |
Amundsen Sea ice shelves sea ice undercurrent decadal variability Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 Michael Haigh Paul R. Holland Decadal Variability of Ice‐Shelf Melting in the Amundsen Sea Driven by Sea‐Ice Freshwater Fluxes |
topic_facet |
Amundsen Sea ice shelves sea ice undercurrent decadal variability Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 |
description |
Abstract The ice streams flowing into the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, are losing mass due to changes in oceanic basal melting of their floating ice shelves. Rapid ice‐shelf melting is sustained by the delivery of warm Circumpolar Deep Water to the ice‐shelf cavities, which is first supplied to the continental shelf by an undercurrent that flows eastward along the shelf break. Temporal variability of this undercurrent controls ice‐shelf basal melt variability. Recent work shows that on decadal timescales the undercurrent variability opposes surface wind variability. Using a regional model, we show that undercurrent variability is induced by sea‐ice freshwater fluxes, particularly those north of the shelf break, which affect the cross‐shelf break density gradient. This sea‐ice variability is linked to tropical Pacific variability impacting atmospheric conditions over the Amundsen Sea. Ice‐shelf melting also feeds back onto the undercurrent by affecting the on‐shelf density, thereby influencing shelf‐break density gradient anomalies. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Michael Haigh Paul R. Holland |
author_facet |
Michael Haigh Paul R. Holland |
author_sort |
Michael Haigh |
title |
Decadal Variability of Ice‐Shelf Melting in the Amundsen Sea Driven by Sea‐Ice Freshwater Fluxes |
title_short |
Decadal Variability of Ice‐Shelf Melting in the Amundsen Sea Driven by Sea‐Ice Freshwater Fluxes |
title_full |
Decadal Variability of Ice‐Shelf Melting in the Amundsen Sea Driven by Sea‐Ice Freshwater Fluxes |
title_fullStr |
Decadal Variability of Ice‐Shelf Melting in the Amundsen Sea Driven by Sea‐Ice Freshwater Fluxes |
title_full_unstemmed |
Decadal Variability of Ice‐Shelf Melting in the Amundsen Sea Driven by Sea‐Ice Freshwater Fluxes |
title_sort |
decadal variability of ice‐shelf melting in the amundsen sea driven by sea‐ice freshwater fluxes |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108406 https://doaj.org/article/b6a5c5011cf94cd997b1ffbbce842176 |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Sea ice West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Sea ice West Antarctica |
op_source |
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 51, Iss 9, Pp n/a-n/a (2024) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108406 https://doaj.org/toc/0094-8276 https://doaj.org/toc/1944-8007 1944-8007 0094-8276 doi:10.1029/2024GL108406 https://doaj.org/article/b6a5c5011cf94cd997b1ffbbce842176 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108406 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
51 |
container_issue |
9 |
_version_ |
1810476300031229952 |