Amundsen Sea circulation controls bottom upwelling and Antarctic Pine Island and Thwaites ice shelf melting.
The Pine Island and Thwaites Ice Shelves (PIIS/TIS) in the Amundsen Sea are melting rapidly and impacting global sea levels. The thermocline depth (TD) variability, the interface between cold Winter Water and warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW), at the PIIS/TIS front strongly correlates with...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47084-z https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38605000 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11009355/ |
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ftpubmed:38605000 2024-05-12T07:52:47+00:00 Amundsen Sea circulation controls bottom upwelling and Antarctic Pine Island and Thwaites ice shelf melting. Park, Taewook Nakayama, Yoshihiro Nam, SungHyun 2024 Apr 11 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47084-z https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38605000 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11009355/ eng eng Nature Publishing Group https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47084-z https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38605000 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11009355/ © 2024. The Author(s). Nat Commun ISSN:2041-1723 Volume:15 Issue:1 Journal Article 2024 ftpubmed https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47084-z 2024-04-14T16:01:00Z The Pine Island and Thwaites Ice Shelves (PIIS/TIS) in the Amundsen Sea are melting rapidly and impacting global sea levels. The thermocline depth (TD) variability, the interface between cold Winter Water and warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW), at the PIIS/TIS front strongly correlates with basal melt rates, but the drivers of its interannual variability remain uncertain. Here, using an ocean model, we propose that the strength of the eastern Amundsen Sea on-shelf circulation primarily controls TD variability and consequent PIIS/TIS melt rates. The TD variability occurs because the on-shelf circulation meanders following the submarine glacial trough, creating vertical velocity through bottom Ekman dynamics. We suggest that a strong or weak ocean circulation, possibly linked to remote winds in the Bellingshausen Sea, generates corresponding changes in bottom Ekman convergence, which modulates mCDW upwelling and TD variability. We show that interannual variability of off-shelf zonal winds has a minor effect on ocean heat intrusion into PIIS/TIS cavities, contrary to the widely accepted concept. Article in Journal/Newspaper Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Bellingshausen Sea Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Thwaites Ice Shelf PubMed Central (PMC) Antarctic Amundsen Sea Bellingshausen Sea Nature Communications 15 1 |
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Open Polar |
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PubMed Central (PMC) |
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English |
description |
The Pine Island and Thwaites Ice Shelves (PIIS/TIS) in the Amundsen Sea are melting rapidly and impacting global sea levels. The thermocline depth (TD) variability, the interface between cold Winter Water and warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW), at the PIIS/TIS front strongly correlates with basal melt rates, but the drivers of its interannual variability remain uncertain. Here, using an ocean model, we propose that the strength of the eastern Amundsen Sea on-shelf circulation primarily controls TD variability and consequent PIIS/TIS melt rates. The TD variability occurs because the on-shelf circulation meanders following the submarine glacial trough, creating vertical velocity through bottom Ekman dynamics. We suggest that a strong or weak ocean circulation, possibly linked to remote winds in the Bellingshausen Sea, generates corresponding changes in bottom Ekman convergence, which modulates mCDW upwelling and TD variability. We show that interannual variability of off-shelf zonal winds has a minor effect on ocean heat intrusion into PIIS/TIS cavities, contrary to the widely accepted concept. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Park, Taewook Nakayama, Yoshihiro Nam, SungHyun |
spellingShingle |
Park, Taewook Nakayama, Yoshihiro Nam, SungHyun Amundsen Sea circulation controls bottom upwelling and Antarctic Pine Island and Thwaites ice shelf melting. |
author_facet |
Park, Taewook Nakayama, Yoshihiro Nam, SungHyun |
author_sort |
Park, Taewook |
title |
Amundsen Sea circulation controls bottom upwelling and Antarctic Pine Island and Thwaites ice shelf melting. |
title_short |
Amundsen Sea circulation controls bottom upwelling and Antarctic Pine Island and Thwaites ice shelf melting. |
title_full |
Amundsen Sea circulation controls bottom upwelling and Antarctic Pine Island and Thwaites ice shelf melting. |
title_fullStr |
Amundsen Sea circulation controls bottom upwelling and Antarctic Pine Island and Thwaites ice shelf melting. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Amundsen Sea circulation controls bottom upwelling and Antarctic Pine Island and Thwaites ice shelf melting. |
title_sort |
amundsen sea circulation controls bottom upwelling and antarctic pine island and thwaites ice shelf melting. |
publisher |
Nature Publishing Group |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47084-z https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38605000 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11009355/ |
geographic |
Antarctic Amundsen Sea Bellingshausen Sea |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Amundsen Sea Bellingshausen Sea |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Bellingshausen Sea Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Thwaites Ice Shelf |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Bellingshausen Sea Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Thwaites Ice Shelf |
op_source |
Nat Commun ISSN:2041-1723 Volume:15 Issue:1 |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47084-z https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38605000 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11009355/ |
op_rights |
© 2024. The Author(s). |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47084-z |
container_title |
Nature Communications |
container_volume |
15 |
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1 |
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1798837864613543936 |