Pathways of inter-basin exchange from the Bellingshausen Sea to the Amundsen Sea
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is experiencing rapid thinning of its floating ice shelves, largely attributed to oceanic basal melt. Numerical models suggest that the Bellingshausen Sea has a key role in setting water properties in the Amundsen Sea and further downstream. Yet, observations confirming...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
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2024
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ftuniveastangl:oai:ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk:95378 2024-09-09T18:54:24+00:00 Pathways of inter-basin exchange from the Bellingshausen Sea to the Amundsen Sea Flexas, M. Mar Thompson, Andrew F. Robertson, Megan L. Speer, Kevin Sheehan, Peter M. F. Heywood, Karen J. 2024-06 application/pdf https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/95378/ https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/95378/1/Accepted_964667_3_art_file_12167116_scrrr625.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JC020080 en eng https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/95378/1/Accepted_964667_3_art_file_12167116_scrrr625.pdf Flexas, M. Mar, Thompson, Andrew F., Robertson, Megan L., Speer, Kevin, Sheehan, Peter M. F. and Heywood, Karen J. (2024) Pathways of inter-basin exchange from the Bellingshausen Sea to the Amundsen Sea. JGR Oceans, 129 (6). ISSN 2169-9275 doi:10.1029/2023JC020080 Article PeerReviewed 2024 ftuniveastangl https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JC020080 2024-06-18T14:18:34Z The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is experiencing rapid thinning of its floating ice shelves, largely attributed to oceanic basal melt. Numerical models suggest that the Bellingshausen Sea has a key role in setting water properties in the Amundsen Sea and further downstream. Yet, observations confirming these pathways of volume and tracer exchange between coast and shelf break and their impact on inter-sea exchange remain sparse. Here we analyze the circulation and distribution of glacial meltwater at the boundary between the Bellingshausen Sea and the Amundsen Sea using a combination of glider observations from January 2020 and hydrographic data from instrumented seals. Meltwater distributions over previously unmapped western regions of the continental shelf and slope reveal two distinct meltwater cores with different optical backscatter properties. At Belgica Trough, a subsurface meltwater peak is linked with hydrographic properties from Venable Ice Shelf. West of Belgica Trough, the vertical structure of meltwater concentration changes, with peak values occurring at greater depths and denser isopycnals. Hydrographic analysis suggests that the western (deep) meltwater core is supplied from the eastern part of Abbot Ice Shelf, and is exported to the shelf break via a previously-overlooked bathymetric trough (here named Seal Trough). Hydrographic sections constructed from seal data reveal that the Antarctic Coastal Current extends west past Belgica Trough, delivering meltwater to the Amundsen Sea. Each of these circulation elements has distinct dynamical implications for the evolution of ice shelves and water masses both locally and downstream, in the Amundsen Sea and beyond. Article in Journal/Newspaper Abbot Ice Shelf Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Bellingshausen Sea Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Venable Ice Shelf University of East Anglia: UEA Digital Repository Antarctic The Antarctic Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet Bellingshausen Sea Abbot Ice Shelf ENVELOPE(-96.000,-96.000,-72.750,-72.750) Venable Ice Shelf ENVELOPE(-87.333,-87.333,-73.050,-73.050) Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 129 6 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of East Anglia: UEA Digital Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftuniveastangl |
language |
English |
description |
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is experiencing rapid thinning of its floating ice shelves, largely attributed to oceanic basal melt. Numerical models suggest that the Bellingshausen Sea has a key role in setting water properties in the Amundsen Sea and further downstream. Yet, observations confirming these pathways of volume and tracer exchange between coast and shelf break and their impact on inter-sea exchange remain sparse. Here we analyze the circulation and distribution of glacial meltwater at the boundary between the Bellingshausen Sea and the Amundsen Sea using a combination of glider observations from January 2020 and hydrographic data from instrumented seals. Meltwater distributions over previously unmapped western regions of the continental shelf and slope reveal two distinct meltwater cores with different optical backscatter properties. At Belgica Trough, a subsurface meltwater peak is linked with hydrographic properties from Venable Ice Shelf. West of Belgica Trough, the vertical structure of meltwater concentration changes, with peak values occurring at greater depths and denser isopycnals. Hydrographic analysis suggests that the western (deep) meltwater core is supplied from the eastern part of Abbot Ice Shelf, and is exported to the shelf break via a previously-overlooked bathymetric trough (here named Seal Trough). Hydrographic sections constructed from seal data reveal that the Antarctic Coastal Current extends west past Belgica Trough, delivering meltwater to the Amundsen Sea. Each of these circulation elements has distinct dynamical implications for the evolution of ice shelves and water masses both locally and downstream, in the Amundsen Sea and beyond. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Flexas, M. Mar Thompson, Andrew F. Robertson, Megan L. Speer, Kevin Sheehan, Peter M. F. Heywood, Karen J. |
spellingShingle |
Flexas, M. Mar Thompson, Andrew F. Robertson, Megan L. Speer, Kevin Sheehan, Peter M. F. Heywood, Karen J. Pathways of inter-basin exchange from the Bellingshausen Sea to the Amundsen Sea |
author_facet |
Flexas, M. Mar Thompson, Andrew F. Robertson, Megan L. Speer, Kevin Sheehan, Peter M. F. Heywood, Karen J. |
author_sort |
Flexas, M. Mar |
title |
Pathways of inter-basin exchange from the Bellingshausen Sea to the Amundsen Sea |
title_short |
Pathways of inter-basin exchange from the Bellingshausen Sea to the Amundsen Sea |
title_full |
Pathways of inter-basin exchange from the Bellingshausen Sea to the Amundsen Sea |
title_fullStr |
Pathways of inter-basin exchange from the Bellingshausen Sea to the Amundsen Sea |
title_full_unstemmed |
Pathways of inter-basin exchange from the Bellingshausen Sea to the Amundsen Sea |
title_sort |
pathways of inter-basin exchange from the bellingshausen sea to the amundsen sea |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/95378/ https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/95378/1/Accepted_964667_3_art_file_12167116_scrrr625.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JC020080 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-96.000,-96.000,-72.750,-72.750) ENVELOPE(-87.333,-87.333,-73.050,-73.050) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet Bellingshausen Sea Abbot Ice Shelf Venable Ice Shelf |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet Bellingshausen Sea Abbot Ice Shelf Venable Ice Shelf |
genre |
Abbot Ice Shelf Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Bellingshausen Sea Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Venable Ice Shelf |
genre_facet |
Abbot Ice Shelf Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Bellingshausen Sea Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Venable Ice Shelf |
op_relation |
https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/95378/1/Accepted_964667_3_art_file_12167116_scrrr625.pdf Flexas, M. Mar, Thompson, Andrew F., Robertson, Megan L., Speer, Kevin, Sheehan, Peter M. F. and Heywood, Karen J. (2024) Pathways of inter-basin exchange from the Bellingshausen Sea to the Amundsen Sea. JGR Oceans, 129 (6). ISSN 2169-9275 doi:10.1029/2023JC020080 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JC020080 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
container_volume |
129 |
container_issue |
6 |
_version_ |
1809906298940030976 |