Impacts of marine instability across the East Antarctic Ice Sheet on Southern Ocean dynamics
Recent observations and modelling studies have demonstrated the potential for rapid and substantial retreat of large sectors of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). This has major implications for ocean circulation and global sea level. Here we examine the effects of increasing meltwater from the Wi...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2317-2016 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/112071 |
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ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:112071 2023-05-15T13:49:03+02:00 Impacts of marine instability across the East Antarctic Ice Sheet on Southern Ocean dynamics Phipps, SJ Fogwill, CJ Turney, CSM 2016 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2317-2016 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/112071 en eng Copernicus GmbH http://ecite.utas.edu.au/112071/1/tc-10-2317-2016.pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2317-2016 Phipps, SJ and Fogwill, CJ and Turney, CSM, Impacts of marine instability across the East Antarctic Ice Sheet on Southern Ocean dynamics, Cryosphere, 10 pp. 2317-2328. ISSN 1994-0416 (2016) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/112071 Earth Sciences Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Glaciology Refereed Article PeerReviewed 2016 ftunivtasecite https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2317-2016 2019-12-13T22:12:22Z Recent observations and modelling studies have demonstrated the potential for rapid and substantial retreat of large sectors of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). This has major implications for ocean circulation and global sea level. Here we examine the effects of increasing meltwater from the Wilkes Basin, one of the major marine-based sectors of the EAIS, on Southern Ocean dynamics. Climate model simulations reveal that the meltwater flux rapidly stratifies surface waters, leading to a dramatic decrease in the rate of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) formation. The surface ocean cools but, critically, the Southern Ocean warms by more than 1 C at depth. This warming is accompanied by a Southern Ocean-wide domino effect, whereby the warming signal propagates westward with depth. Our results suggest that melting of one sector of the EAIS could result in accelerated warming across other sectors, including the Weddell Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Thus, localised melting of the EAIS could potentially destabilise the wider Antarctic Ice Sheet. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Southern Ocean Weddell Sea eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) Antarctic Southern Ocean Weddell Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet East Antarctic Ice Sheet Weddell The Cryosphere 10 5 2317 2328 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtasecite |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth Sciences Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Glaciology |
spellingShingle |
Earth Sciences Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Glaciology Phipps, SJ Fogwill, CJ Turney, CSM Impacts of marine instability across the East Antarctic Ice Sheet on Southern Ocean dynamics |
topic_facet |
Earth Sciences Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Glaciology |
description |
Recent observations and modelling studies have demonstrated the potential for rapid and substantial retreat of large sectors of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). This has major implications for ocean circulation and global sea level. Here we examine the effects of increasing meltwater from the Wilkes Basin, one of the major marine-based sectors of the EAIS, on Southern Ocean dynamics. Climate model simulations reveal that the meltwater flux rapidly stratifies surface waters, leading to a dramatic decrease in the rate of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) formation. The surface ocean cools but, critically, the Southern Ocean warms by more than 1 C at depth. This warming is accompanied by a Southern Ocean-wide domino effect, whereby the warming signal propagates westward with depth. Our results suggest that melting of one sector of the EAIS could result in accelerated warming across other sectors, including the Weddell Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Thus, localised melting of the EAIS could potentially destabilise the wider Antarctic Ice Sheet. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Phipps, SJ Fogwill, CJ Turney, CSM |
author_facet |
Phipps, SJ Fogwill, CJ Turney, CSM |
author_sort |
Phipps, SJ |
title |
Impacts of marine instability across the East Antarctic Ice Sheet on Southern Ocean dynamics |
title_short |
Impacts of marine instability across the East Antarctic Ice Sheet on Southern Ocean dynamics |
title_full |
Impacts of marine instability across the East Antarctic Ice Sheet on Southern Ocean dynamics |
title_fullStr |
Impacts of marine instability across the East Antarctic Ice Sheet on Southern Ocean dynamics |
title_full_unstemmed |
Impacts of marine instability across the East Antarctic Ice Sheet on Southern Ocean dynamics |
title_sort |
impacts of marine instability across the east antarctic ice sheet on southern ocean dynamics |
publisher |
Copernicus GmbH |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2317-2016 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/112071 |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean Weddell Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet East Antarctic Ice Sheet Weddell |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean Weddell Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet East Antarctic Ice Sheet Weddell |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Southern Ocean Weddell Sea |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Southern Ocean Weddell Sea |
op_relation |
http://ecite.utas.edu.au/112071/1/tc-10-2317-2016.pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2317-2016 Phipps, SJ and Fogwill, CJ and Turney, CSM, Impacts of marine instability across the East Antarctic Ice Sheet on Southern Ocean dynamics, Cryosphere, 10 pp. 2317-2328. ISSN 1994-0416 (2016) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/112071 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2317-2016 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
2317 |
op_container_end_page |
2328 |
_version_ |
1766250677791621120 |