Physical and biological properties of early winter Antarctic sea ice in the Ross Sea

This work presents the results of physical and biological investigations at 27 biogeochemical stations of early winter sea ice in the Ross Sea during the 2017 PIPERS cruise. Only two similar cruises occurred in the past, in 1995 and 1998. The year 2017 was a specific year, in that ice growth in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of Glaciology
Main Authors: Tison, J-L, Maksym, T, Fraser, AD, Corkill, M, Kimura, N, Nosaka, Y, Nomura, D, Vancoppenolle, M, Ackley, S, Stammerjohn, S, Wauthy, S, Van der Linden, F, Carnat, G, Sapart, C, de Jong, J, Fripat, F, Delille, B
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Int Glaciol Soc 2020
Subjects:
Earth Sciences
Physical geography and environmental geoscience
Glaciology
Antarctic
Ross Sea
Weddell
Weddell Sea
Annals of Glaciology
Antarc*
Sea ice
Online Access:https://www-cambridge-org.ezproxy.utas.edu.au/core/journals/annals-of-glaciology/article/physical-and-biological-properties-of-early-winter-antarctic-sea-ice-in-the-ross-sea/84F32A7A35B56444C5ADB12585500B74
https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2020.43
http://ecite.utas.edu.au/139747
Description
Summary:This work presents the results of physical and biological investigations at 27 biogeochemical stations of early winter sea ice in the Ross Sea during the 2017 PIPERS cruise. Only two similar cruises occurred in the past, in 1995 and 1998. The year 2017 was a specific year, in that ice growth in the Central Ross Sea was considerably delayed, compared to previous years. These conditions resulted in lower ice thicknesses and Chl- a burdens, as compared to those observed during the previous cruises. It also resulted in a different structure of the sympagic algal community, unusually dominated by Phaeocystis rather than diatoms. Compared to autumn-winter sea ice in the Weddell Sea (AWECS cruise), the 2017 Ross Sea pack ice displayed similar thickness distribution, but much lower snow cover and therefore nearly no flooding conditions. It is shown that contrasted dynamics of autumnal-winter sea-ice growth between the Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea impacted the development of the sympagic community. Mean/median ice Chl- a concentrations were 35 times lower at PIPERS, and the community status there appeared to be more mature (decaying?), based on Phaeopigments/Chl- a ratios. These contrasts are discussed in the light of temporal and spatial differences between the two cruises.

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