Research Summaries

Back Collaborative Research: Polynyas, Ice Production and Seasonal Evolution in the Ross Sea (PIPERS)

Fiscal Year 2015
Division Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department Meteorology
Investigator(s) Guest, Peter S.
Sponsor National Science Foundation (NSF)
Summary The one place with large sea ice increases is the western Ross Sea, which lies downstream of the largest coastal polynya where much of the Ross Sea ice production is thought to take place. The processes driving these sea ice increases have not been well established. While satellite observations show increases in Ross Sea ice extent, duration and concentration, it is unknown how sea ice thickness, and thus volume has changed. We also do not know if sea ice production (SIP) has similarly increased. If so, where (e.g., on versus off-shelf) and how (e.g., stronger winds or fresher ocean)? Increases in SIP in the polynyas would lead to increases in High Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW) and Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) formation, thus affecting global thermohaline circulation, whereas increases in SIP off the shelf may only affect the upper ocean locally. If the former, a non-local source of freshening in the Ross Sea may mitigate against increases in HSSW/AABW, while also indicating the non-local source of freshening is even greater than reported. The uncertainties regarding SIP in the Ross Sea have global implications and are largely due to the lack of in situ observations of air-sea-ice interactions in the Ross Sea in autumn-winter. The challenge in addressing these system-level relationships is that all related processes must be measured nearly simultaneously to capture the full 3D evolution of air-sea-ice interactions controlling SIP and water mass transformation, requiring a project large in scope, interdisciplinary and well integrated.
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Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal