Heat and Moisture Advection over Antarctic Sea Ice

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Surface-level meteorological observations and upper-air soundings in the Weddell Sea provide the first in situ look at conditions over the deep Antarctic ice pack in the spring. The surface‐level temperature and humidity were relatively high, and both were positively correlated with the northerly component of the 850 mb wind vector as far as 600 km from the ice edge. Since even at its maximum extent at least 60% of the Antarctic ice pack is within 600 km of the open ocean, long‐range atmospheric transport of heat and moisture from the ocean must play a key part in Antarctic sea ice heat and mass budgets. From one case study, the magnitude of the ocean's role is inferred: at this time of year the total turbulent surface heat loss can be 100 W m−2 greater under southerly winds than under northerly ones. Abstract Surface-level meteorological observations and upper-air soundings in the Weddell Sea provide the first in situ look at conditions over the deep Antarctic ice pack in the spring. The surface‐level temperature and humidity were relatively high, and both were positively correlated with the northerly component of the 850 mb wind vector as far as 600 km from the ice edge. Since even at its maximum extent at least 60% of the Antarctic ice pack is within 600 km of the open ocean, long‐range atmospheric transport of heat and moisture from the ocean must play a key part in Antarctic sea ice heat and mass budgets. From one case study, the magnitude of the ocean's role is inferred: at this time of year the total turbulent surface heat loss can be 100 W m−2 greater under southerly winds than under northerly ones.
Keywords

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: