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Amundsen Sea circulation controls bottom upwelling and Antarctic Pine Island and Thwaites ice shelf melting

Author

Listed:
  • Taewook Park

    (Korea Polar Research Institute)

  • Yoshihiro Nakayama

    (Hokkaido University)

  • SungHyun Nam

    (Seoul National University)

Abstract

The Pine Island and Thwaites Ice Shelves (PIIS/TIS) in the Amundsen Sea are melting rapidly and impacting global sea levels. The thermocline depth (TD) variability, the interface between cold Winter Water and warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW), at the PIIS/TIS front strongly correlates with basal melt rates, but the drivers of its interannual variability remain uncertain. Here, using an ocean model, we propose that the strength of the eastern Amundsen Sea on-shelf circulation primarily controls TD variability and consequent PIIS/TIS melt rates. The TD variability occurs because the on-shelf circulation meanders following the submarine glacial trough, creating vertical velocity through bottom Ekman dynamics. We suggest that a strong or weak ocean circulation, possibly linked to remote winds in the Bellingshausen Sea, generates corresponding changes in bottom Ekman convergence, which modulates mCDW upwelling and TD variability. We show that interannual variability of off-shelf zonal winds has a minor effect on ocean heat intrusion into PIIS/TIS cavities, contrary to the widely accepted concept.

Suggested Citation

  • Taewook Park & Yoshihiro Nakayama & SungHyun Nam, 2024. "Amundsen Sea circulation controls bottom upwelling and Antarctic Pine Island and Thwaites ice shelf melting," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-47084-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47084-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yoshihiro Nakayama & Dimitris Menemenlis & Hong Zhang & Michael Schodlok & Eric Rignot, 2018. "Origin of Circumpolar Deep Water intruding onto the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Sea continental shelves," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Tiago S. Dotto & Karen J. Heywood & Rob A. Hall & Ted A. Scambos & Yixi Zheng & Yoshihiro Nakayama & Shuntaro Hyogo & Tasha Snow & Anna K. Wåhlin & Christian Wild & Martin Truffer & Atsuhiro Muto & Ka, 2022. "Ocean variability beneath Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf driven by the Pine Island Bay Gyre strength," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. B. E. Schmidt & P. Washam & P. E. D. Davis & K. W. Nicholls & D. M. Holland & J. D. Lawrence & K. L. Riverman & J. A. Smith & A. Spears & D. J. G. Dichek & A. D. Mullen & E. Clyne & B. Yeager & P. Ank, 2023. "Heterogeneous melting near the Thwaites Glacier grounding line," Nature, Nature, vol. 614(7948), pages 471-478, February.
    4. Craig McConnochie, 2023. "High variability reveals complexity under Thwaites Glacier," Nature, Nature, vol. 614(7948), pages 420-422, February.
    5. Paul Spence & Ryan M. Holmes & Andrew McC. Hogg & Stephen M. Griffies & Kial D. Stewart & Matthew H. England, 2017. "Localized rapid warming of West Antarctic subsurface waters by remote winds," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 7(8), pages 595-603, August.
    6. L. Favier & G. Durand & S. L. Cornford & G. H. Gudmundsson & O. Gagliardini & F. Gillet-Chaulet & T. Zwinger & A. J. Payne & A. M. Le Brocq, 2014. "Retreat of Pine Island Glacier controlled by marine ice-sheet instability," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(2), pages 117-121, February.
    7. B. E. Schmidt & P. Washam & P. E. D. Davis & K. W. Nicholls & D. M. Holland & J. D. Lawrence & K. L. Riverman & J. A. Smith & A. Spears & D. J. G. Dichek & A. D. Mullen & E. Clyne & B. Yeager & P. Ank, 2023. "Publisher Correction: Heterogeneous melting near the Thwaites Glacier grounding line," Nature, Nature, vol. 615(7952), pages 21-21, March.
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