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Recent Decrease of Summer Sea Ice in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica
Author(s) -
Turner John,
Guarino Maria Vittoria,
Arnatt Jack,
Jena Babula,
Marshall Gareth J.,
Phillips Tony,
Bajish C. C.,
Clem Kyle,
Wang Zhaomin,
Andersson Tom,
Murphy Eugene J.,
Cavanagh Rachel
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2020gl087127
Subject(s) - sea ice , oceanography , weddell sea bottom water , geology , antarctic sea ice , climatology , arctic ice pack , cryosphere
In Austral summer 2016/2017, the sea ice extent (SIE) in the Weddell Sea dropped to a near‐record value in the satellite era (1.88 × 10 6 km 2 ), a large negative seasonal anomaly that persisted in an unprecedented fashion for the following three summers. Various atmospheric and oceanic factors played a part in the change. Ice loss started in September 2016 when the northern Weddell Sea experienced westerly winds of record strength, advecting multiyear sea ice from the region. In late 2016, a polynya over Maud Rise contributed to low SIE over the eastern Weddell Sea. With extensive areas of open water early in the summer, upper ocean temperatures increased by ~0.5°C, with the anomalies persisting in subsequent years. The reappearance of the Maud Rise polynya in 2017, high ocean temperatures, and storms of record depth kept the summer SIE low.