11:15 AM - 11:30 AM
[MIS08-09] The Terra Nova Bay Polynya activity in the new coupled model Polar-SKRIPSv1
Keywords:Ross Sea, Modelling, Polynya
The polynyas are the ice factories found around the Antarctic coast, responsible for heat and mass exchange between the atmosphere and the ocean. The sea ice production of the Terra Nova Bay Polynya, which grows only to about 3000 km2, is responsible for up to 10% of total Antarctic Bottom formation in the Southern Ocean. The dense water, formed in the Terra Nova Bay Polynya, flows northwards and has been observed to outflow from the Ross Sea with a tidal signal.
We have developed the first fully coupled regional model Polar-SKRIPSv1 for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. We use the Polar-SKRIPSv1 as published in Malyarenko et al. (2022). This coupled model uses the MITgcm model of the ocean, and the Polar version of the Weather and the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF). Our model is unique in conserving energy and can operate at the regional scale, making it the best tool to study mesoscale processes in the Ross Sea and make predictions on how variability of local wind jets above the continental shelf can impact the salinity and temperature of the ocean, and thus global thermohaline circulation.
In this presentation we show a case study for winter of 2016. We focus on the sea ice production, heat and mass fluxes in the Terra Nova Bay Polynya, and show how the polynya activity depends on the poorly constrained parameters, such as drag coefficient between air and ice, and ice and water. We found that dense water production is related to the strength of sea-ice formation, as expected, but also depends on the salinity at the start of winter. The geographical and physical characteristics of the polynyas and regional circulation also modulate the final water density.
We have developed the first fully coupled regional model Polar-SKRIPSv1 for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. We use the Polar-SKRIPSv1 as published in Malyarenko et al. (2022). This coupled model uses the MITgcm model of the ocean, and the Polar version of the Weather and the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF). Our model is unique in conserving energy and can operate at the regional scale, making it the best tool to study mesoscale processes in the Ross Sea and make predictions on how variability of local wind jets above the continental shelf can impact the salinity and temperature of the ocean, and thus global thermohaline circulation.
In this presentation we show a case study for winter of 2016. We focus on the sea ice production, heat and mass fluxes in the Terra Nova Bay Polynya, and show how the polynya activity depends on the poorly constrained parameters, such as drag coefficient between air and ice, and ice and water. We found that dense water production is related to the strength of sea-ice formation, as expected, but also depends on the salinity at the start of winter. The geographical and physical characteristics of the polynyas and regional circulation also modulate the final water density.