Investigating the fresh-water inflow through the eastern gate in the Ross Sea

Description

The production of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is a crucial factor in determining the strength of the Meridional Overturning Circulation, and therefore plays a significant role in the ocean's contribution to the global climate. AABW is primarily formed in the Ross and Weddell Seas, with unique thermohaline characteristics. In recent years, a negative decadal salinity trend has been observed in the Southern Ocean's Pacific sector, related to AABW modification. Correspondingly in the Ross Sea, observations have indicated changes in the thermohaline characteristics of the shelf waters, precursors of the AABW, since 1995. The significant freshening in the western Ross Sea, where AABW is formed and spreads to fill the Pacific Ocean's deep basins, was attributed to the inflow of waters from West Antarctica where a dramatic melting of glaciers is occurring. To determine the freshwater inflow from West Antarctica and the role of these waters in the salinity field variability, a dedicated oceanographic cruise was carried out during austral summer 2020 in the eastern sector of the Ross Sea. Additionally, a section of the same CTD grid was repeated during January 2021. Using physical data from the CTD and LADCP casts, glider deployment and drifters, we estimated water mass characteristics and dynamical features. Eventually, discrete sea water sampling for chemical analyses (nutrients, carbonate system, trace metals, persistent organic compounds) has been carried out to provide new information about the biogeochemistry of the area and origin of the water masses.

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