Oceanography and sea ice in the Southern Ocean

Sea ice around Antarctica plays a key role in determining the properties and circulation of the underlying Southern Ocean across a range of scales, whilst simultaneously numerous ocean processes impact profoundly on the temporally-evolving sea ice field. This chapter provides an overview of key aspects of this integrated system, including the nature and dynamics of the large-scale horizontal and overturning circulations of the Southern Ocean, the role of sea ice in producing various of the water masses that form here and which spread around the world, and ocean-ice interactions in the different climatic sectors of Antarctica. Improved capability for gathering ocean data are required in order to better understand the interplay of ocean and ice, and to better predict the consequences for regional and global climate; the status and future of the observing system required to achieve this are outlined.

Details