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| Titel |
On the freshening of the northwestern Weddell Sea continental shelf |
| VerfasserIn |
H. H. Hellmer, O. Huhn, D. Gomis, R. Timmermann |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1812-0784
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Ocean Science ; 7, no. 3 ; Nr. 7, no. 3 (2011-05-06), S.305-316 |
| Datensatznummer |
250004644
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/os-7-305-2011.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| We analyzed hydrographic data from the northwestern Weddell Sea continental
shelf of the three austral winters 1989, 1997, and 2006 and two summers
following the last winter cruise. During summer a thermal front exists at
~64° S separating cold southern waters from warm northern
waters that have similar characteristics as the deep waters of the central
basin of the Bransfield Strait. In winter, the whole continental shelf
exhibits southern characteristics with high Neon (Ne) concentrations,
indicating a significant input of glacial melt water. The comparison of the
winter data from the shallow shelf off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula,
spanning a period of 17 yr, shows a salinity decrease of 0.09 for the whole
water column, which has a residence time of <1 yr. We interpret this
freshening as being caused by a combination of reduced salt input due to a
southward sea ice retreat and higher precipitation during the late 20th
century on the western Weddell Sea continental shelf. However, less
salinification might also result from a delicate interplay between enhanced
salt input due to sea ice formation in coastal areas formerly occupied by
Larsen A and B ice shelves and increased Larsen C ice loss. |
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