Mechanisms driving variability in the ocean forcing of Pine Island Glacier

Benjamin G M Webber; Karen J Heywood; David P Stevens; Pierre Dutrieux; E Povl Abrahamsen; Adrian Jenkins; Stanley S Jacobs; Ho Kyung Ha; Sang Hoon Lee; Tae Wan Kim

doi:10.1038/ncomms14507

Mechanisms driving variability in the ocean forcing of Pine Island Glacier

Benjamin G M Webber, Karen J Heywood, David P Stevens, Pierre Dutrieux, E Povl Abrahamsen, Adrian Jenkins, Stanley S Jacobs, Ho Kyung Ha, Sang Hoon Lee, Tae Wan Kim

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Abstract

Pine Island Glacier (PIG) terminates in a rapidly melting ice shelf, and ocean circulation and temperature are implicated in the retreat and growing contribution to sea level rise of PIG and nearby glaciers. However, the variability of the ocean forcing of PIG has been poorly constrained due to a lack of multi-year observations. Here we show, using a unique record close to the Pine Island Ice Shelf (PIIS), that there is considerable oceanic variability at seasonal and interannual timescales, including a pronounced cold period from October 2011 to May 2013. This variability can be largely explained by two processes: cumulative ocean surface heat fluxes and sea ice formation close to PIIS; and interannual reversals in ocean currents and associated heat transport within Pine Island Bay, driven by a combination of local and remote forcing. Local atmospheric forcing therefore plays an important role in driving oceanic variability close to PIIS.

Original language	English
Article number	14507
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms14507
Publication status	Published - 17 Feb 2017

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10.1038/ncomms14507Licence: CC BY

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Karen Heywood
- K.Heywooduea.acuk
- School of Environmental Sciences - Professor of Physical Oceanography
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences - Member
- ClimateUEA - Member
Person: Research Group Member, Academic, Teaching & Research
David Stevens
- D.Stevensuea.acuk
- School of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics - Professor of Applied Mathematics
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences - Member
- Fluids & Structures - Member
- Numerical Simulation, Statistics & Data Science - Group Lead
- ClimateUEA - Member
Person: Member, Research Group Member, Academic, Teaching & Research
Ben Webber
- B.Webberuea.acuk
- School of Environmental Sciences - Associate Professor in Climate Science
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences - Member
- Climatic Research Unit - Member
- ClimateUEA - Member
Person: Member, Research Group Member, Academic, Teaching & Research

Ocean2ice: Processes and Variability of Ocean Heat Transport Toward Ice Shelves in the Amundsen Sea Embayment (Joint Proposal - Lead, UEA)
Heywood, K., Fedak, M., Garabato, A., Jenkins, A., Kaiser, J., Renfrew, I., Stevens, D. & Woodward, S.
Natural Environment Research Council
1/01/13 → 28/02/17
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Mechanisms driving variability in the ocean forcing of Pine Island Glacier",

abstract = "Pine Island Glacier (PIG) terminates in a rapidly melting ice shelf, and ocean circulation and temperature are implicated in the retreat and growing contribution to sea level rise of PIG and nearby glaciers. However, the variability of the ocean forcing of PIG has been poorly constrained due to a lack of multi-year observations. Here we show, using a unique record close to the Pine Island Ice Shelf (PIIS), that there is considerable oceanic variability at seasonal and interannual timescales, including a pronounced cold period from October 2011 to May 2013. This variability can be largely explained by two processes: cumulative ocean surface heat fluxes and sea ice formation close to PIIS; and interannual reversals in ocean currents and associated heat transport within Pine Island Bay, driven by a combination of local and remote forcing. Local atmospheric forcing therefore plays an important role in driving oceanic variability close to PIIS.",

author = "Webber, {Benjamin G M} and Heywood, {Karen J} and Stevens, {David P} and Pierre Dutrieux and Abrahamsen, {E Povl} and Adrian Jenkins and Jacobs, {Stanley S} and Ha, {Ho Kyung} and Lee, {Sang Hoon} and Kim, {Tae Wan}",

year = "2017",

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T1 - Mechanisms driving variability in the ocean forcing of Pine Island Glacier

AU - Webber, Benjamin G M

AU - Heywood, Karen J

AU - Stevens, David P

AU - Dutrieux, Pierre

AU - Abrahamsen, E Povl

AU - Jenkins, Adrian

AU - Jacobs, Stanley S

AU - Ha, Ho Kyung

AU - Lee, Sang Hoon

AU - Kim, Tae Wan

PY - 2017/2/17

Y1 - 2017/2/17

N2 - Pine Island Glacier (PIG) terminates in a rapidly melting ice shelf, and ocean circulation and temperature are implicated in the retreat and growing contribution to sea level rise of PIG and nearby glaciers. However, the variability of the ocean forcing of PIG has been poorly constrained due to a lack of multi-year observations. Here we show, using a unique record close to the Pine Island Ice Shelf (PIIS), that there is considerable oceanic variability at seasonal and interannual timescales, including a pronounced cold period from October 2011 to May 2013. This variability can be largely explained by two processes: cumulative ocean surface heat fluxes and sea ice formation close to PIIS; and interannual reversals in ocean currents and associated heat transport within Pine Island Bay, driven by a combination of local and remote forcing. Local atmospheric forcing therefore plays an important role in driving oceanic variability close to PIIS.

AB - Pine Island Glacier (PIG) terminates in a rapidly melting ice shelf, and ocean circulation and temperature are implicated in the retreat and growing contribution to sea level rise of PIG and nearby glaciers. However, the variability of the ocean forcing of PIG has been poorly constrained due to a lack of multi-year observations. Here we show, using a unique record close to the Pine Island Ice Shelf (PIIS), that there is considerable oceanic variability at seasonal and interannual timescales, including a pronounced cold period from October 2011 to May 2013. This variability can be largely explained by two processes: cumulative ocean surface heat fluxes and sea ice formation close to PIIS; and interannual reversals in ocean currents and associated heat transport within Pine Island Bay, driven by a combination of local and remote forcing. Local atmospheric forcing therefore plays an important role in driving oceanic variability close to PIIS.

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms14507

DO - 10.1038/ncomms14507

M3 - Article

C2 - 28211473

VL - 8

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

SN - 2041-1723

M1 - 14507

ER -

Mechanisms driving variability in the ocean forcing of Pine Island Glacier

Abstract

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Profiles

Karen Heywood

David Stevens

Ben Webber

Projects

Ocean2ice: Processes and Variability of Ocean Heat Transport Toward Ice Shelves in the Amundsen Sea Embayment (Joint Proposal - Lead, UEA)

Cite this