IPY/ASEP Collaborative International Research: Amundsen Sea Influence on West Antarctic Ice Sheet Stability And Sea Level Rise

Lead PI: Stanley Jacobs , Adrian Jenkins, Hartmut Hellmer

Unit Affiliation: Ocean and Climate Physics, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO)

July 2007 - August 2012
Inactive
Antarctica ; West Antarctic Ice Sheet
Project Type: Research

DESCRIPTION: The project will examine the role of warm deep water intrusion onto the West Antarctic continental shelf on the dynamics of the WAIS. This will be done by adding more automatic weather stations; mapping perennial sea ice thickness; and swath mapping of the sea floor. This will be done to model the ocean properties and circulation, atmospheric forcing and sea ice cover and their impacts on the WAIS.

OUTCOMES: Found correlations between ocean mixed layer depth and water temperature maximum. Forcings included: warmer atmosphere and stronger onshore winds; and melt driver upwelling of warm deep water. Faster-moving currents have contributed to melting and reducing traction.

SPONSOR:

National Science Foundation (NSF)

FUNDED AMOUNT:

$1,581,138

RESEARCH TEAM:

Sharon Stammerjohn, Bruce Huber, Edward Maksym, Frank Nitsche, Robin Robertson

EXTERNAL COLLABORATORS:

University of Texas - San Antonio, British Antarctic Survey, Alfred-Wegener Institue

WEBSITE:

https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0632282&HistoricalAwards=false

KEYWORDS

ocean and climate physics circulation warming ocean water sea ice weather station ice sheets forcing remote sensing seafloor