Articles | Volume 21, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-1205-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-1205-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
02 Jul 2025
Research article |
| 02 Jul 2025
| 02 Jul 2025
Simulated density reorganization on the Weddell Sea continental shelf sensitive to atmospheric forcing
Department of Biogeochemical Modelling, GEOMAR, 24148 Kiel, Germany
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
Ralph Timmermann
Department of Biogeochemical Modelling, GEOMAR, 24148 Kiel, Germany
Cara Nissen
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rolf Zentek
Department of Environmental Meteorology, University of Trier, 54286 Trier, Germany
German Weather Service, 63067 Offenbach, Germany
Tido Semmler
Department of Biogeochemical Modelling, GEOMAR, 24148 Kiel, Germany
Met Éireann, 65–67 Glasnevin Hill, D09 Y921 Dublin, Ireland
Günther Heinemann
Department of Environmental Meteorology, University of Trier, 54286 Trier, Germany
Related authors
Özgür Gürses, Vanessa Kolatschek, Qiang Wang, and Christian Bernd Rodehacke
The Cryosphere, 13, 2317–2324, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2317-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2317-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The warming of the Earth's climate system causes sea level rise. In Antarctica, ice streams flow into the sea and develop ice shelves. These are floating extensions of the ice streams. Ocean water melts these ice shelves. It has been proposed that a submarine wall could shield these ice shelves from the warm water. Our model simulation shows that the wall protects ice shelves. However, the warm water flows to neighboring ice shelves. There, enhanced melting reduces the effectiveness of the wall.
Claire K. Yung, Xylar S. Asay-Davis, Alistair Adcroft, Christopher Y. S. Bull, Jan De Rydt, Michael S. Dinniman, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, Daniel Goldberg, David E. Gwyther, Robert Hallberg, Matthew Harrison, Tore Hattermann, David M. Holland, Denise Holland, Paul R. Holland, James R. Jordan, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Kazuya Kusahara, Gustavo Marques, Pierre Mathiot, Dimitris Menemenlis, Adele K. Morrison, Yoshihiro Nakayama, Olga Sergienko, Robin S. Smith, Alon Stern, Ralph Timmermann, and Qin Zhou
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1942, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1942, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
ISOMIP+ compares 12 ocean models that simulate ice-ocean interactions in a common, idealised, static ice shelf cavity setup, aiming to assess and understand inter-model variability. Models simulate similar basal melt rate patterns, ocean profiles and circulation but differ in ice-ocean boundary layer properties and spatial distributions of melting. Ice-ocean boundary layer representation is a key area for future work, as are realistic-domain ice sheet-ocean model intercomparisons.
Ole Richter, Ralph Timmermann, G. Hilmar Gudmundsson, and Jan De Rydt
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 2945–2960, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-2945-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-2945-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The new coupled ice sheet–ocean model addresses challenges related to horizontal resolution through advanced mesh flexibility, enabled by the use of unstructured grids. We describe the new model, verify its functioning in an idealised setting and demonstrate its advantages in a global-ocean–Antarctic ice sheet domain. The results of this study comprise an important step towards improving predictions of the Antarctic contribution to sea level rise over centennial timescales.
Torsten Kanzow, Angelika Humbert, Thomas Mölg, Mirko Scheinert, Matthias Braun, Hans Burchard, Francesca Doglioni, Philipp Hochreuther, Martin Horwath, Oliver Huhn, Maria Kappelsberger, Jürgen Kusche, Erik Loebel, Katrina Lutz, Ben Marzeion, Rebecca McPherson, Mahdi Mohammadi-Aragh, Marco Möller, Carolyne Pickler, Markus Reinert, Monika Rhein, Martin Rückamp, Janin Schaffer, Muhammad Shafeeque, Sophie Stolzenberger, Ralph Timmermann, Jenny Turton, Claudia Wekerle, and Ole Zeising
The Cryosphere, 19, 1789–1824, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1789-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1789-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Greenland Ice Sheet represents the second-largest contributor to global sea-level rise. We quantify atmosphere, ice and ocean processes related to the mass balance of glaciers in northeast Greenland, focusing on Greenland’s largest floating ice tongue, the 79° N Glacier. We find that together, the different in situ and remote sensing observations and model simulations reveal a consistent picture of a coupled atmosphere–ice sheet–ocean system that has entered a phase of major change.
Umesh Dubey, Sascha Willmes, and Günther Heinemann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-736, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-736, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Sea-ice leads facilitate the exchange of heat and moisture between the ocean and atmosphere during wintertime. We present a new dataset on monthly wintertime sea-ice leads in the Southern Ocean from 2003 to 2023. Our study reveals distinct regional patterns, seasonal variability, and small but significant trends. Here, we present initial findings on Southern Ocean lead dynamics to support future research into the complex pan-Antarctic interactions among sea ice, ocean and atmosphere.
Benjamin Keith Galton-Fenzi, Richard Porter-Smith, Sue Cook, Eva Cougnon, David E. Gwyther, Wilma G. C. Huneke, Madelaine G. Rosevear, Xylar Asay-Davis, Fabio Boeira Dias, Michael S. Dinniman, David Holland, Kazuya Kusahara, Kaitlin A. Naughten, Keith W. Nicholls, Charles Pelletier, Ole Richter, Helene L. Seroussi, and Ralph Timmermann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4047, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4047, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Melting beneath Antarctica’s floating ice shelves is key to future sea-level rise. We compare several different ocean simulations with satellite measurements, and provide the first multi-model average estimate of melting and refreezing driven by both ocean temperature and currents beneath ice shelves. The multi-model average can provide a useful tool for better understanding the role of ice shelf melting in present-day and future ice-sheet changes and informing coastal adaptation efforts.
Jan De Rydt, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Yoshihiro Nakayama, Mathias van Caspel, Ralph Timmermann, Pierre Mathiot, Xylar S. Asay-Davis, Hélène Seroussi, Pierre Dutrieux, Ben Galton-Fenzi, David Holland, and Ronja Reese
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 7105–7139, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-7105-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-7105-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Global climate models do not reliably simulate sea-level change due to ice-sheet–ocean interactions. We propose a community modelling effort to conduct a series of well-defined experiments to compare models with observations and study how models respond to a range of perturbations in climate and ice-sheet geometry. The second Marine Ice Sheet–Ocean Model Intercomparison Project will continue to lay the groundwork for including ice-sheet–ocean interactions in global-scale IPCC-class models.
Shreya Trivedi, Imke Sievers, Marylou Athanase, Antonio Sánchez Benítez, and Tido Semmler
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2214, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2214, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
Our study introduces a new method to compare CMIP6 models' sea ice and snow simulations with in-situ (MOSAiC) measurements. We assessed models for their accuracy in replicating Arctic sea ice and snow thicknesses, using two sea-ice and atmosphere-based methods to select "proxy years." We show that the models often overestimate snow thickness and mistime sea ice cycles. Despite limitations, this approach provides a valuable tool for evaluating climate models in localized time and space.
Cara Nissen, Nicole S. Lovenduski, Mathew Maltrud, Alison R. Gray, Yohei Takano, Kristen Falcinelli, Jade Sauvé, and Katherine Smith
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 6415–6435, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-6415-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-6415-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Autonomous profiling floats have provided unprecedented observational coverage of the global ocean, but uncertainties remain about whether their sampling frequency and density capture the true spatiotemporal variability of physical, biogeochemical, and biological properties. Here, we present the novel synthetic biogeochemical float capabilities of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model version 2 and demonstrate their utility as a test bed to address these uncertainties.
Ja-Yeon Moon, Jan Streffing, Sun-Seon Lee, Tido Semmler, Miguel Andrés-Martínez, Jiao Chen, Eun-Byeoul Cho, Jung-Eun Chu, Christian Franzke, Jan P. Gärtner, Rohit Ghosh, Jan Hegewald, Songyee Hong, Nikolay Koldunov, June-Yi Lee, Zihao Lin, Chao Liu, Svetlana Loza, Wonsun Park, Woncheol Roh, Dmitry V. Sein, Sahil Sharma, Dmitry Sidorenko, Jun-Hyeok Son, Malte F. Stuecker, Qiang Wang, Gyuseok Yi, Martina Zapponini, Thomas Jung, and Axel Timmermann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2491, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2491, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Based on a series of storm-resolving greenhouse warming simulations conducted with the AWI-CM3 model at 9 km global atmosphere, 4–25 km ocean resolution, we present new projections of regional climate change, modes of climate variability and extreme events. The 10-year-long high resolution simulations for the 2000s, 2030s, 2060s, 2090s were initialized from a coarser resolution transient run (31 km atmosphere) which follows the SSP5-8.5 greenhouse gas emission scenario from 1950–2100 CE.
Ole Zeising, Niklas Neckel, Nils Dörr, Veit Helm, Daniel Steinhage, Ralph Timmermann, and Angelika Humbert
The Cryosphere, 18, 1333–1357, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1333-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1333-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The 79° North Glacier in Greenland has experienced significant changes over the last decades. Due to extreme melt rates, the ice has thinned significantly in the vicinity of the grounding line, where a large subglacial channel has formed since 2010. We attribute these changes to warm ocean currents and increased subglacial discharge from surface melt. However, basal melting has decreased since 2018, indicating colder water inflow into the cavity below the glacier.
Cara Nissen, Ralph Timmermann, Mathias van Caspel, and Claudia Wekerle
Ocean Sci., 20, 85–101, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-85-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-85-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The southeastern Weddell Sea is important for global ocean circulation due to the cross-shelf-break exchange of Dense Shelf Water and Warm Deep Water, but their exact circulation pathways remain elusive. Using Lagrangian model experiments in an eddy-permitting ocean model, we show how present circulation pathways and transit times of these water masses on the continental shelf are altered by 21st-century climate change, which has implications for local ice-shelf basal melt rates and ecosystems.
Lukrecia Stulic, Ralph Timmermann, Stephan Paul, Rolf Zentek, Günther Heinemann, and Torsten Kanzow
Ocean Sci., 19, 1791–1808, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1791-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1791-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In the southern Weddell Sea, the strong sea ice growth in coastal polynyas drives formation of dense shelf water. By using a sea ice–ice shelf–ocean model with representation of the changing icescape based on satellite data, we find that polynya sea ice growth depends on both the regional atmospheric forcing and the icescape. Not just strength but also location of the sea ice growth in polynyas affects properties of the dense shelf water and the basal melting of the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf.
Verena Haid, Ralph Timmermann, Özgür Gürses, and Hartmut H. Hellmer
Ocean Sci., 19, 1529–1544, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1529-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1529-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Recently, it was found that cold-to-warm changes in Antarctic shelf sea areas are possible and lead to higher ice shelf melt rates. In modelling experiments, we found that if the highest density in front of the ice shelf becomes lower than the density of the warmer water off-shelf at the deepest access to the shelf, the off-shelf water will flow onto the shelf. Our results also indicate that this change will offer some, although not much, resistance to reversal and constitutes a tipping point.
Christoph Heinze, Thorsten Blenckner, Peter Brown, Friederike Fröb, Anne Morée, Adrian L. New, Cara Nissen, Stefanie Rynders, Isabel Seguro, Yevgeny Aksenov, Yuri Artioli, Timothée Bourgeois, Friedrich Burger, Jonathan Buzan, B. B. Cael, Veli Çağlar Yumruktepe, Melissa Chierici, Christopher Danek, Ulf Dieckmann, Agneta Fransson, Thomas Frölicher, Giovanni Galli, Marion Gehlen, Aridane G. González, Melchor Gonzalez-Davila, Nicolas Gruber, Örjan Gustafsson, Judith Hauck, Mikko Heino, Stephanie Henson, Jenny Hieronymus, I. Emma Huertas, Fatma Jebri, Aurich Jeltsch-Thömmes, Fortunat Joos, Jaideep Joshi, Stephen Kelly, Nandini Menon, Precious Mongwe, Laurent Oziel, Sólveig Ólafsdottir, Julien Palmieri, Fiz F. Pérez, Rajamohanan Pillai Ranith, Juliano Ramanantsoa, Tilla Roy, Dagmara Rusiecka, J. Magdalena Santana Casiano, Yeray Santana-Falcón, Jörg Schwinger, Roland Séférian, Miriam Seifert, Anna Shchiptsova, Bablu Sinha, Christopher Somes, Reiner Steinfeldt, Dandan Tao, Jerry Tjiputra, Adam Ulfsbo, Christoph Völker, Tsuyoshi Wakamatsu, and Ying Ye
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2023-182, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2023-182, 2023
Revised manuscript under review for BG
Short summary
Short summary
For assessing the consequences of human-induced climate change for the marine realm, it is necessary to not only look at gradual changes but also at abrupt changes of environmental conditions. We summarise abrupt changes in ocean warming, acidification, and oxygen concentration as the key environmental factors for ecosystems. Taking these abrupt changes into account requires greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced to a larger extent than previously thought to limit respective damage.
Sascha Willmes, Günther Heinemann, and Frank Schnaase
The Cryosphere, 17, 3291–3308, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3291-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3291-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Sea ice is an important constituent of the global climate system. We here use satellite data to identify regions in the Arctic where the sea ice breaks up in so-called leads (i.e., linear cracks) regularly during winter. This information is important because leads determine, e.g., how much heat is exchanged between the ocean and the atmosphere. We here provide first insights into the reasons for the observed patterns in sea-ice leads and their relation to ocean currents and winds.
Cara Nissen and Meike Vogt
Biogeosciences, 18, 251–283, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-251-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-251-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Using a regional Southern Ocean ecosystem model, we find that the relative importance of Phaeocystis and diatoms at high latitudes is controlled by iron and temperature variability, with light levels controlling the seasonal succession in coastal areas. Yet, biomass losses via aggregation and grazing matter as well. We show that the seasonal succession of Phaeocystis and diatoms impacts the seasonality of carbon export fluxes with ramifications for nutrient cycling and food web dynamics.
Yoshihiro Nakayama, Ralph Timmermann, and Hartmut H. Hellmer
The Cryosphere, 14, 2205–2216, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2205-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2205-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Previous studies have shown accelerations of West Antarctic glaciers, implying that basal melt rates of these glaciers were small and increased in the middle of the 20th century. We conduct coupled sea ice–ice shelf–ocean simulations with different levels of ice shelf melting from West Antarctic glaciers. This study reveals how far and how quickly glacial meltwater from ice shelves in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen seas propagates downstream into the Ross Sea and along the East Antarctic coast.
Rolf Zentek and Günther Heinemann
Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 1809–1825, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-1809-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-1809-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We used the climate model CCLM to simulate the Weddell Sea region with a resolutions of 15 and 5 km. By adjusting the turbulence parametrization a warm bias over the Antarctic Plateau was removed. For sea ice we found a temperature bias around +/-1 K and a wind speed bias of 1 m s-1. Comparisons of radio soundings showed a bias around zero and a RMSE of 1–2 K for temperature and 3–4 m s-1 for wind speed. Comparison with wind Doppler lidar yielded almost no bias and a RMSE of ca. 2 m s-1.
Özgür Gürses, Vanessa Kolatschek, Qiang Wang, and Christian Bernd Rodehacke
The Cryosphere, 13, 2317–2324, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2317-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2317-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The warming of the Earth's climate system causes sea level rise. In Antarctica, ice streams flow into the sea and develop ice shelves. These are floating extensions of the ice streams. Ocean water melts these ice shelves. It has been proposed that a submarine wall could shield these ice shelves from the warm water. Our model simulation shows that the wall protects ice shelves. However, the warm water flows to neighboring ice shelves. There, enhanced melting reduces the effectiveness of the wall.
Anne Klosterhalfen, Alexander Graf, Nicolas Brüggemann, Clemens Drüe, Odilia Esser, María P. González-Dugo, Günther Heinemann, Cor M. J. Jacobs, Matthias Mauder, Arnold F. Moene, Patrizia Ney, Thomas Pütz, Corinna Rebmann, Mario Ramos Rodríguez, Todd M. Scanlon, Marius Schmidt, Rainer Steinbrecher, Christoph K. Thomas, Veronika Valler, Matthias J. Zeeman, and Harry Vereecken
Biogeosciences, 16, 1111–1132, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1111-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1111-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
To obtain magnitudes of flux components of H2O and CO2 (e.g., transpiration, soil respiration), we applied source partitioning approaches after Scanlon and Kustas (2010) and after Thomas et al. (2008) to high-frequency eddy covariance measurements of 12 study sites covering various ecosystems (croplands, grasslands, and forests) in different climatic regions. We analyzed the interrelations among turbulence, site characteristics, and the performance of both partitioning methods.
Cara Nissen, Meike Vogt, Matthias Münnich, Nicolas Gruber, and F. Alexander Haumann
Biogeosciences, 15, 6997–7024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6997-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6997-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Using a regional ocean model, we find that coccolithophore biomass in the Southern Ocean is highest in the subantarctic in late summer when diatom growth becomes limited by silicate. We show that zooplankton grazing is crucial to explain phytoplankton biomass distributions in this area and conclude that assessments of future distributions should not only consider physical and chemical factors (temperature, light, nutrients, pH), but also interactions with other phytoplankton or zooplankton.
Rolf Zentek, Svenja H. E. Kohnemann, and Günther Heinemann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5781–5795, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5781-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5781-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The performance of the lidar measurements in comparison with radio soundings generally shows small RMSD (bias) for wind speed of around 1 m s−1 (0.1 m s−1) and for a wind direction of around 10° (1°). The post-processing of the non-motion-stabilized data shows comparably high quality to studies with motion stabilized systems. Ship-based doppler lidar measurements can contribute to filling the data gap over oceans, particularly in polar regions.
Kaitlin A. Naughten, Katrin J. Meissner, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, Matthew H. England, Ralph Timmermann, Hartmut H. Hellmer, Tore Hattermann, and Jens B. Debernard
Geosci. Model Dev., 11, 1257–1292, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-1257-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-1257-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
MetROMS and FESOM are two ocean/sea-ice models which resolve Antarctic ice-shelf cavities and consider thermodynamics at the ice-shelf base. We simulate the period 1992–2016 with both models, and with two options for resolution in FESOM, and compare output from the three simulations. Ice-shelf melt rates, sub-ice-shelf circulation, continental shelf water masses, and sea-ice processes are compared and evaluated against available observations.
Ralph Timmermann and Sebastian Goeller
Ocean Sci., 13, 765–776, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-13-765-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-13-765-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
A coupled model has been developed to study the interaction between the ocean and the Antarctic ice sheet. Simulations for present-day climate yield realistic ice-shelf melt rates and a grounding line position close to the observed state. In a warm-water-inflow scenario, the model suggests a substantial thinning of the ice shelf and a local retreat of the grounding line. The coupled model yields a stronger increase in ice-shelf basal melt rates than a fixed-geometry control experiment.
Andreas Preußer, Günther Heinemann, Sascha Willmes, and Stephan Paul
The Cryosphere, 10, 3021–3042, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-3021-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-3021-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
We present spatial and temporal characteristics of 17 Arctic polynya regions. By using an energy balance model, daily thin-ice thickness distributions are derived from TIR satellite and atmospheric reanalysis data. All polynyas combined yield an average ice production of about 1811 km3 per winter. Interestingly, we find distinct regional differences in calculated trends over the last 13 years. Finally, we set a special focus on the Laptev Sea region and its relation to the Transpolar Drift.
Oliver Gutjahr, Günther Heinemann, Andreas Preußer, Sascha Willmes, and Clemens Drüe
The Cryosphere, 10, 2999–3019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2999-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2999-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
We estimated the formation of new sea ice within polynyas in the Laptev Sea (Siberia) with the regional climate model COSMO-CLM at 5 km horizontal resolution. Fractional sea ice and the representation of thin ice is often neglected in atmospheric models. Our study demonstrates, however, that the way thin ice in polynyas is represented in the model considerably affects the amount of newly formed sea-ice and the air–ice–ocean heat flux. Both processes impact the Arctic sea-ice budget.
Janin Schaffer, Ralph Timmermann, Jan Erik Arndt, Steen Savstrup Kristensen, Christoph Mayer, Mathieu Morlighem, and Daniel Steinhage
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 8, 543–557, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-543-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-543-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The RTopo-2 data set provides consistent maps of global ocean bathymetry and ice surface topographies for Greenland and Antarctica at 30 arcsec grid spacing. We corrected data from earlier products in the areas of Petermann, Hagen Bræ, and Helheim glaciers, incorporated original data for the floating ice tongue of Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden Glacier, and applied corrections for the geometry of Getz, Abbot, and Fimbul ice shelf cavities. The data set is available from the PANGAEA database.
S. Paul, S. Willmes, and G. Heinemann
The Cryosphere, 9, 2027–2041, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2027-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2027-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
We established a 13-year-long MODIS-derived thin-ice thickness data set from which we derived information about polynya dynamics in the southern Weddell Sea. In contrast to other studies, we do not focus on a single region but instead discuss polynya dynamics for the complete coastal area. The higher spatial resolution of MODIS compared to passive-microwave sensors enables us to resolve even very narrow coastal polynyas that would remain otherwise undetected.
S. L. Cornford, D. F. Martin, A. J. Payne, E. G. Ng, A. M. Le Brocq, R. M. Gladstone, T. L. Edwards, S. R. Shannon, C. Agosta, M. R. van den Broeke, H. H. Hellmer, G. Krinner, S. R. M. Ligtenberg, R. Timmermann, and D. G. Vaughan
The Cryosphere, 9, 1579–1600, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1579-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1579-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
We used a high-resolution ice sheet model capable of resolving grounding line dynamics (BISICLES) to compute responses of the major West Antarctic ice streams to projections of ocean and atmospheric warming. This is computationally demanding, and although other groups have considered parts of West Antarctica, we think this is the first calculation for the whole region at the sub-kilometer resolution that we show is required.
S. Danilov, Q. Wang, R. Timmermann, N. Iakovlev, D. Sidorenko, M. Kimmritz, T. Jung, and J. Schröter
Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 1747–1761, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-1747-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-1747-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Unstructured meshes allow multi-resolution modeling of ocean dynamics. Sea ice models formulated on unstructured meshes are a necessary component of ocean models intended for climate studies. This work presents a description of a finite-element sea ice model which is used as a component of a finite-element sea ice ocean circulation model. The principles underlying its design can be of interest to other groups pursuing ocean modelling on unstructured meshes.
A. Preußer, S. Willmes, G. Heinemann, and S. Paul
The Cryosphere, 9, 1063–1073, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1063-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1063-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
The Storfjorden polynya (Svalbard) forms regularly under the influence of strong north-easterly winds. In this study, spatial and temporal characteristics for the period 2002/03-2013/14 were inferred from daily calculated thin-ice thickness distributions, based on MODIS ice surface temperatures and ERA-interim reanalysis.
With an estimated average ice production of 28.3km³/winter, this polynya system is of particular interest regarding its potential contribution to deep water formation.
A. Levermann, R. Winkelmann, S. Nowicki, J. L. Fastook, K. Frieler, R. Greve, H. H. Hellmer, M. A. Martin, M. Meinshausen, M. Mengel, A. J. Payne, D. Pollard, T. Sato, R. Timmermann, W. L. Wang, and R. A. Bindschadler
Earth Syst. Dynam., 5, 271–293, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-5-271-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-5-271-2014, 2014
Q. Wang, S. Danilov, D. Sidorenko, R. Timmermann, C. Wekerle, X. Wang, T. Jung, and J. Schröter
Geosci. Model Dev., 7, 663–693, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-663-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-663-2014, 2014
Related subject area
Approach: Numerical Models | Properties and processes: Interactions with the atmosphere or cryosphere
An evaluation of the Arabian Sea Mini Warm Pool's advancement during its mature phase using a coupled atmosphere-ocean numerical model
Southern Weddell Sea surface freshwater flux modulated by icescape and atmospheric forcing
Response of the Arctic sea ice–ocean system to meltwater perturbations based on a one-dimensional model study
Southern Ocean warming and Antarctic ice shelf melting in conditions plausible by late 23rd century in a high-end scenario
On the drivers of regime shifts in the Antarctic marginal seas, exemplified by the Weddell Sea
Sankar Prasad Lahiri, Kumar Ravi Prakash, and Vimlesh Pant
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2848, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2848, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The Arabian Sea mini warm pool matures in the southeastern Arabian Sea in May and the influence of the ocean and atmosphere on its formation is debated for the past two decades. Using a coupled numerical model, our study concludes that both the oceanic and atmospheric conditions are necessary for its genesis. For instance, in a robust Mini Warm Pool year, the pre-April ocean condition primarily influences its formation, which is further favored by the presence of a 'wind shadow zone.'
Lukrecia Stulic, Ralph Timmermann, Stephan Paul, Rolf Zentek, Günther Heinemann, and Torsten Kanzow
Ocean Sci., 19, 1791–1808, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1791-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1791-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In the southern Weddell Sea, the strong sea ice growth in coastal polynyas drives formation of dense shelf water. By using a sea ice–ice shelf–ocean model with representation of the changing icescape based on satellite data, we find that polynya sea ice growth depends on both the regional atmospheric forcing and the icescape. Not just strength but also location of the sea ice growth in polynyas affects properties of the dense shelf water and the basal melting of the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf.
Haohao Zhang, Xuezhi Bai, and Kaiwen Wang
Ocean Sci., 19, 1649–1668, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1649-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1649-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Meltwater is a critical factor affecting the upper Arctic Ocean, but there has been little research on its specific effects. By artificially removing meltwater from a column model, we found that reducing meltwater weakened ocean stratification and increased summer sea ice melting. The role of meltwater in winter sea ice formation varies by region – removing meltwater increased winter sea ice formation in areas with strong stratification, while decreasing it in areas with weak stratification.
Pierre Mathiot and Nicolas C. Jourdain
Ocean Sci., 19, 1595–1615, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1595-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1595-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
How much the Antarctic ice shelf basal melt rate can increase in response to global warming remains an open question. To achieve this, we compared an ocean simulation under present-day atmospheric condition to a one under late 23rd century atmospheric conditions. The ocean response to the perturbation includes a decrease in the production of cold dense water and an increased intrusion of warmer water onto the continental shelves. This induces a substantial increase in ice shelf basal melt rates.
Verena Haid, Ralph Timmermann, Özgür Gürses, and Hartmut H. Hellmer
Ocean Sci., 19, 1529–1544, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1529-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1529-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Recently, it was found that cold-to-warm changes in Antarctic shelf sea areas are possible and lead to higher ice shelf melt rates. In modelling experiments, we found that if the highest density in front of the ice shelf becomes lower than the density of the warmer water off-shelf at the deepest access to the shelf, the off-shelf water will flow onto the shelf. Our results also indicate that this change will offer some, although not much, resistance to reversal and constitutes a tipping point.
Cited articles
Årthun, M., Nicholls, K.-W., Makinson, K., Fedak, M.-A., and Boehme, L.: Seasonal inflow of warm water onto the southern Weddell Sea continental shelf, Antarctica, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, 2–7, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL052856, 2012. a
Beadling, R. L., Krasting, J. P., Griffies, S. M., Hurlin, W. J., Bronselaer, B., Russell, J. L., MacGilchrist, G. A., Tesdal, J., and Winton, M.: Importance of the Antarctic Slope Current in the Southern Ocean Response to Ice Sheet Melt and Wind Stress Change, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 127, e2021JC017608, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017608, 2022. a, b
Calvin, K., Dasgupta, D., Krinner, G., Mukherji, A., Thorne, P. W., Trisos, C., Romero, J., Aldunce, P., Barrett, K., Blanco, G., Cheung, W. W., Connors, S., Denton, F., Diongue-Niang, A., Dodman, D., Garschagen, M., Geden, O., Hayward, B., Jones, C., Jotzo, F., Krug, T., Lasco, R., Lee, Y.-Y., Masson-Delmotte, V., Meinshausen, M., Mintenbeck, K., Mokssit, A., Otto, F. E., Pathak, M., Pirani, A., Poloczanska, E., Pörtner, H.-O., Revi, A., Roberts, D. C., Roy, J., Ruane, A. C., Skea, J., Shukla, P. R., Slade, R., Slangen, A., Sokona, Y., Sörensson, A. A., Tignor, M., van Vuuren, D., Wei, Y.-M., Winkler, H., Zhai, P., Zommers, Z., Hourcade, J.-C., Johnson, F. X., Pachauri, S., Simpson, N. P., Singh, C., Thomas, A., Totin, E., Alegría, A., Armour, K., Bednar-Friedl, B., Blok, K., Cissé, G., Dentener, F., Eriksen, S., Fischer, E., Garner, G., Guivarch, C., Haasnoot, M., Hansen, G., Hauser, M., Hawkins, E., Hermans, T., Kopp, R., Leprince-Ringuet, N., Lewis, J., Ley, D., Ludden, C., Niamir, L., Nicholls, Z., Some, S., Szopa, S., Trewin, B., van der Wijst, K.-I., Winter, G., Witting, M., Birt, A., and Ha, M.: IPCC 2023: Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, edited by: Core Writing Team, Lee, H., and Romero, J., IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, Tech. rep., Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, https://doi.org/10.59327/IPCC/AR6-9789291691647, 2023. a
Cape, M. R., Vernet, M., Skvarca, P., Marinsek, S., Scambos, T., and Domack, E.: Foehn winds link climate-driven warming to ice shelf evolution in Antarctica, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 120, 11037–11057, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JD023465, 2015. a, b
Daae, K., Hattermann, T., Darelius, E., Mueller, R., Naughten, K. A., and Timmermann, R. e. a.: Necessary Conditions for Warm Inflow Toward the Filchner Ice Shelf, Weddell Sea, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, e2020GL089237, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089237, 2020. a, b
Danilov, S., Wang, Q., Timmermann, R., Iakovlev, N., Sidorenko, D., Kimmritz, M., Jung, T., and Schröter, J.: Finite-Element Sea Ice Model (FESIM), version 2, Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 1747–1761, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-1747-2015, 2015. a
Darelius, E., Fer, I., and Nicholls, K.-W.: Observed vulnerability of Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf to wind-driven inflow of warm deep water, Nat. Commun., 7, 1–7, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12300, 2016. a
Dettling, N., Losch, M., Pollmann, F., and Kanzow, T.: Toward Parameterizing Eddy-Mediated Transport of Warm Deep Water across the Weddell Sea Continental Slope, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 54, 1675–1690, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-23-0215.1, 2024. a
Dinniman, M., Klinck, J., Bai, L.-S., Bromwich, D., Hines, K. M., and Holland, D.: The effect of atmospheric forcing resolution on the delivery of ocean heat to the Antarctic floating ice shelves, J. Climate, 28, 6067–6085, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00374.1, 2015. a
Elvidge, A., Renfrew, I., King, J., Orr, A., and Lachlan-Cope, T.: Foehn warming distributions in non-linear and linear flow regimes: A focus on the Antarctic Peninsula, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 142, 618–631, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.2489, 2014. a, b
Foldvik, A., Gammelsrø d, T., and Torresen, T.: Circulation and Water Masses on the Southern Weddell Sea Shelf, Ocean. Antarct. Cont. Shelf, 43, 5–20, 1985. a
Gent, P. R. and McWilliams, J. C.: Isopycnal mixing in ocean circulation models, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 20, 150–155, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(1990)020<0150:IMIOCM>2.0.CO;2, 1990. a
Gierz, P., Andrés-Martínez, M., Barbi, D., Wieters, N., Cristini, L., Streffing, J., Wahl, S., Ural, D., Kjellsson, J., Chegini, F., and Khosravi, S.: ESM-Tools, Zenodo [software], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5787476, 2021. a
Goyal, R., Sen Gupta, A., Jucker, M., and England, M. H.: Historical and Projected Changes in the Southern Hemisphere Surface Westerlies, Geophys. Res. Lett., 48, 1–13, 2021. a
Gürses, Ö., Kolatschek, V., Wang, Q., and Rodehacke, C. B.: Brief communication: A submarine wall protecting the Amundsen Sea intensifies melting of neighboring ice shelves, The Cryosphere, 13, 2317–2324, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2317-2019, 2019. a
Haid, V., Timmermann, R., Ebner, L., and Heinemann, G.: Atmospheric forcing of coastal polynyas in the southwestern Weddell Sea, Antarct. Sci., 27, 388–402, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102014000893, 2015. a, b, c
Hattermann, T.: Antarctic thermocline dynamics along a narrow shelf with easterly winds, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 48, 2419–2443, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-18-0064.1, 2018. a
Hattermann, T., Nicholls, K. W., Hellmer, H. H., Davis, P. E. D., Janout, M. A., Østerhus, S., Schlosser, E., Rohardt, G., and Kanzow, T.: Observed interannual changes beneath Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf linked to large-scale atmospheric circulation. Nat Commun, 12, 2961, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23131-x, 2021. a
Heinemann, G., Schefczyk, L., Willmes, S., and Shupe, M. D.: Evaluation of simulations of near-surface variables using the regional climate model CCLM for the MOSAiC winter period, Elementa: Sci. Anthrop., 10, 1–22, 2022. a
Hellmer, H. H. and Olbers, D. J.: A two-dimensional model for the thermohaline circulation under an ice shelf, Antarct. Sci., 1, 325–336, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102089000490, 1989. a
Hellmer, H. H., Kauker, F., Timmermann, R., Determann, J., and Rae, J.: Twenty-first-century warming of a large Antarctic ice-shelf cavity by a redirected coastal current, Nature, 485, 225–228, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11064, 2012. a
Hellmer, H. H., Kauker, F., Timmermann, R., and Hattermann, T.: The fate of the Southern Weddell sea continental shelf in a warming climate, J. Climate, 30,, 4337–4350, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0420.1, 2017. a, b
Heywood, K. J., Schmidtko, S., Heuzé, C., Kaiser, J., Jickells, T. D., Queste, B. Y., Stevens, D. P., Wadley, M., Thompson, A. F., Fielding, S., Guihen, D., Creed, E., Ridley, J. K., and Smith, W.: Ocean processes at the Antarctic continental slope, Philos. T. Roy. Soc. A, 372, 20130047, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2013.0047, 2014. a
Holland, D. M. and Jenkins, A.: Modeling Thermodynamic Ice–Ocean Interactions at the Base of an Ice Shelf, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 29, 1787–1800, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(1999)029<1787:MTIOIA>2.0.CO;2, 1999. a
Huneke, W. G. C., Morrison, A. K., and Hogg, A. M.: Spatial and Subannual Variability of the Antarctic Slope Current in an Eddying Ocean–Sea Ice Model, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 52, 347–361, 2022. a
Janout, M. A., Hellmer, H. H., Schröder, M., and Wisotzki, A.: Physical oceanography during POLARSTERN cruise PS111 (ANT-XXXIII/2), Pangaea, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.897280, 2019. a
Large, W. and Yeager, S.: Diurnal to decadal global forcing for ocean and seaice models: the data sets and climatologies, (No. NCAR/TN-460+ STR), University Corporation for Atmospheric Research: NCAR, 2044, 2004. a
Lockwood, J. W., Dufour, C. O., Griffies, S. M., and Winton, M.: On the Role of the Antarctic Slope Front on the Occurrence of the Weddell Sea Polynya under Climate Change, J. Climate, 34, 2529–2548, 2021. a
Mathiot, P., Goosse, H., Fichefet, T., Barnier, B., and Gallée, H.: Modelling the seasonal variability of the Antarctic Slope Current, Ocean Sci., 7, 455–470, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-7-455-2011, 2011. a, b, c, d
Meinshausen, M., Nicholls, Z. R. J., Lewis, J., Gidden, M. J., Vogel, E., Freund, M., Beyerle, U., Gessner, C., Nauels, A., Bauer, N., Canadell, J. G., Daniel, J. S., John, A., Krummel, P. B., Luderer, G., Meinshausen, N., Montzka, S. A., Rayner, P. J., Reimann, S., Smith, S. J., van den Berg, M., Velders, G. J. M., Vollmer, M. K., and Wang, R. H. J.: The shared socio-economic pathway (SSP) greenhouse gas concentrations and their extensions to 2500, Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 3571–3605, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-3571-2020, 2020. a
Naughten, K. A., De Rydt, J., Rosier, S. H. R., Jenkins, A., Holland, P. R., and Ridley, J. K.: Two-timescale response of a large Antarctic ice shelf to climate change, Nat. Commun., 12, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22259-0, 2021. a, b, c, d
Nissen, C., Timmermann, R., Hoppema, M., Gürses, Ö., and Hauck, J.: Abruptly attenuated carbon sequestration with Weddell Sea dense waters by 2100, Nat. Commun., 13, 3402, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30671-3, 2022. a, b
Nissen, C., Timmermann, R., van Caspel, M., and Wekerle, C.: Altered Weddell Sea warm- and dense-water pathways in response to 21st-century climate change, Ocean Sci., 20, 85–101, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-85-2024, 2024. a
Nøst, O., Biuw, M., Tverberg, V., Lydersen, C., Hattermann, T., Zhou, Q., Smedsrud, L. H., , and Kovacs, K. M.: Eddy overturning of the Antarctic Slope Front controls glacial melting in the Eastern Weddell Sea, J. Geophys. Res., 116, 1–17, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JC006965, 2011. a, b, c, d
Ong, E. Q. Y., Doddridge, E., Constantinou, N. C., Hogg, A. M., and England, M. H.: Intrinsically Episodic Antarctic Shelf Intrusions of Circumpolar Deep Water via Canyons, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 54, 1195–1210, 2023. a
Ou, H.: Watermass Properties of the Antarctic Slope Front: A Simple Model, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 37, 50–59, 2007. a
Powers, J. G., Manning, K. W., Bromwich, D. H., Cassano, J. J., and Cayette, A. M.: A Decade of Antarctic Science Support Through Amps, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 93, 1699–1712, https://doi.org/10.1175/bams-d-11-00186.1, 2012. a
Redi, M. H.: Oceanic Isopycnal Mixing by Coordinate Rotation, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 12, 1154–1158, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(1982)012<1154:OIMBCR>2.0.CO;2, 1982. a
Ryan, S., Hattermann, T., Darelius, E., and Schröder, M.: Seasonal cycle of hydrography on the eastern shelf of the Filchner Trough, Weddell Sea, Antarctica, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 122, 6437–6453, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JC012916, 2017. a, b, c
Ryan, S., Hellmer, H. H., Janout, M., Darelius, E., Vignes, L., and Schröder, M.: Exceptionally Warm and Prolonged Flow of Warm Deep Water Toward the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in 2017, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088119, 2020. a, b, c, d
Schaffer, J., Timmermann, R., Arndt, J. E., Kristensen, S. S., Mayer, C., Morlighem, M., and Steinhage, D.: A global, high-resolution data set of ice sheet topography, cavity geometry, and ocean bathymetry, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 8, 543–557, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-543-2016, 2016. a
Schmidtko, S., Heywood, K. J., Thompson, A. F., , and Aoki, S.: Multidecadal warming of Antarctic waters, Science, 346, 1227–1232, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1256117, 2014. a
Schröder, M.: Physical oceanography during POLARSTERN cruise ANT-XII/3, Pangaea, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.742581, 2010. a
Schröder, M. and Wisotzki, A.: Physical oceanography during POLARSTERN cruise PS82 (ANT-XXIX/9), Pangaea, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.833299, 2014. a
Schröder, M., Ryan, S., and Wisotzki, A.: Physical oceanography during POLARSTERN cruise PS96 (ANT-XXXI/2 FROSN), Pangaea, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.859040, 2016. a
Schröder, M., Ryan, S., and Wisotzki, A.: Physical oceanography and current meter data from mooring AWI254-2, Pangaea, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.903317, 2019. a
Semmler, T., Danilov, S., Gierz, P., Goessling, H. F., Hegewald, J., and Hinrichs, C. E. A.: Simulations for CMIP6 With the AWI Climate Model AWI-CM-1-1, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 12, 1–34, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019MS002009, 2020. a
St-Laurent, P., Klinck, J. M., and Dinniman, M. S.: On the role of coastal troughs in the circulation of warm circumpolar deep water on Antarctic shelves, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 43, 51–64, 2013. a
Steger, C. and Bucchignani, E.: Regional Climate Modelling with COSMO-CLM: History and Perspectives, Atmosphere, 11, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11111250, 2020. a
Stewart, A., Klocker, A., and Menemenlis, D.: Acceleration and Overturning of the Antarctic Slope Current by Winds, Eddies, and Tides, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 49, 2043–2074, 2019. a
Stössel, A., Zhang, Z., and Vihma, T.: The effect of alternative real‐time wind forcing on Southern Ocean sea ice simulations, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 116, 1–19, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JC007328, 2011. a
Sverdrup, H.: The Currents off the Coast of Queen Maud Land, Norsk Geograf. Tidssk., 14, 239–249, https://doi.org/10.1080/00291955308542731, 1954. a
Teske, V., Timmermann, R., and Semmler, T.: FESOM1.4 model data used in the paper “Simulated density reorganization on the Weddell Sea continental shelf sensitive to atmospheric forcing, Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15120056, 2025. a
The COSMO consortium: Consortium for small scale modeling COSMO, https://www.cosmo-model.org/content/consortium/licencing.htm (last access: 7 August 2021), 2021. a
Timmermann, R. and Goeller, S.: Response to Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf cavity warming in a coupled ocean–ice sheet model – Part 1: The ocean perspective, Ocean Sci., 13, 765–776, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-13-765-2017, 2017. a
Timmermann, R., Wang, Q., and Hellmer, H.: Ice-shelf basal melting in a global finite-element sea-ice/ice-shelf/ocean model, Ann. Glaciol., 53, 303–314, 2012. a
Turner, J., Phillips, T., Hosking, J. S., Marshall, G. J., and Orr, A.: The Amundsen Sea Low, Int. J. Climatol., 13, 1818–1829, https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.3558, 2013. a
Van Lipzig, N. P. M., King, J. C., Lachlan-Cope, T. A., and van den Broeke, M. R.: Precipitation, sublimation, and snow drift in the Antarctic Peninsula region from a regional atmospheric model, J. Geophys. Res., 109, D24106, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004JD004701, 2004. a
Van Wessem, J. M., Reijmer, C. H., van de Berg, W. J., van den Broeke, M. R., J., C. A., van Ulft, L. H. E., and van Meijgaard, E.: Temperature and Wind Climate of the Antarctic Peninsula as Simulated by a High-Resolution Regional Atmospheric Climate Model, J. Climate, 28, 1831–1844, 2015. a
Wang, Q., Danilov, S., Sidorenko, D., Timmermann, R., Wekerle, C., Wang, X., Jung, T., and Schröter, J.: The Finite Element Sea Ice-Ocean Model (FESOM) v.1.4: formulation of an ocean general circulation model, Geosci. Model Dev., 7, 663–693, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-663-2014, 2014. a, b, c
Zentek, R. and Heinemann, G.: Verification of the regional atmospheric model CCLM v5.0 with conventional data and lidar measurements in Antarctica, Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 1809–1825, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-1809-2020, 2020. a, b
Zentek, R. and Heinemann, G.: COSMO-CLM REDOCCA Simulation (Version 2), DOKU at DKRZ [data set], https://hdl.handle.net/21.14106/cb44f718061ed8e9cdeb574d51113b64ec781564 (last access: 7 August 2024), 2023. a
Short summary
We investigate the structural changes the Antarctic Slope Front in the southern Weddell Sea experiences in a warming climate by conducting two ocean simulations driven by atmospheric data of different horizontal resolutions. Cross-slope currents associated with a regime shift from a cold to a warm Filchner Trough on the continental shelf temporarily disturb the structure of the slope front and reduce its depth, but the primary reason for a regime shift is the cross-slope density gradient.
We investigate the structural changes the Antarctic Slope Front in the southern Weddell Sea...
