Cold lenses in the Amundsen Sea: impacts of sea ice formation  on subsurface pH and carbon

Pickup, Daisy D.; Bakker, Dorothee C. E.; Heywood, Karen J.; Glassup, Francis; Hammermeister, Emily M.; Stammerjohn, Sharon E.; Lee, Gareth A.; Loucaides, Socratis; Queste, Bastien Y.; Webber, Benjamin G. M.; Yager, Patricia L.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-2727-2025

Articles | Volume 21, issue 6

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-2727-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Special issue:

Advances in ocean science from underwater gliders

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-2727-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 21, issue 6

Research article

|

30 Oct 2025

Research article |

| 30 Oct 2025

Cold lenses in the Amundsen Sea: impacts of sea ice formation on subsurface pH and carbon

Daisy D. Pickup, Dorothee C. E. Bakker, Karen J. Heywood, Francis Glassup, Emily M. Hammermeister, Sharon E. Stammerjohn, Gareth A. Lee, Socratis Loucaides, Bastien Y. Queste, Benjamin G. M. Webber, and Patricia L. Yager

Data sets

pH measurements using LoC sensor on a Seaglider in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica, January – February 2022, version 2 Daisy D. Pickup et al. https://doi.org/10.5285/33d1f143-47b5-a7d1-e063-7086abc03081

Temperature and salinity seaglider observations in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica, January - February 2022 Karen J. Heywood et al. https://doi.org/10.5285/35b7832c-2432-fb41-e063-7086abc0c610

Vertical ocean profiles collected by a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) package in the Amundsen Sea SF/NERC ARTEMIS and ITGC TARSAN https://doi.org/10.15784/601785

MEaSUREs BedMachine Antarctica. (NSIDC-0756, Version 3) M. Morlighem https://doi.org/10.5067/FPSU0V1MWUB6

Sea ice remote sensing using AMSR-E 89 GHz channels (https://data.seaice.uni-bremen.de) G. Spreen et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JC003384

Short summary

Autonomous platforms in the Amundsen Sea have allowed for detection of isolated water masses that are colder, saltier and denser than overlying water. They are also associated with a higher dissolved inorganic carbon concentration and lower pH. The water masses, referred to as lenses, could have implications for the transfer of heat and storage of carbon in the region. We hypothesise that they form in surrounding areas that experience intense cooling and sea ice formation in autumn/winter.