HR: 17:00h
AN: C32C-04    [PDF]
TI: IPY and the Southern Ocean
AU: * McPhee, M
EM: mmcphee@starband.net
AF: Miles McPhee, 450 Clover Springs Road, Naches, WA 98937 United States
AU: Comiso, J
EM: comiso@gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Josefino Comiso, Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Holland, D
EM: holland@cims.nyu.edu
AF: David Holland, CIMS, New York Univerity 251 Mercer St., New York, NY 10012 United States
AU: Martinson, D
EM: dgm@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Doug Martinson, Lamony-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, NY 10964 United States
AU: Padman, L
EM: padman@esr.org
AF: Laurie Padman, Earth and Space Research 1910 Fairview E, Seattle, WA 98102 United States
AU: Thompson, D
EM: davet@colostate.edu
AF: David Thompson, Department of Atmospheric Science Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 United States
AB: The Southern Ocean produces much of the deep and bottom waters of the global ocean, hence is a major conduit by which the abyssal ocean communicates with global climate. Given the vast heat content and area of the ocean around the Antarctic continent, along with recent paleoceanographic evidence that the Southern Ocean dominated bottom water production during the last glacial maximum, it is plausible that deep convection there is at least as important for climate change as its better known counterpart in the North Atlantic. Understanding ocean dynamics in the Antarctic thus represents an important missing component in the quest for realistic climate simulation and prediction. A special session of the 2002 Spring Polar Research Board meeting addressed several aspects of the connection between Southern Ocean dynamics and climate, including: (i) the critical role of remote sensing for observing the system (Comiso); (ii) the intricate coupling between the ocean and vast floating shelves of continental ice (Holland); (iii) sea-ice variability and teleconnections with well known atmospheric indices (Martinson); (iv) wintertime stability of the upper ocean and possible triggers for a mode change in deep convection (McPhee); (v) pathways by which cold, dense water formed in the Antarctic finds its way to the rest of the abyssal world ocean (Padman); and (vi) recent atmospheric circulation trends and possible connections with the stratosphere (Thompson). A recurrent theme was the paucity of data from this remote part of the globe, particularly during winter. A brief review of the PRB session and other recent findings will suggest that programs designed to significantly expand our knowledge of the Southern Ocean should be a major thrust in the upcoming International Polar Year.
DE: 1635 Oceans (4203)
DE: 4207 Arctic and Antarctic oceanography
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting