Publikationsdatum:
2016-11-29
Beschreibung:
Mesoscale model simulations were conducted for the Weddell Sea region for the autumn and
winter periods of 2008 using a high-resolution, limited-area, non-hydrostatic atmospheric model. A sea
ice–ocean model was run with enhanced horizontal resolution and high-resolution forcing data of the
atmospheric model. Daily passive thermal and microwave satellite data was used to derive the polynya area
in the Weddell Sea region. The focus of the study is on the formation of polynyas in the coastal region of
Coats Land, which is strongly affected by katabatic flows. The polynya areas deduced from two
independent remote sensing methods and data sources show good agreement, while the results of the sea ice
simulation show some weaknesses. Linkages between the pressure gradient force composed of a katabatic
and a synoptic component, offshore wind regimes and polynya area are identified. It is shown that the
downslope surface offshore wind component of Coats Land is the main forcing factor for polynya
dynamics, which is mainly steered by the offshore pressure gradient force, where the katabatic force is the
dominant term. We find that the synoptic pressure gradient is opposed to the katabatic force during major
katabatic wind events.
Repository-Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Materialart:
Article
,
isiRev
Permalink
