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Vaughan, David G.; Marshall, Gareth J.; Connolley, William M.; Parkinson, Claire L.; Mulvaney, Robert; Hodgson, Dominic A.; King, John C.; Pudsey, Carol J.; Turner, John

doi:10.1023/a:1026021217991

Cited by 1,064 publications

(303 citation statements)

References 110 publications

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“…Precipitation in the Weddell Sea is less than in other areas at the same latitude because of the Antarctic Peninsula blocking humid westerly winds and depressions on its western side. Air on the west coast of the Peninsula is generally 7 K warmer than at similar latitudes and elevations on the east coast (Vaughan et al, 2003), a fact which has a large effect on the potential water vapour content. Additionally, evaporation values are low, especially in the western Weddell Sea.…”

Section: Precipitation and Evaporationmentioning

confidence: 98%

Atmospheric moisture budget over Antarctica and the Southern Ocean based on the ERA‐40 reanalysis

Tietäväinen

Vihma

2008

Intl Journal of Climatology

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ABSTRACT:The atmospheric moisture budget over Antarctica and the Southern Ocean was analysed for the period 1979-2001 on the basis of the ERA-40 reanalysis of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Meridional transport by transient eddies makes the largest contribution to the southward water vapour transport. The mean meridional circulation contributes to the northward transport in the Antarctic coastal areas, but this effect is compensated by the southward transport by stationary eddies. The convergence of meridional water vapour transport is at its largest at 64-68°S, while the convergence of zonal transport is regionally important in areas of high cyclolysis. Inter-annual variations in water vapour transport are related to the southern annular mode (SAM). The eastward transport has a significant (95% confidence level) positive correlation with the SAM index, while the northward transport has a significant negative correlation with SAM near 60°S. Hydrological balance is well-achieved in the ERA-40 reanalysis: the difference between the water vapour flux convergence (based on analysis) and the net precipitation (precipitation minus evaporation, based on 24-h forecasts) is only 13 mm yr −1 (3%) over the Southern Ocean and −8 mm yr −1 (5%) over the continental ice sheet. Over the open ocean, the analysis methodology favours the accuracy of the flux convergence. For the whole study region, the annual mean flux convergence exceeded net precipitation by 11 mm yr −1 (3%). The ERA-40 result for the mean precipitation over the Antarctic continental ice sheet in 1979-2001 is 177 ± 8 mm yr −1 , while previous estimates range from 173 to 215 mm yr −1 . For the period 1979-2001, the ERA-40 data do not show any statistically significant trend in precipitation over the Antarctic grounded ice sheet and ice shelves. From the ERA-40 data, the annual average net evaporation (evaporation minus condensation) is positive over the whole continent.

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Section: Precipitation and Evaporationmentioning

confidence: 98%

Atmospheric moisture budget over Antarctica and the Southern Ocean based on the ERA‐40 reanalysis

Tietäväinen

Vihma

2008

Intl Journal of Climatology

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“…For example, warming trends observed in the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) and West Antarctica (WA) in the past decades (Vaughan et al 2003;Bromwich et al 2012) have been associated with increase in mass loss Sutterley et al 2014). Present available observation dataset, however, is of insufficient length to address that these warming trends are anthropogenically forced, because natural interannual to multi-decadal variability may obscure these warming trends (Jones et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of Air Masses Responsible for Warm Events on the East Antarctic Coast

Kurita

Hirasawa

Koga

et al. 2016

SOLA

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Warm events, periods when rising surface air temperatures can trigger surface melt, have been recorded during the austral summer at Syowa station on the East Antarctic coast. This study identifies air masses responsible for summer warm events at Syowa. Air masses arriving at Syowa are classified into marine and glacial sources based on their isotopic characteristics. Warm events are not associated with moist marine air intrusion, but with the downward flow of dry glacial air along the west side slope of the mountains in Enderby Land (EL). We use simulations from the Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS) to explore the atmospheric process responsible for the warmest event at Syowa. The model output illustrates several foehn-associated features such as low-level blocking, precipitation on the mountain's windward side, and mountain wave activity, with warm air ascending on the upstream slope and descending to Syowa. The foehn warming is caused by an easterly cross-mountain flow associated with a low-pressure system to the north of the EL coast. Future changes in synoptic cyclonic activity off the EL coast may have a significant impact on the frequency and intensity of foehn events at Syowa and the associated coastal warm events.(Citation: Kurita, N., N. Hirasawa, S. Koga, J. Matsushita, H. C. Steen-Larsen, V. Masson-Delmotte, and Y. Fujiyoshi, 2016: Identification of air mass responsible for warm events on the East

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“…Ice-shelf retreat has been attributed to atmospheric warming in a number of cases (Vaughan and Doake, 1996;Rott et al, 1998;Skvarca et al, 1999). Consequently, with the Antarctic Peninsula exhibiting one of Earth's highest rates of atmospheric warming (Vaughan et al, 2003), eventual break-up of the more southerly Larsen C Ice Shelf is likely.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seabed topography beneath Larsen C Ice Shelf from seismic soundings

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Seismic reflection soundings of ice thickness and seabed depth were acquired on the Larsen C Ice Shelf in order to test a sub-ice shelf bathymetry model derived from the inversion of IceBridge gravity data. A series of lines was collected, from the Churchill Peninsula in the north to the Joerg Peninsula in the south, and also towards the ice front. Sites were selected using the bathymetry model derived from the inversion of free-air gravity data to indicate key regions where sub-ice shelf oceanic circulation may be affected by ice draft and seabed depth. The seismic velocity profile in the upper 100 m of firn and ice was derived from shallow refraction surveys at a number of locations. Measured temperatures within the ice column and at the ice base were used to define the velocity profile through the remainder of the ice column. Seismic velocities in the water column were derived from previous in situ measurements. Uncertainties in ice and water cavity thickness are in general <10 m. Compared with the seismic measurements, the rootmean-square error in the gravimetrically derived bathymetry at the seismic sites is 162 m. The seismic profiles prove the non-existence of several bathymetric features that are indicated in the gravity inversion model, significantly modifying the expected oceanic circulation beneath the ice shelf. Similar features have previously been shown to be highly significant in affecting basal melt rates predicted by ocean models. The discrepancies between the gravity inversion results and the seismic bathymetry are attributed to the assumption of uniform geology inherent in the gravity inversion process and also the sparsity of IceBridge flight lines. Results indicate that care must be taken when using bathymetry models derived by the inversion of free-air gravity anomalies. The bathymetry results presented here will be used to improve existing sub-ice shelf ocean circulation models.

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Untitled

Cited by 1,064 publications

References 110 publications

Atmospheric moisture budget over Antarctica and the Southern Ocean based on the ERA‐40 reanalysis

Atmospheric moisture budget over Antarctica and the Southern Ocean based on the ERA‐40 reanalysis

Identification of Air Masses Responsible for Warm Events on the East Antarctic Coast

Seabed topography beneath Larsen C Ice Shelf from seismic soundings

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