Change and variability in Antarctic coastal exposure, 1979\u20132020

P A Reid,R A Massom

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28676-z

Abstract

Increased exposure of Antarctica’s coastal environment to open ocean and waves due to loss of a protective sea-ice “buffer” has important ramifications for ice-shelf stability, coastal erosion, important ice-ocean-atmosphere interactions and shallow benthic ecosystems. Here, we introduce a climate and environmental metric based on the ongoing long-term satellite sea-ice concentration record, namely Coastal Exposure Length. This is a daily measure of change and variability in the length and incidence of Antarctic coastline lacking any protective sea-ice buffer offshore. For 1979–2020, ~50% of Antarctica’s ~17,850-km coastline had no sea ice offshore each summer, with minimal exposure in winter. Regional summer/maximum contributions vary from 45% (Amundsen-Bellingshausen seas) to 58% (Indian Ocean and Ross Sea), with circumpolar annual exposure ranging from 38% (2019) to 63% (1993). The annual maximum length of Antarctic coastal exposure decreased by ~30 km (~0.32%) per year for 1979–2020, composed of distinct regional and seasonal contributions.

Highlights

Increased exposure of Antarctica’s coastal environment to open ocean and waves due to loss of a protective sea-ice “buffer” has important ramifications for ice-shelf stability, coastal erosion, important ice-ocean-atmosphere interactions and shallow benthic ecosystems
Sea ice that covers between ~3 and ~19 million km[2] of the Southern Ocean surface, depending on season[3], plays an important though poorly quantified role in buffering Antarctica’s vulnerable floating icesheet margins and coastal environment from potentially destructive ocean waves
Average net circum-Antarctic coastal exposure length” (CEL) attains its maximum in late February, at ~8950 ± 1210 km or about 50% of the entire Antarctic coastal perimeter of ~17,850 km (Fig. 1a; Table 1)