Impacts of High-Frequency Atmospheric Forcing on Southern Ocean Circulation and Antarctic Sea Ice

Abstract

The relative contributions of atmospheric fluctuations on 6 h–2 d, 2–8 d, and 8 d–1 month time scales to the changes in the air–sea fluxes, the SO circulation, and Antarctic sea ice are investigated. It was found that the imposed forcing variability on the three time scales creates a significant increase in wind power input, and hence an increase of about 50%, 97%, and 5% of eddy kinetic energy relative to the simulation driven by monthly forcing, respectively. Also, SO circulation and the strength of the upper cell of meridional overturning circulation become strengthened. These results indicate more dominant effects of atmospheric variability on the 2–8 d time scale on the SO circulation. Meanwhile, the 6 h–2 d (2–8 d) atmospheric variability causes an increase in the total sea-ice extent, area, and volume, by about 33%, 30%, and 19% (17%, 20%, and 25%), respectively, relative to those in the experiment forced by monthly atmospheric variables. Such significant sea-ice increases are caused by a cooler ocean surface and stronger sea-ice transports owing to the enhanced heat losses and air-ice stresses induced by the atmospheric variability at 6 h–2 d and 2–8 d, while the effects of the variability at 8 d–1 month are rather weak. The influences of atmospheric variability found here mainly result from wind fluctuations. Our findings in this study indicate the importance of properly resolving high-frequency atmospheric variability in modeling studies.