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Abstract
In the backdrop of global warming, Antarctic sea-ice variability showed an overall expansion with the regional heterogeneity of increasing and decreasing patterns. Analysis of satellite derived sea-ice extent, during 1979 to 2015, in the Indian Ocean sector of Antarctica (IOA) revealed expansion of 2.4±1.2% decade-1. We find strengthening of westerly wind during the austral summer (between 50°S to 62°S) facilitated northward advection of a cool and fresh layer. Also, the strong westerly wind cools the upper ocean due to net heat loss from the ocean surface. The combined effect of northward advection of cold fresh layer and net heat loss from the surface, favours sea-ice expansion in the subsequent seasons, in the IOA region, north of 62°S. However, sea-ice retreat was observed near the Kerguelen Plateau, due to upper ocean warming, and hence a non-annular pattern of sea-ice extent in the IOA was observed.
Highlights
The Southern Ocean plays a crucial role in the Earth’s climate system and its sea-ice coverage is a key indicator of climate change that modulates the albedo, air-sea exchange of heat, fresh water, carbon, ocean-atmospheric circulation, Antarctic ecosystems, and biogeochemical cycle [1,2]
This study reveals significant sea-ice expansion in the Indian Ocean sector of Antarctica (IOA) associated with the robust feature of sea surface cooling trend
southern annular mode (SAM) and stratospheric ozone depletion over the Antarctica partially explained the variability in the IOA sea-ice extent
Summary
The Southern Ocean plays a crucial role in the Earth’s climate system and its sea-ice coverage is a key indicator of climate change that modulates the albedo, air-sea exchange of heat, fresh water, carbon, ocean-atmospheric circulation, Antarctic ecosystems, and biogeochemical cycle [1,2]. Several authors reported a significant increase in Antarctic sea-ice extents [3,4,5,6] which has been linked to westerly wind forcing [7,8,9,10,11]; southern annular mode (SAM) [7,12,13,14]; El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) [15]; stratospheric ozone depletion [16,17,18,19,20,21]; precipitation [22]; and ocean temperature [23,24]; the overall sea-ice expansion masks large regional variations [25]. Regional scale processes and unidentified large-scale processes should be investigated to explain the observed sea-ice expansion [26]. Importance of the Indian Ocean sector of Antarctica is known for the bottom water formation
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