Late Austral Summer Research Articles

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other organic pollutants in freshwaters on the western shore of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, Maritime Antarctica)

Organic contamination in freshwater samples has never been investigated at the western shore of Admiralty Bay. Therefore, the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in five different sites distributed along a shore running from the Arctowski Station to the Baranowski Glacier was studied. Moreover, organic compounds such as n-alkanes, toluene and ethylbenzene were also noted. Increased ΣPAHs in late Austral summer 2016 are the result of long-range atmospheric transport of air masses from South America, confirmed by 10-day backward air mass trajectories analysis. The presence of n-alkanes and other hydrocarbons, as well as the evaluation of PAH indices (e.g. ΣLMW/ΣHMW* > 1), shows the use of fuel and indicate local human activity. As a final conclusion, our analysis indicates a mixed origin of PAHs (global and local). The presence of PAHs and other hydrocarbons in the water environment may constitute a potentially negative effect on the Antarctic ecosystem and it should be investigated in detail during further research (//*ΣLMW—sum of low molecular weight PAHs (two- and three-ring PAHs); ΣHMW—sum of high molecular weight PAHs (four- and five-ring PAHs)//).Graphical abstract

Hydrographic variability along the inner and mid-shelf region of the western Ross Sea obtained using instrumented seals

Temperature and salinity measurements obtained from sensors deployed on Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) between late austral summer and the following spring for 2010–2012 were used to describe the temporal and spatial variability of hydrographic conditions in the western Ross Sea, with particular emphasis on the inner-shelf region off Victoria Land and McMurdo Sound. Potential temperature-salinity diagrams constructed for regions where the seals remained for extended periods showed four water masses on the continental shelf: Modified Circumpolar Deep Water, Antarctic Surface Water, Shelf Water and Modified Shelf Water. Depth-time distributions of potential density and buoyancy frequency showed the erosion of the upper water column stratification associated with the transition from summer to fall/winter conditions. The within-year and interannual variability associated with this transition was related to wind speed. Changes in upper water column density were positively correlated with cross-shelf wind speeds >5.5 m s−1 with a 3–4 day lag. A range of wind speeds was required to erode the density structure because of different levels of stratification in each year. A comparison of wind mixing potential versus stratification (Wedderburn number) showed that synoptic scale wind events during 2012 with speeds of 5.5 and 6.5 m s−1 were needed to erode the summer stratification for Ross Island and Victoria Land regions, respectively. Stronger winds (>8.5 m s−1) were required during 2010 and 2011. The interannual variability in total heat content accumulated during summer (about 20%) was related to the duration of open water, with the largest heat content occurring in 2012, which was characterized by a summer sea ice minimum stronger than other years and relatively higher mCDW influence over the mid and outer-shelf regions. The heat content was lost after mid-April and reached a minimum in winter as a result of deep winter convection. The quantitative analysis of hydrographic variability of the inner-shelf region of the western Ross Sea obtained from the seal-derived measurements provides a baseline for assessing future changes.

Microclimate variability of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems manipulated by open top chambers: Comparison of selected austral summer seasons within a decade

Open top chambers (OTCs) were established in the northern part of the James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula, as a part of long-term program in January 2007. They were installed in two typical locations differing in vegetation cover. First group was set in a seashore ecosystem dominated by moss carpet supplemented with few lichen species. The other group was located on the top of a volcanic mesa (350 m a.s.l.) with irregular cover of lichens Usnea antarctica and Umbilicaria decussata. Temperature regimes inside and outside OTCs were continuously measured and related to year-round reference meteorological data. For majority of OTC installations, temperature increase caused by OTC was apparent in the period of September-March. Detailed analysis of chamber effect on the increase in air, surface, vegetation, and ground temperatures was done for late austral summer seasons of 2007 and 2008, and 10 years later, the seasons of 2017 and 2018. The OTC-induced temperature increase was more pronounced for mesa than seashore plot. For both locations, OTC-induced increase in temperature was highest for warm days with full sunshine and limited wind speed. On stormy days with overcast sky and high wind speed, the shift in temperature was smaller. Consequences of a long-term manipulation of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems by OTCs for moss and lichen ecophysiology are discussed.

Factors controlling coccolithophore biogeography in the Southern Ocean

Abstract. The biogeography of Southern Ocean phytoplankton controls the local biogeochemistry and the export of macronutrients to lower latitudes and depth. Of particular relevance is the competitive interaction between coccolithophores and diatoms, with the former being prevalent along the “Great Calcite Belt” (40–60∘ S), while diatoms tend to dominate the regions south of 60∘ S. To address the factors controlling coccolithophore distribution and the competition between them and diatoms, we use a regional high-resolution model (ROMS–BEC) for the Southern Ocean (24–78∘ S) that has been extended to include an explicit representation of coccolithophores. We assess the relative importance of bottom-up (temperature, nutrients, light) and top-down (grazing by zooplankton) factors in controlling Southern Ocean coccolithophore biogeography over the course of the growing season. In our simulations, coccolithophores are an important member of the Southern Ocean phytoplankton community, contributing 17 % to annually integrated net primary productivity south of 30∘ S. Coccolithophore biomass is highest north of 50∘ S in late austral summer, when light levels are high and diatoms become limited by silicic acid. Furthermore, we find top-down factors to be a major control on the relative abundance of diatoms and coccolithophores in the Southern Ocean. Consequently, when assessing potential future changes in Southern Ocean coccolithophore abundance, both abiotic (temperature, light, and nutrients) and biotic factors (interaction with diatoms and zooplankton) need to be considered.

Context dependency in the effect of Ulva‐induced loss of seagrass cover on estuarine macrobenthic abundance and biodiversity

Abstract An extensive area of seagrass covering the shore of part of the South African estuary ranked highest in overall national conservation and biodiversity importance (the Knysna estuarine bay) was killed by a series of seasonal green‐tidal blankets of Ulva starting in the late austral summer of 2015, leaving bare muddy sediment. An earlier (2011) survey of then seagrass macrobenthic assemblages at 27 stations along over 1 km of that shore was exactly repeated in 2018 after this event. After loss of seagrass, intertidal macrofauna became significantly less speciose (1:0.61), spatially and systematically more uniform (1:1.30 and 1:1.63), but more (not the usual less) abundant (0.62:1). Assemblage composition also changed, with polychaete numbers (small nereidids, spionids, fabriciids and an endemic paraonid) increasing from <50% of total macrofaunal individuals to >90% (although cirratulids decreased), whereas small malacostracan crustaceans (except the amphipod Grandidierella sp.) and microgastropods diminished to insignificant levels—microgastropods for reasons possibly unconnected with the green tide. Comparison with areas not vegetated in 2014, however, indicated that although macrofaunal abundance was greater in the 2018 Ulva‐induced bare areas, levels of per unit area biodiversity (number of species, species and taxonomic diversity per station) were comparable. This suggests that the effect of local loss of seagrass cover is context dependent, particularly with regard to pre‐existing local seagrass versus adjacent bare‐sediment differentials, and does not necessarily lead to any “degraded” state. Decreased local importance of small malacostracans may severely impact the region's usage by the adult and juvenile fish for which it is an important nursery and feeding ground.

Effect of climate on tree growth in the Pampa biome of Southeastern South America: First tree-ring chronologies from Uruguay

Tree-ring research in the highland tropics and subtropics represents a major frontier for understanding climate-growth relationships. Nonetheless, there are many lowland regions – including the South American Pampa biome – with scarce tree ring data. We present the first two tree-ring chronologies for Scutia buxifolia in subtropical Southeastern South America (SESA), using 54 series from 29 trees in two sites in northern and southern Uruguay. We cross-dated annual rings and compared tree growth from 1950 to 2012 with regional climate variability, including rainfall, temperature and the Palmer Drought Severity Index – PDSI, the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Overall, ring width variability was highly responsive to climate signals linked to water availability. For example, tree growth was positively correlated with accumulated rainfall in the summer-fall prior to ring formation for both chronologies. Summer climate conditions were key for tree growth, as shown by a negative effect of hot summer temperatures and a positive correlation with PDSI in late austral summer. The El Niño phase in late spring/early summer favored an increase in rainfall and annual tree growth, while the La Niña phase was associated with less rainfall and reduced tree growth. Extratropical climate factors such as SAM had an equally relevant effect on tree growth, whereby the positive phase of SAM had a negative effect over radial growth. These findings demonstrate the potential for dendroclimatic research and climate reconstruction in a region with scarce tree-ring data. They also improve the understanding of how climate variability may affect woody growth in native forests – an extremely limited ecosystem in the Pampa biome.

Seasonal Evolution of Ocean Heat Supply and Freshwater Discharge From a Rapidly Retreating Tidewater Glacier: Jorge Montt, Patagonia

AbstractProglacial fjords are critical conduits for the exchange of heat and freshwater between the ocean and land ice, and their dynamics heavily modulate the rate of retreat of tidewater glaciers. Here the magnitude, spatial structure, and seasonal evolution of the ocean forcing on the proglacial fjord off a rapidly retreating glacier (Jorge Montt, Patagonia) are characterized using data from multiple shipboard surveys from 2010 to 2016, a multiyear mooring array, and a weather station. The melting of the glacier is forced by relatively warm (8–11°C) waters entering the fjord over a shallow (45 m deep) sill ≈20 km from the terminus. This warm subsurface water is renewed every summer from the surface layer of Gulf of Penas., is transported along the 100‐km long Baker Channel, and reaches the proglacial fjord in the late austral summer to early fall, where it remains relatively warm until late austral spring. Analysis of the freshwater fractions in the fjord reveals that the total freshwater content has a strong seasonal signal with maximum fractional values in the summer, mostly explained by the seasonality of subglacial discharge from the glacier. The submarine melting fraction has no strong seasonal signal, but is a first‐order contributor to the freshwater content of the fjord in winter. This seasonal evolution is consistent with idealized theories of meltwater production, and suggests that the seasonal supply of heat is critical to sustain a high mean temperature for melting, but does not directly control the melting rate variability.

Seasonal Outflow of Ice Shelf Water Across the Front of the Filchner Ice Shelf, Weddell Sea, Antarctica.

The ice shelf water (ISW) found in the Filchner Trough, located in the southern Weddell Sea, Antarctica, is climatically important; it descends into the deep Weddell Sea contributing to bottom water formation, and it blocks warm off‐shelf waters from accessing the Filchner ice shelf cavity. Yet the circulation of ISW within the Filchner Trough and the processes determining its exchange across the ice shelf front are to a large degree unknown. Here mooring records from the ice shelf front are presented, the longest of which is 4 years long. They show that the coldest (Θ =− 2.3∘C) ISW, which originates from the Ronne Trough in the west, exits the cavity across the western part of the ice shelf front during late austral summer and early autumn. The supercooled ISW escaping the cavity flows northward with a velocity of about 0.03 m/s. During the rest of the year, there is no outflow at the western site: the current is directed eastward, parallel to the ice shelf front, and the temperatures at the mooring site are slightly higher (Θ =− 2.0∘C). The eastern records show a more persistent outflow of ISW.

Seasonal and annual variability of coastal sulphur plumes in the northern Benguela upwelling system.

We investigated the seasonal and annual variability of surface sulphur plumes in the northern Benguela upwelling system off Namibia because of their significant impacts on the marine ecosystem, fishing industry, aquaculture farming and tourism due to their toxic properties. We identified the sulphur plumes in ocean colour satellite data of the medium resolution imaging spectrometer (MERIS) for the 2002–2012 time period using the differences in the spectral properties of Namibian Benguela optical water types. The sulphur events have a strong seasonal cycle with pronounced main and off-seasons forced by local and remote-driven processes. The main peak season is in late austral summer and early austral autumn at the beginning of the annual upwelling cycle caused by increasing equatorwards alongshore winds. The sulphur plume activity is high between February and April during the seasonal oxygen minimum associated with the seasonal reduction of cross-shore ventilation of the bottom waters, the seasonal southernmost position of the Angola Benguela Frontal Zone, the seasonal maximum of water mass fractions of South Atlantic and Angola Gyre Central Waters as well as the seasonal arrival of the downwelling coastal trapped waves. The off-season is in austral spring and early austral summer during increased upwelling intensity and enhanced oxygen supply. The annual variability of sulphur events is characterized by very high activities in years 2004, 2005 and 2010 interrupted by periods of lower activity in years 2002 to 2003, 2006 to 2009 and 2011 to 2012. This result can be explained by the relative contributions or adding effects of local and remote-driven forces (from the equatorial area). The probability for the occurrence of sulphur plumes is enhanced in years with a lower annual mean of upwelling intensity, decreased oxygen supply associated with decreased lateral ventilation of bottom waters, more southern position of the Angola Benguela Frontal Zone, increased mass fraction of South Atlantic Central Water and stronger downwelling coastal trapped waves. Understanding of the variability and forcing processes of the toxic sulphur events will help in the future to monitor and forecast them as well as to manage their social and economic consequences in the northern Benguela upwelling system off Namibia.

Mercury fluxes over an Australian alpine grassland and observation of nocturnal atmospheric mercury depletion events

Abstract. Aerodynamic gradient measurements of the air–surface exchange of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) were undertaken over a 40 ha alpine grassland in Australia's Snowy Mountains region across a 3-week period during the late austral summer. Bi-directional GEM fluxes were observed throughout the study, with overall mean value of 0.2 ± 14.5 ng m−2 h−1 and mean nocturnal fluxes of −1.5 ± 7.8 ng m−2 h−1 compared to diurnal fluxes of 1.8 ± 18.6 ng m−2 h−1. Deposition velocities ranged from −2.2 to 2.9 cm s−1, whilst ambient GEM concentrations throughout the study were 0.59 ± 0.10 ng m−3. Cumulative GEM fluxes correlated well with 24 h running mean soil temperatures, and one precipitation event was shown to have a positive impact on diurnal emission fluxes. The underlying vegetation had largely senesced and showed little stomatal control on fluxes. Nocturnal atmospheric mercury depletion events (NAMDEs) were observed concomitant with O3 depletion and dew formation under shallow, stable nocturnal boundary layers. A mass balance box model was able to reproduce ambient GEM concentration patterns during NAMDE and non-NAMDE nights without invoking chemical oxidation of GEM throughout the column, indicating a significant role of surface processes controlling deposition in these events. Surface deposition was enhanced under NAMDE nights, though uptake to dew likely represents less than one-fifth of this enhanced deposition. Instead, enhancement of the surface GEM gradient as a result of oxidation at the surface in the presence of dew is hypothesised to be responsible for a large portion of GEM depletion during these particular events. GEM emission pulses following nights with significant deposition provide evidence for the prompt recycling of 17 % of deposited mercury, with the remaining portion retained in surface sinks. The long-term impacts of any sinks are however likely to be minimal, as cumulative GEM flux across the study period was close to zero.

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) cycling across contrasting biological hotspots of the New Zealand subtropical front

Abstract. The oceanic frontal region above the Chatham Rise east of New Zealand was investigated during the late austral summer season in February and March 2012. Despite its potential importance as a source of marine-originating and climate-relevant compounds, such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and its algal precursor dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), little is known of the processes fuelling the reservoirs of these sulfur (S) compounds in the water masses bordering the subtropical front (STF). This study focused on two opposing short-term fates of DMSP-S following its uptake by microbial organisms (either its conversion into DMS or its assimilation into bacterial biomass) and has not considered dissolved non-volatile degradation products. Sampling took place in three phytoplankton blooms (B1, B2, and B3) with B1 and B3 occurring in relatively nitrate-rich, dinoflagellate-dominated subantarctic waters, and B2 occurring in nitrate-poor subtropical waters dominated by coccolithophores. Concentrations of total DMSP (DMSPt) and DMS were high across the region, up to 160 and 14.5 nmol L−1, respectively. Pools of DMSPt showed a strong association with overall phytoplankton biomass proxied by chlorophyll a (rs = 0.83) likely because of the persistent dominance of dinoflagellates and coccolithophores, both DMSP-rich taxa. Heterotrophic microbes displayed low S assimilation from DMSP (less than 5 %) likely because their S requirements were fulfilled by high DMSP availability. Rates of bacterial protein synthesis were significantly correlated with concentrations of dissolved DMSP (DMSPd, rs = 0.86) as well as with the microbial conversion efficiency of DMSPd into DMS (DMS yield, rs = 0.84). Estimates of the potential contribution of microbially mediated rates of DMS production (0.1–27 nmol L−1 day−1) to the near-surface concentrations of DMS suggest that bacteria alone could not have sustained DMS pools at most stations, indicating an important role for phytoplankton-mediated DMS production. The findings from this study provide crucial information on the distribution and cycling of DMS and DMSP in a critically under-sampled area of the global ocean, and they highlight the importance of oceanic fronts as hotspots of the production of marine biogenic S compounds.

Overview and preliminary results of the Surface Ocean Aerosol Production (SOAP) campaign

Abstract. Establishing the relationship between marine boundary layer (MBL) aerosols and surface water biogeochemistry is required to understand aerosol and cloud production processes over the remote ocean and represent them more accurately in earth system models and global climate projections. This was addressed by the SOAP (Surface Ocean Aerosol Production) campaign, which examined air–sea interaction over biologically productive frontal waters east of New Zealand. This overview details the objectives, regional context, sampling strategy and provisional findings of a pilot study, PreSOAP, in austral summer 2011 and the following SOAP voyage in late austral summer 2012. Both voyages characterized surface water and MBL composition in three phytoplankton blooms of differing species composition and biogeochemistry, with significant regional correlation observed between chlorophyll a and DMSsw. Surface seawater dimethylsulfide (DMSsw) and associated air–sea DMS flux showed spatial variation during the SOAP voyage, with maxima of 25 nmol L−1 and 100 µmol m−2 d−1, respectively, recorded in a dinoflagellate bloom. Inclusion of SOAP data in a regional DMSsw compilation indicates that the current climatological mean is an underestimate for this region of the southwest Pacific. Estimation of the DMS gas transfer velocity (kDMS) by independent techniques of eddy covariance and gradient flux showed good agreement, although both exhibited periodic deviations from model estimates. Flux anomalies were related to surface warming and sea surface microlayer enrichment and also reflected the heterogeneous distribution of DMSsw and the associated flux footprint. Other aerosol precursors measured included the halides and various volatile organic carbon compounds, with first measurements of the short-lived gases glyoxal and methylglyoxal in pristine Southern Ocean marine air indicating an unidentified local source. The application of a real-time clean sector, contaminant markers and a common aerosol inlet facilitated multi-sensor measurement of uncontaminated air. Aerosol characterization identified variable Aitken mode and consistent submicron-sized accumulation and coarse modes. Submicron aerosol mass was dominated by secondary particles containing ammonium sulfate/bisulfate under light winds, with an increase in sea salt under higher wind speeds. MBL measurements and chamber experiments identified a significant organic component in primary and secondary aerosols. Comparison of SOAP aerosol number and size distributions reveals an underprediction in GLOMAP (GLObal Model of Aerosol Processes)-mode aerosol number in clean marine air masses, suggesting a missing marine aerosol source in the model. The SOAP data will be further examined for evidence of nucleation events and also to identify relationships between MBL composition and surface ocean biogeochemistry that may provide potential proxies for aerosol precursors and production.

Tropospheric ozone profiles by DIAL at Maïdo Observatory (Reunion Island): system description, instrumental performance and result comparison with ozone external data set

Abstract. In order to recognize the importance of ozone (O3) in the troposphere and lower stratosphere in the tropics, a DIAL (differential absorption lidar) tropospheric O3 lidar system (LIO3TUR) was developed and installed at the Université de la Réunion campus site (close to the sea) on Reunion Island (southern tropics) in 1998. From 1998 to 2010, it acquired 427 O3 profiles from the low to the upper troposphere and has been central to several studies. In 2012, the system was moved up to the new Maïdo Observatory facility (2160 m a.m.s.l. – metres above mean sea level) where it started operation in February 2013. The current system (LIO3T) configuration generates a 266 nm beam obtained with the fourth harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser sent into a Raman cell filled up with deuterium (using helium as buffer gas), generating the 289 and 316 nm beams to enable the use of the DIAL method for O3 profile measurements. The optimal range for the actual system is 6–19 km a.m.s.l., depending on the instrumental and atmospheric conditions. For a 1 h integration time, vertical resolution varies from 0.7 km at 6 km a.m.s.l. to 1.3 km at 19 km a.m.s.l., and mean uncertainty within the 6–19 km range is between 6 and 13 %. Comparisons with eight electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) sondes simultaneously launched from the Maïdo Observatory show good agreement between data sets with a 6.8 % mean absolute relative difference (D) between 6 and 17 km a.m.s.l. (LIO3T lower than ECC). Comparisons with 37 ECC sondes launched from the nearby Gillot site during the daytime in a ±24 h window around lidar shooting result in a 9.4 % D between 6 and 19 km a.m.s.l. (LIO3T lower than ECC). Comparisons with 11 ground-based Network for Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer measurements acquired during the daytime in a ±24 h window around lidar shooting show good agreement between data sets with a D of 11.8 % for the 8.5–16 km partial column (LIO3T higher than FTIR), and comparisons with 39 simultaneous Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) observations over Reunion Island show good agreement between data sets with a D of 11.3 % for the 6–16 km partial column (LIO3T higher than IASI). ECC, LIO3TUR and LIO3T O3 monthly climatologies all exhibit the same range of values and patterns. In particular, the Southern Hemisphere biomass burning seasonal enhancement and the ozonopause altitude decrease in late austral winter–spring, as well as the sign of deep convection bringing boundary layer O3-poor air masses up to the middle–upper troposphere in late austral summer, are clearly visible in all data sets.

Connecting pigment composition and dissolved trace elements to phytoplankton population in the southern Benguela Upwelling zone (St. Helena Bay)

Abstract Rich in upwelled nutrients, the Southern Benguela is one of the most productive ecosystems in the world ocean. However, despite its ecological significance the role of trace elements influencing phytoplankton population in the Southern Benguela Upwelling System (SBUS) has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we report pigment composition, macronutrients (nitrate, phosphate and silicate) and concentrations of dissolved Cd, Co, Fe and Zn during late austral summer and winter seasons in 2004 to understand the relationship between the selected trace elements and phytoplankton biomass in St. Helena Bay (SHB), which falls within the southern boundary of the SBUS. Chlorophyll a concentrations indicate higher phytoplankton biomass associated with high primary production during late summer in SHB where high diatom population is inferred from the presence of fucoxanthin. Diminished phytoplankton biomass and a shift from diatoms to dinoflagellates as the dominant phytoplankton taxa are indicated by diagnostic pigments during late winter. Dissolved trace elements (Cd, Co and Zn) and macronutrients play a significant role in phytoplankton biomass, and their distribution is affected by biological uptake and export of trace elements. Continuous uptake of Zn by diatoms may cause an onset of Zn depletion leading to a period of extended diatom proliferation during late summer. Furthermore, the transition from diatom to dinoflagellate dominated phytoplankton population is most likely facilitated by depletion of trace elements (Cd and Co) in the water column.

The South Atlantic Subtropical High: Climatology and Interannual Variability

ERA-Interim and JRA-55 reanalysis products are analyzed to document the annual cycle of the South Atlantic subtropical high (SASH) and examine how its interannual variability relates to regional and large-scale climate variability. The annual cycle of the SASH is found to have two peaks in both intensity and size. The SASH is strongest and largest during the solstitial months when its center is either closest to the equator and on the western side of the South Atlantic basin during austral winter or farthest poleward and in the center of the basin in late austral summer. Although interannual variations in the SASH’s position are larger in the zonal direction, the intensity of the high decreases when it is positioned to the north. This relationship is statistically significant in every month. Seasonal composites and EOF analysis indicate that meridional changes in the position of the SASH dominate interannual variations in austral summer. In particular, the anticyclone tends to be displaced poleward in La Niña years when the southern annular mode (SAM) is in its positive phase and vice versa. Wave activity flux vectors suggest that ENSO-related convective anomalies located in the central-eastern tropical Pacific act as a remote forcing for the meridional variability of the summertime SASH. In southern winter, multiple processes operate in concert to induce interannual variability, and none of them appears to dominate like ENSO does during the summer.

ENSO related SST anomalies and relation with surface heat fluxes over south Pacific and Atlantic

The role of surface heat fluxes in Southern Pacific and Atlantic Ocean SST anomalies associated with El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is studied using observation and ocean reanalysis products. A prominent dipole structure in SST anomaly is found with a positive (negative) anomaly center over south Pacific (65S–45S, 120W–70W) and negative (positive) one over south Atlantic (50S–30S, 30W–0E) during austral summer (DJF) of El Nino (LaNina). During late austral spring-early summer (OND) of El Nino (LaNina), anomalous northerly (southerly) meridional moisture transport and a positive (negative) sea level pressure anomaly induces a suppressed (enhanced) latent heat flux from the ocean surface over south Pacific. This in turn results in a shallower than normal mixed layer depth which further helps in development of the SST anomaly. Mixed layer thins further due to anomalous shortwave radiation during summer and a well developed SST anomaly evolves. The south Atlantic pole exhibits exactly opposite characteristics at the same time. The contribution from the surface heat fluxes to mixed layer temperature change is found to be dominant over the advective processes over both the basins. Net surface heat fluxes anomaly is also found to be maximum during late austral spring-early summer period, with latent heat flux having a major contribution to it. The anomalous latent heat fluxes between atmosphere and ocean surface play important role in the growth of observed summertime SST anomaly. Sea-surface height also shows similar out-of-phase signatures over the two basins and are well correlated with the ENSO related SST anomalies. It is also observed that the magnitude of ENSO related anomalies over the southern ocean are weaker in LaNina years than in El Nino years, suggesting an intensified tropics-high latitude tele-connection during warm phases of ENSO.

The physical environmental conditions for biogeochemical differences along the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Atlantic Sector during late austral summer 2012

The physical and biological carbon pumps in the different hydrographic and biogeochemical regimes of the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean are controlled by a series of coupled physical, chemical and biological processes and a project named Eddy-Pump was designed to study them. The Eddy Pump field campaign was carried out during RV Polarstern Cruise ANT-XXVIII/3 between January and March 2012. Particular emphasis was laid on the differences which occur along the axis of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) with its associated mesoscale eddy field. The study sites were selected in order to represent (1) the central ACC with its regular separation in different frontal jets, investigated by a meridional transect along 10°E; (2) a large-scale bloom west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which lasted several months with conspicuous chlorophyll-poor waters to its immediate east studied by a three-dimensional mesoscale survey centred at 12°40′W; and (3) the Georgia Basin north of the island of South Georgia, which regularly features an extended and dense phytoplankton bloom, was investigated by a mesoscale survey centred at 38°12′W. While Eddy-Pump represents an interdisciplinary project by design, we here focus on describing the variable physical environment within which the different biogeochemical regimes developed. For describing the physical environment we use measurements of temperature, salinity and density, of mixed-layer turbulence parameters, of dynamic heights and horizontal current vectors, and of flow trajectories obtained from surface drifters and submerged floats. This serves as background information for the analyses of biological and chemical processes and of biogeochemical fluxes addressed by other papers in this issue.The section along 10°E between 44°S and 53°S showed a classical ACC structure with well-known hydrographic fronts, the Subantarctic Front (SAF) at 46.5°S, the Antarctic Polar Front (APF) split in two, at 49.25°S and 50.5°S, and the Southern Polar Front (SPF) at 52.5°S. Each front was associated with strong eastward flows. The West Mid-Atlantic Ridge Survey showed a weak and poorly resolved meander structure between the APF and the SPF. During the first eight days of the survey the oceanographic conditions at the Central Station at 12°40′W remained reasonably constant. However after that, conditions became more variable in the thermocline with conspicuous temperature inversions and interleavings and also a decrease in temperature in the surface layer. At the very end of the period of observation the conditions in the thermocline returned to being similar to those observed during the early part of the period with however the mixed layer temperature raised. The period of enhanced thermohaline variability was accompanied by increased currents. The Georgia Basin Survey showed a very strong zonal jet at its northern edge which connects to a large cyclonic meander that itself joins an anticyclonic eddy in the southeastern quadrant. The water mass contrasts in this survey were stronger than in the West Mid-Atlantic Ridge Survey, but similar to those met along 10°E with the exception that the warm and saline surface water typical of the northern side of the SAF was not covered by the Georgia Basin Survey. Mixed layers found during Eddy-Pump were typically deep, but varied between the three survey areas; the mean depths and standard variations of the mixed layer along the 10°E were 77.2±24.7m, at the West Mid-Atlantic Ridge 66.7±17.7m, and in the Georgia Basin 36.8±10.7m.

Feeding strategies of four dominant copepod species in Prydz Bay, Antarctica: Insights from a combined fatty acid biomarker and stable isotopic approach

Using fatty acid biomarkers and stable isotopic signatures, we investigated the feeding strategies and dietary preferences of four dominant copepod species (Calanoides acutus, Calanus propinquus, Metridia gerlachei and Rhincalanus gigas) sampled during the late austral summer in Prydz Bay, Antarctica. Our results show that diatoms, dinoflagellates and ciliates dominated copepod food sources (hypothesized to be phytoplankton and particulate organic matter) in the inner bay regions more than in the oceanic regions of Prydz Bay. Regional differences in the composition and abundance of food sources were also reflected in the fatty acid biomarkers and stable isotopic values. In the inner bay region, the total fatty acid contents of these food sources were nearly twofold higher, including greater contributions from fatty acids of dinoflagellate origin; these samples also had higher δ13C and δ15N values. Fatty acid biomarkers and stable isotopic values in copepod species roughly mirrored the spatial patterns in food sources. As found in the primary producers, the concentrations of dinoflagellate fatty acids and δ13C and δ15N values were higher in copepods from the inner bay regions. Additionally, there were inter-species differences in the fatty acids and stable isotopic values of copepods. C. acutus and C. propinquus did not exhibit significant regional differences in their total fatty acid contents. In contrast, M. gerlachei from the inner bay region had higher fatty acid values. C. acutus and C. propinquus had higher compositions of the long chain fatty acids 20:1n-9, 22:1n-9 and 22:1n-1, while docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was higher in M. gerlachei. The δ15N values indicate that C. acutus occupies a higher trophic level than the other copepod species. Similarly, higher fatty acid ratios in M. gerlachei, including DHA/EPA(eicosapntemacnioc acid) and 18:1n-9/18:1n-7, indicate that this species feeds more opportunistically and prefers a carnivorous diet. Insights from this combined fatty acid and stable isotopic approach suggest that the dominant copepod species in Prydz Bay, Antarctica, have flexible feeding strategies that vary by food source during the late austral summer.

Antarctic and Southern Ocean Surface Temperatures in CMIP5 Models in the Context of the Surface Energy Budget*

Abstract This study examines the biases, intermodel spread, and intermodel range of surface air temperature (SAT) across the Antarctic ice sheet and Southern Ocean in 26 structurally different climate models. Over the ocean (40°–60°S), an ensemble-mean warm bias peaks in late austral summer concurrently with the peak in the intermodel range of SAT. This warm bias lags a spring–summer positive bias in net surface radiation due to weak shortwave cloud forcing and is gradually reduced during autumn and winter. For the ice sheet, inconsistencies among reanalyses and observational datasets give low confidence in the ensemble-mean bias of SAT, but a small summer warm bias is suggested in comparison with nonreanalysis SAT data. The ensemble mean hides a large intermodel range of SAT, which peaks during the summer insolation maximum. In summer on the ice sheet, the SAT intermodel spread is largely associated with the surface albedo. In winter, models universally exhibit a too-strong deficit in net surface radiation related to the downward longwave radiation, implying that the lower atmosphere is too stable. This radiation deficit is balanced by the transfer of sensible heat toward the surface (which largely explains the intermodel spread in SAT) and by a subsurface heat flux. The winter bias in downward longwave radiation is due to the longwave cloud radiative effect, which the ensemble mean underestimates by a factor of 2. The implications of these results for improving climate simulations over Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are discussed.

Planktonic foraminiferal biogeography in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean: Contribution from CPR data

Within the framework of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Southern Ocean-Continuous Plankton Recorder (SO-CPR) Survey, the oceanic regions around Crozet and Kerguelen Islands were investigated in February–March 2013. Living planktonic Foraminifera (LPF) were collected in the upper mixed layer with a CPR along a 2160 nautical mile sea transect that crossed main hydrological fronts in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. In the SO-CPR database, mean total abundances of Foraminifera occurring during late austral summer are highly variable at an inter-annual scale, from 10 to 250 ind.m−3, representing 10–40% of the total zooplankton abundance, respectively. In the Southern Ocean, major inter-annual changes in zooplankton community structure were already reported. In this study, we describe the large scale distributional pattern of individual planktonic foraminiferal species living in near-surface waters of the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean, and we attempt to explain why major spatial variability in relative species abundances occurs during a late austral summer.In February–March 2013, LPF total abundances recorded between 42.86°S and 56.42°S ranged from 0 to a maximum of 258 ind.m−3. In the Open Ocean Zone, the LPF community was composed of four major species (Globigerinita uvula, Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, Neogloboquadrina incompta, Globigerina bulloides). Generally, LPF total abundances are supposed to mirror primary production induced by hydrological fronts or induced by topography near Crozet and Kerguelen Islands. However, during late austral summer 2013, high foraminiferal abundances in the upper mixed layer did not always match the pattern of near-surface primary production (high Chl-a concentration areas delineated from satellite imagery). Low LPF standing stocks in late austral summer in the Southern Ocean contrasted with the presence of high densities of heavily silicified diatoms. This suggests that the late bloom production is not a suitable resource for planktonic Foraminifera. Consequently, LPF regional distribution in the upper mixed layer cannot be directly reconstructed from Chl-a concentration maps derived from satellite imagery. Knowledge of phytoplankton community composition is needed to understand the impact of primary production on foraminiferal population dynamics. Our results also emphasize that the polar/subpolar foraminiferal assemblages are characterized by high abundances of G. uvula in the iron-enriched waters surrounding the French Sub-Antarctic Islands. This species might react either to coastal or late summer production in high latitudes.