CIMA   09099
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES DEL MAR Y LA ATMOSFERA
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
Climate fluctuations of the Weddell Sea and its surroundings in a transient climate change scenario
Autor/es:
CONIL S., C.G. MENÉNDEZ
Revista:
ClimateDynamics
Editorial:
Springer
Referencias:
Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2006 p. 83 - 99
Resumen:
Abstract The response of the Weddell Sea and Antarctic
Peninsula to anthropogenic forcing simulated by a global
climate model is analyzed. The model, despite its low
resolution, is able to capture several aspects of the observed
regional pattern of climate change. A strong
warming and depletion of the sea ice cover in the western
Weddell Sea contrasts with a slight cooling and a
sea-ice extension in the eastern Weddell Sea. This simulated
long-term climate change is modulated by interdecadal
variability but also affected by some abrupt
regional changes in the oceanic mixed layer depth. Between
1960 and 2030 a reorganization of the deep convection
activity in the Weddell Sea sustains the
opposition between the eastern and western Weddell
Sea. The deep convection collapses in the western
Weddell Sea in the 2030s. The sea ice retreat trend is
then followed by an increase of the sea ice cover in the
western Weddell Sea. In the eastern Weddell Sea another
abrupt collapse of the deep convection activity occurs
around 2080. This event is followed by a rapid cooling
and sea ice extension during the next 20 years. Most of
the surface changes are associated with large-scale
atmospheric circulation changes that project on the
dominant mode of natural variability but also with
oceanic convection and circulation changes.
Peninsula to anthropogenic forcing simulated by a global
climate model is analyzed. The model, despite its low
resolution, is able to capture several aspects of the observed
regional pattern of climate change. A strong
warming and depletion of the sea ice cover in the western
Weddell Sea contrasts with a slight cooling and a
sea-ice extension in the eastern Weddell Sea. This simulated
long-term climate change is modulated by interdecadal
variability but also affected by some abrupt
regional changes in the oceanic mixed layer depth. Between
1960 and 2030 a reorganization of the deep convection
activity in the Weddell Sea sustains the
opposition between the eastern and western Weddell
Sea. The deep convection collapses in the western
Weddell Sea in the 2030s. The sea ice retreat trend is
then followed by an increase of the sea ice cover in the
western Weddell Sea. In the eastern Weddell Sea another
abrupt collapse of the deep convection activity occurs
around 2080. This event is followed by a rapid cooling
and sea ice extension during the next 20 years. Most of
the surface changes are associated with large-scale
atmospheric circulation changes that project on the
dominant mode of natural variability but also with
oceanic convection and circulation changes.
The response of the Weddell Sea and Antarctic
Peninsula to anthropogenic forcing simulated by a global
climate model is analyzed. The model, despite its low
resolution, is able to capture several aspects of the observed
regional pattern of climate change. A strong
warming and depletion of the sea ice cover in the western
Weddell Sea contrasts with a slight cooling and a
sea-ice extension in the eastern Weddell Sea. This simulated
long-term climate change is modulated by interdecadal
variability but also affected by some abrupt
regional changes in the oceanic mixed layer depth. Between
1960 and 2030 a reorganization of the deep convection
activity in the Weddell Sea sustains the
opposition between the eastern and western Weddell
Sea. The deep convection collapses in the western
Weddell Sea in the 2030s. The sea ice retreat trend is
then followed by an increase of the sea ice cover in the
western Weddell Sea. In the eastern Weddell Sea another
abrupt collapse of the deep convection activity occurs
around 2080. This event is followed by a rapid cooling
and sea ice extension during the next 20 years. Most of
the surface changes are associated with large-scale
atmospheric circulation changes that project on the
dominant mode of natural variability but also with
oceanic convection and circulation changes.