Role of Ocean Heat in Climate Change on the Western Antarctic Peninsula

极地计划办公室，南极科学司，海洋气候系统计划已经作出了这个奖项，以支持完善海洋热通量估计在南极西部半岛地区的基础上，现有的年度帕尔默长期生态观测网格海洋数据，可追溯到1993年。& 其他数据集也将酌情使用。近十年来，该地区经历了地球上最迅速的变暖，冬季气温上升约为全球平均水平的五倍。 气温上升导致大量海冰覆盖面丧失和净冰川融化，此外还扰乱了半岛附近和半岛上的生态。 大约一半的温度变化归因于天气模式的变化，因此另一半必须由海洋热传输引起。 温暖的极地上环深层沃茨侵入大陆架，导致热量散发到大气中，或者融化海洋或冰川冰。 PI先前的研究表明，基于体积参数缩放的海洋热通量估计值与时间热变化之间的差异高达30%，后者更高。这项研究将利用现有数据更准确地量化海洋热通量和估计绝对不确定性。 预计通过这项工作，将深入了解上环极深水淹没大陆架和海洋热量分配到大气中与冰融化的关系。 更广泛的影响改进的海洋热通量估计构成了这一变化区域热平衡的重要组成部分，因此需要在了解是什么推动了南极半岛地区的快速气候变化方面取得进展。 这项研究将部分支持物理海洋学领域的一名女博士后，这是一个妇女在研究生院一级以外的代表性特别不足的领域。

The Office of Polar Programs, Antarctic Science Division, Ocean & Climate Systems Program has made this award to support refinement of ocean heat flux estimates in the Western Antarctic Peninsula region based on existing annual Palmer Long Term Ecological Observatory gridded ocean data that extends back to 1993. Other data sets will also be used as available. This region has undergone among the most rapid warming on the planet in recent decade with a winter temperature rise about five times the global average. Rising temperatures have resulted in substantial sea ice cover loss and net glacial melt in addition to ecological disturbances in the vicinity of and on the peninsula. About half of this temperature change has been attributed to changed weather patterns, thus the other half must result from ocean heat transport. The incursion of warmer upper circum polar deep waters onto the shelf results in heat that can escape to the atmosphere or melt sea or glacial ice. Previous studies by the PI have shown up to 30% differences between ocean heat flux estimates based bulk parameter scaling versus temporal heat changes with the latter being higher. This study will use existing data to more accurately quantify ocean heat fluxes and estimates of the absolute uncertainties. It is expected that insights into the flooding of upper circum polar deep water onto the shelf and partitioning of ocean heat into the atmosphere versus ice melt will be gained by the exercise. Broader ImpactsThe improved ocean heat flux estimates constitute an important component of the heat balance in this changing region and so are required for progress in understanding what is driving the rapid climate change in the Antarctic Peninsula region. This study will partially support a female post doc in the domain of physical oceanography, a field in which women are particularly under represented beyond the graduate school level.