On the impact of wind forcing on the seasonal variability of Weddell Sea Bottom Water transport

Abstract

The seasonal variability of Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) transport and its driving mechanisms are examined using FESOM simulations. Pronounced seasonal variability is present in both the Filchner shelf water export rate and the WSBW transport rate near the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) tip. The variabilities at both locations are linked to the surface wind forcing. The Filchner shelf water export rate responds to the onshore propagating density anomaly, which is caused by the wind-induced variation of the isopycnal depression at the coast. The variability near the AP tip originates from upstream variations at the Filchner Depression and from seasonal variability of the Weddell gyre strength. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.