Temperature variation and its driving forces over the Antarctic coastal regions in the past 250 years

By comparing the oxygen isotopic temperatures recorded by many shallow ice cores from the coastal regions of Antarctica, this paper presents the special characteristics of the temperature variations over the Antarctic coastal regions in the past 50 years, 150 years and 250 years. In the past 50 years, the isotopic temperatures recorded in the ice cores over different sites on the Antarctic coastal regions differ greatly. For instance, although increasing isotopic temperatures have been reported for many sites studied, many sites show decreasing trends, the regional regularity in temperature variations is still insignificant. In the past 150 years, the isotopic temperature trends in the coastal regions of Antarctica show an alternate-distributing pattern. In the past 250 years, all the ice cores from the coastal regions of Antarctica have recorded the so-called Little Ice Age (LIA). The above-mentioned spatial characteristics of the temperature variations over the Antarctic coastal regions are likely to reflect the impacts of the unique Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation, the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave (ACW) and the special terrain (such as the large drainage basins) on the coastal regions of Antarctica. Furthermore, the impacting intensity of the unique Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation, the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave and the special terrain differs in terms of the temporal scale of the temperature change.     

用TOPEX/POSEIDON高度计数据研究南极绕极流流域海面高度的低频变化

采用TOPEX/POSEIDON(T/P)卫星高度计 1 993年 1月— 2 0 0 0年 1 2月海面高度数据 ,研究包含了整个南极绕极流流系 (40°— 6 0°S)的海面高度低频变化。首先采用EOF分解方法获取南大洋时空分布的主要模态 ,前 3个EOF模态分别占总方差的 2 4 .8%、1 3 .8%和 1 0 .7%。然后采用EMD方法分别分析了各个EOF模态的时间系数曲线的组成成分 ,对南极绕极流海域的各种时间尺度变化给出了清晰的描述 ,对于不同尺度变化所占的比例得到了定量的结果。研究结果表明 ,EOF的各个模态不仅在形态上存在差异 ,而且具有相互独立的物理背景。EOF的第一模态主要体现了以太阳辐射冬夏差异形成的年周期变化 ,另一个显著的特征就是南极绕极流从 1 993— 2 0 0 0年海面的整体上升趋势。EOF的第二模态体现了陆地地形对南极绕极流的约束作用 ,同时也显示了ENSO过程对南极绕极流 ,特别是对南太平洋的海面高度变化的影响。EOF的第三模态则体现了南极绕极流对南大洋表面风场东西方向不均匀变化的响应。同时 ,本文的研究也证明了EOF与EMD方法联合使用对揭示大范围时空变化有重要的实际意义     

普里兹湾附近绕极深层水和底层水及其运动特征

利用中国第15次南极科学考察科学考察队的CTD全深度观测资料(1998年11月至1999年2月),分析并讨论了普里兹湾以北的南大洋海域内,绕极深层水(CDW)和南极底层水(AABW)的物理特性及其空间分布.同时还与历史上其他学者的发现进行了比较.指出了在研究海域内,CDW在100～2000m之间从北向南扩展,其高温核(t>1.2℃)和高盐核(S>34.7)在75°E断面上最为深厚,向南扩展得最远;而AABW则在2500m以深由陆坡底部向北扩展,σ_θ>27.875的高密度水体在70°E断面上最为深厚,向北扩展得最远.此外还通过实测的CTD资料证实了CDW和AABW的经向环流特征,以及它们与迪肯流环(Deaconcell)、亚极地流环和深层流环的一致性.     

南印度洋绕极深层水的性质和空间分布以及南极绕极流的作用

利用世界大洋环流实验的南大洋观测温度、盐度和溶解氧资料,分析并说明了南印度洋绕极深层水的性质和空间分布特征,比较了30°E,90°E和145°E断面上温度、盐度和溶解氧的垂直分布及其异同,着重指出,在南印度洋的这3个不同经度断面上,绕极深层水和锋面的不同特征与南极绕极流越洋输运和南印度洋绕极深层水的经向运动有着密切的关系。实际上,绕极流的越洋输运是南大西洋与南印度洋之间以及南印度洋与南太平洋之间水交换的主要动力因素,对形成绕极深层水的物理性质的空间分布有着重要的作用。     

Fronts and surface zonal geostrophic current along 115°E in the southern Indian Ocean

Altimeter and in situ data are used to estimate the mean surface zonal geostrophic current in the section along 115°E in the southern Indian Ocean,and the variation of strong currents in relation to the major fronts is studied.The results show that,in average,the flow in the core of Antarctic Circumpolar Current(ACC) along the section is composed of two parts,one corresponds to the jet of Subantarctic Front(SAF) and the other is the flow in the Polar Front Zone(PFZ),with a westward flow between them.The mean surface zonal geostrophic current corresponding to the SAF is up to 49 cm · s-1 at 46°S,which is the maximal velocity in the section.The eastward flow in the PFZ has a width of about 4.3 degrees in latitudes.The mean surface zonal geostrophic current corresponding to the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front(SACCF) is located at 59.7 °S with velocity less than 20 cm · s-1.The location of zonal geostrophic jet corresponding to the SAF is quite stable during the study period.In contrast,the eastward jets in the PFZ exhibit various patterns,i.e.,the primary Polar Front(PF1) shows its strong meridional shift and the secondary Polar Front(PF2) does not always coincide with jet.The surface zonal geostrophic current corresponding to SAF has the significant periods of annual,semi-annual and four-month.The geostrophic current of the PFZ also shows significant periods of semi-annual and four-month,but is out of phase with the periods of the SAF,which results in no notable semi-annual and fourmonth periods in the surface zonal geostrophic current in the core of the ACC.In terms of annual cycle,the mean surface zonal geostrophic current in the core of the ACC shows its maximal velocity in June.     

近百年来的南极绕极波变化特征

采用2011年发布的20世纪全球大气环流再分析资料,结合长期观测序列,分析了百余年来大气中南极绕极波的强弱变化和传播过程。结果显示,南极绕极波有显著的年代际变化,在1940~1960年和1980~2000年附近出现和活跃,而在其他年代消失。东南太平洋南极绕极波振幅最强,该区域的海气耦合过程可能是绕极波信号增强的关键之一。初步揭示了百年来南极绕极波和南极涛动的对应关系,偏强的南极涛动有利于南极绕极波的出现,但并非决定绕极波产生的唯一因素。     

Six circumpolar currents—on the forcing of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current by wind and mixing

The transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is influenced by a variety of processes and parameters. A proper implementation of basin geometry, ocean topography and baroclinicity is known to be a fundamental requisite for a realistic simulation of the circulation and transport. Other, more subtle parameters are those of eddy-induced transports and diapycnal mixing of thermohaline tracers or buoyancy, either treated by eddy resolution or by a proper parameterization. Quite a number of realistic numerical simulations of the circulation in the Southern Ocean have recently been published. Many concepts on relations of the ACC transport to model parameters and forcing function are in discussion, however, without much generality and little success. We present a series of numerical simulations of circumpolar flow with a simplified numerical model, ranging from flat-bottom wind-driven flow to baroclinic flow with realistic topography and wind and buoyancy forcing. Analysis of the balances of momentum, vorticity, and baroclinic potential energy enables us to develop a new transport theory, which combines the most important mechanisms driving the circulation of the ACC and determining its zonal transport. The theory is based on the importance of the bottom vertical velocity in generating vorticity and shaping the baroclinic potential energy of the ACC. It explains the breaking of the -constraint by baroclinicity and brings together in one equation the wind and buoyancy forcing of the current. The theory emphasizes the role of Ekman pumping and eddy diffusion of buoyancy to determine the transport. It also demonstrates that eddy viscosity effects are irrelevant in the barotropic vorticity balance and that friction arises via eddy diffusion of density. In this regime, the classical Stommel model of vorticity balance is revived where the bottom friction coefficient is replaced by (with the Gent–McWilliams coefficient and the baroclinic Rossby radius ) and a modified wind curl forcing appears.     

The Bransfield current system

We use hydrographic data collected during two interdisciplinary cruises, CIEMAR and BREDDIES, to describe the mesoscale variability observed in the Central Basin of the Bransfield Strait (Antarctica). The main mesoscale feature is the Bransfield Front and the related Bransfield Current, which flows northeastward along the South Shetland Island Slope. A laboratory model suggests that this current behaves as a gravity current driven by the local rotation rate and the density differences between the Transitional Zonal Water with Bellingshausen influence (TBW) and the Transitional Zonal Water with Weddell Sea influence (TWW). Below the Bransfield Front we observe a narrow (10 km wide) tongue of Circumpolar Deep Water all along the South Shetland Islands Slope. At the surface, the convergence of TBW and TWW leads to a shallow baroclinic front close to the Antarctic Peninsula (hereafter Peninsula Front). Between the Bransfield Front and the Peninsula Front we observe a system of TBW anticyclonic eddies, with diameters about 20 km that can reach 300 m deep. This eddy system could be originated by instabilities of the Bransfield Current. The Bransfield Current, the anticyclonic eddy system, the Peninsula Front and the tongue of Circumpolar Deep Water, are the dynamically connected components of the Bransfield Current System.     

北极圈数据库及为何需要

Many factors, such the great changes of temperature, which will be expected at the high latitudes, increased pressure from humans to extract the natural resources in cold regions, seriously affect the cold environment. Many meetings have been held about the classification of cold soils, ideas and concepts of cold soils. These facilitate the need for developing a database of soils of the circumpolar region. The database can help offering information for potential problems in cold regions and for selecting the best areas for placement of new road and towns.     

Fronts, baroclinic transport, and mesoscale variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the southeast Indian Ocean

Fronts,baroclinic transport,and mesoscale variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current(ACC) along 115°E are examined on the basis of CTD data from two hydrographic cruises occupied in 1995 as a part of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment(WOCE cruise I9S) and in 2004 as a part of CLIVAR/CO2 repeat hydrography program.The integrated baroclinic transport across I9S section is(97.2×106±2.2×106) m3/s relative to the deepest common level(DCL).The net transport at the north end of I9S,determined by the south Australian circulation system,is about 16.5×106m3/s westward.Relying on a consistent set of water mass criteria and transport maxima,the ACC baroclinic transport,(117×106 ±6.7×10 6)m3/s to the east,is carried along three fronts:the Subantarctic Front(SAF) at a mean latitude of 44°-49°S carries(50.6×10 6 ±13.4×106)m3/s;the Polar Front(PF),with the northern branch(PF-N) at 50.5°S and the southern branch(PFS) at 58°S,carries(51.3×106 ±8.7×106)m3/s;finally,the southern ACC front(SACCF) and the southern boundary of the ACC(SB) consist of three cores between 59°S and 65°S that combined carry(15.2×106 ±1.8×106)m3/s.Mesoscale eddy features are identifiable in the CTD sections and tracked in concurrent maps of altimetric sea level anomalies(SLA) between 44°-48°S and 53°-57°S.Because of the remarkable mesoscale eddy features within the SAF observed in both the tracks of the cruises,the eastward transport of the SAF occurs at two latitude bands separating by 1°.Both the CTD and the altimetric data suggest that the mesoscale variability is concentrated around the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone(APFZ) and causes the ACC fronts to merge,diverge,and to fluctuate in intensity and position along their paths.