Seasonal variability of the water circulation in the southern ocean and heat, salt, and mass exchange in the Antarctic region and adjacent oceans

The hydrographic fields in the Arctic region are calculated with a three-dimensional nonlinear model of the general circulation in the World Ocean using climatic databases on temperature, salinity, and wind stress. The calculation results show that the seasonal variability of the fields is negligible. The salinity distribution almost does not change from season to season, and slight temperature differences are found only in the upper layer. In the winter period, a moderate intensification of the currents is observed. The formation of an intermediate low-salinity layer is revealed at the Subantarctic front, where the intensive turbulence and transverse circulation in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current near the front result in the sinking of the surface low-salinity waters down to intermediate depths. The low-salinity water propagates in the oceans at intermediate depths northward from the front by advection. The integral values of the seasonal transport of mass, heat, and salt in various sections are presented in tables, and the distributions of appropriate characteristics in these sections are shown in figures. According to the calculations, the highest seasonal variations of heat, salt, and mass exchange in the Antarctic region and adjacent oceans are found in the Atlantic sector.