The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

On the fate of the Antarctic Slope Front and the origin of the Weddell Front

On the fate of the Antarctic Slope Front and the origin of the Weddell Front
On the fate of the Antarctic Slope Front and the origin of the Weddell Front
Data from the Deep Ocean Ventilation Through Antarctic Intermediate Layers (DOVETAIL) and Antarctic Large-Scale Box Analysis and the Role of the Scotia Sea (ALBATROSS) projects are combined in the region of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Scotia Ridge to determine the paths and transports associated with the Antarctic Coastal Current, the Antarctic Slope Front, and the Weddell Front. The Antarctic Coastal Current flows over the Antarctic continental shelf and is not tied to a particular isobath. It transports ~1 Sv westward to the Bransfield Strait. Its subsequent course is uncertain, but we speculate that it may continue southwest along the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, close to the coast. The Antarctic Slope Front, present almost all the way around Antarctica tied to the continental slope, has not previously been mapped after it reaches the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. We show that the frontal jet splits into two branches in the northwest Powell Basin where the isobaths diverge. The shoreward portion of the water associated with the front (lying above isobaths shallower than 1500 m) is able to cross the South Scotia Ridge and head northwestward and retains many of the properties of the Antarctic Slope Front. It is associated with a transport of ~7 Sv. The portion of the front constrained to lie above isobaths deeper than 1500 m becomes the Weddell Front. This takes a path around the northern Powell Basin and south of the South Orkney Islands. Of the ~13 Sv that circulates around the southern flank of the South Orkney Plateau, ~8 Sv of Weddell Sea Deep Water and Warm Deep Water leaves the front to continue west. The remaining shallow and intermediate water retroflects and returns south associated with the Weddell Front through the Orkney Passage. Approximately 5–7 Sv is transported eastward associated with the Weddell Front, tied closely to the southern flanks of the Bruce and Discovery Banks above the 2000–2500 m isobaths, and forming the southern boundary of the Weddell Scotia Confluence.
0148-0227
C06021
Heywood, K.J.
4eeebe72-3857-4729-8d6a-7ece46d37cd5
Naveira Garabato, A.C.
97c0e923-f076-4b38-b89b-938e11cea7a6
Stevens, D.P.
9b78fd18-9ea2-409d-b78f-61ac70555905
Muench, R.D.
2cbf0b03-66bf-4046-8210-bfa571621d8e
Heywood, K.J.
4eeebe72-3857-4729-8d6a-7ece46d37cd5
Naveira Garabato, A.C.
97c0e923-f076-4b38-b89b-938e11cea7a6
Stevens, D.P.
9b78fd18-9ea2-409d-b78f-61ac70555905
Muench, R.D.
2cbf0b03-66bf-4046-8210-bfa571621d8e

Heywood, K.J., Naveira Garabato, A.C., Stevens, D.P. and Muench, R.D. (2004) On the fate of the Antarctic Slope Front and the origin of the Weddell Front. Journal of Geophysical Research, 109 (C6), C06021. (doi:10.1029/2003JC002053).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Data from the Deep Ocean Ventilation Through Antarctic Intermediate Layers (DOVETAIL) and Antarctic Large-Scale Box Analysis and the Role of the Scotia Sea (ALBATROSS) projects are combined in the region of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Scotia Ridge to determine the paths and transports associated with the Antarctic Coastal Current, the Antarctic Slope Front, and the Weddell Front. The Antarctic Coastal Current flows over the Antarctic continental shelf and is not tied to a particular isobath. It transports ~1 Sv westward to the Bransfield Strait. Its subsequent course is uncertain, but we speculate that it may continue southwest along the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, close to the coast. The Antarctic Slope Front, present almost all the way around Antarctica tied to the continental slope, has not previously been mapped after it reaches the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. We show that the frontal jet splits into two branches in the northwest Powell Basin where the isobaths diverge. The shoreward portion of the water associated with the front (lying above isobaths shallower than 1500 m) is able to cross the South Scotia Ridge and head northwestward and retains many of the properties of the Antarctic Slope Front. It is associated with a transport of ~7 Sv. The portion of the front constrained to lie above isobaths deeper than 1500 m becomes the Weddell Front. This takes a path around the northern Powell Basin and south of the South Orkney Islands. Of the ~13 Sv that circulates around the southern flank of the South Orkney Plateau, ~8 Sv of Weddell Sea Deep Water and Warm Deep Water leaves the front to continue west. The remaining shallow and intermediate water retroflects and returns south associated with the Weddell Front through the Orkney Passage. Approximately 5–7 Sv is transported eastward associated with the Weddell Front, tied closely to the southern flanks of the Bruce and Discovery Banks above the 2000–2500 m isobaths, and forming the southern boundary of the Weddell Scotia Confluence.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 2004

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 37575
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/37575
ISSN: 0148-0227
PURE UUID: 8e3355f2-3baa-424b-b81b-6a5050ca88ee
ORCID for A.C. Naveira Garabato: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6071-605X

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 25 May 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:48

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: K.J. Heywood
Author: D.P. Stevens
Author: R.D. Muench

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×