Heat transport across the Antarctic Slope Front controlled by cross-slope salinity gradients

Abstract

The Antarctic Slope Front (ASF) is a strong gradient in water mass properties close to the Antarctic margins, separating warm water from the Antarctic ice sheet. Heat transport across the ASF is important to Earth’s climate, as it influences melting of ice shelves, the formation of bottom water, and thus the global meridional overturning circulation. Previous studies based on relatively low-resolution global models have reported contradictory findings regarding the impact of additional meltwater on heat transport toward the Antarctic continental shelf: It remains unclear whether meltwater enhances shoreward heat transport, leading to a positive feedback, or further isolates the continental shelf from the open ocean. In this study, heat transport across the ASF is investigated using eddy- and tide-resolving, process-oriented simulations. It is found that freshening of the fresh coastal waters leads to increased shoreward heat flux, which implies a positive feedback in a warming climate: Increased meltwater will increase shoreward heat transport, causing further melt of ice shelves.