Speaker: Qian Li, Postdoctoral Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
In a warming climate, the Antarctic ice sheet has been losing mass to the ocean at an accelerating rate, while sea ice extent has shifted from gradual increases to rapid declines. Changes in southern ocean circulation are also evident, though the mechanisms driving long-term ice-ocean interactions remain uncertain.
In this talk, Li will first show how Antarctic meltwater is slowing down the sinking of Antarctic bottom water, leading to warming and aging of the abyssal ocean, with implications for global ocean biogeochemistry and climate that could last for centuries. Second, she will show that mesoscale ocean heat transport convergence into the seasonal ice zone causes a decadal decrease in sea ice extent, suggesting the rapid decline in Antarctic sea ice observed in recent years may be part of natural variability.
This seminar can also be viewed via our live stream.
Hosted by the Climate, People and the Environment Program (CPEP).