Terra Nova Bay Dense Shelf Water Formation and Northward Spreading

A 2029 observational study investigates the formation, transformation, and northward spreading of dense saline shelf water from Terra Nova Bay in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. The project is an international collaboration involving the USA, South Korea, New Zealand, and Italy. It employs a series of instrumented moorings along the pathway from the bay through the Drygalski Trough to the deep boundary current adjacent to Cape Adare.

Use Cases

• Analyze temperature and salinity time-series data from moorings to track dense water transformation along Drygalski Trough.
• Model northward spreading pathways using geospatial current velocity and water property measurements.
• Study the spill-over event at the continental slope using synchronous observations of water export and descent.
• Investigate the role of coastal polynyas and katabatic winds in dense water formation using atmospheric and ocean interaction data.
• Assess the contribution of Terra Nova Bay shelf water to the Antarctic Bottom Water component of the global overturning system.

Strengths

• Data is collected via a coordinated, synchronous observational study along a complete pathway from formation to deep ocean descent.
• International collaboration involving multiple countries (USA, South Korea, New Zealand, Italy) provides diverse expertise and validation.
• Focuses on a specific, previously unstudied sequence from Terra Nova Bay to Cape Adare boundary current.

Limitations

• Specific row count, column count, and data size are unknown.
• The dataset's temporal coverage and exact measurement frequency are not detailed.
• Geographic coverage is limited to the western Ross Sea pathway, not a broader Antarctic region.

Provenance

Source

AMD_USAPDC organization via NASA EarthData platform.

Collection Method

Instrumented moorings deployed along a pathway from Terra Nova Bay, along Drygalski Trough, and onto the boundary current adjacent to Cape Adare.

Time Range

Future project with data collection planned for 2029.

Freshness

Data collection is planned for 2029, indicating it is a future project.

Geography

Terra Nova Bay, Drygalski Trough in the western Ross Sea, and the deep boundary current adjacent to Cape Adare, Antarctica.