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Possible Sea Ice Impacts on Oceanic Deep ConvectionMany regions of the world ocean known or suspected to have deep convection are sea-ice covered for at least a portion of the annual cycle. As this suggests that sea ice might have some impact on generating or maintaining this phenomenon, several mechanisms by which sea ice could exert an influence are presented in the following paragraphs. Sea ice formation could be a direct causal factor in deep convection by providing the surface density increase necessary to initiate the convective overturning. As sea ice forms, either by ice accretion or by in situ ice formation in open water or in lead areas between ice floes, salt is rejected to the underlying water. This increases the water salinity, thereby increasing water density in the mixed layer under the ice. A sufficient increase in density will lead to mixing with deeper waters, and perhaps to deep convection or even bottom water formation. Observations are needed to establish whether this process is actually occurring; it is most likely in regions with extensive ice formation and a relatively unstable oceanic density structure.
Document ID
19850017730
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Parkinson, C. L.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 1984
Publication Information
Publication: NASA. Goddard Inst. for Space Studies North Atlantic Deep Water Formation
Subject Category
Oceanography
Accession Number
85N26041
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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