Tropical Pacific Influence on the Source and Transport of Marine Aerosols to West Antarctica
The climate of West Antarctica is strongly influenced by remote forcing from the tropical Pacific. For example, recent surface warming over West Antarctica reflects atmospheric circulation changes over the Amundsen Sea, driven by an atmospheric Rossby wave response to tropical sea surface temperatur...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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American Meteorological Society
2014
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90294 |
| _version_ | 1826216750906081280 |
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| author | Criscitiello, Alison S. Das, Sarah B. Karnauskas, Kristopher B. Evans, Matthew J. Frey, Karen E. Joughin, Ian Steig, Eric J. McConnell, Joseph R. Medley, Brooke |
| author2 | Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering |
| author_facet | Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering Criscitiello, Alison S. Das, Sarah B. Karnauskas, Kristopher B. Evans, Matthew J. Frey, Karen E. Joughin, Ian Steig, Eric J. McConnell, Joseph R. Medley, Brooke |
| author_sort | Criscitiello, Alison S. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | The climate of West Antarctica is strongly influenced by remote forcing from the tropical Pacific. For example, recent surface warming over West Antarctica reflects atmospheric circulation changes over the Amundsen Sea, driven by an atmospheric Rossby wave response to tropical sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. Here, it is demonstrated that tropical Pacific SST anomalies also influence the source and transport of marine-derived aerosols to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Using records from four firn cores collected along the Amundsen coast of West Antarctica, the relationship between sea ice–modulated chemical species and large-scale atmospheric variability in the tropical Pacific from 1979 to 2010 is investigated. Significant correlations are found between marine biogenic aerosols and sea salts, and SST and sea level pressure in the tropical Pacific. In particular, La Niña–like conditions generate an atmospheric Rossby wave response that influences atmospheric circulation over Pine Island Bay. Seasonal regression of atmospheric fields on methanesulfonic acid (MSA) reveals a reduction in onshore wind velocities in summer at Pine Island Bay, consistent with enhanced katabatic flow, polynya opening, and coastal dimethyl sulfide production. Seasonal regression of atmospheric fields on chloride (Cl[superscript −]) reveals an intensification in onshore wind velocities in winter, consistent with sea salt transport from offshore source regions. Both the source and transport of marine aerosols to West Antarctica are found to be modulated by similar atmospheric dynamics in response to remote forcing. Finally, the regional ice-core array suggests that there is both a temporally and a spatially varying response to remote tropical forcing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:52:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/90294 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:52:50Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | American Meteorological Society |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/902942022-09-29T22:06:31Z Tropical Pacific Influence on the Source and Transport of Marine Aerosols to West Antarctica Criscitiello, Alison S. Das, Sarah B. Karnauskas, Kristopher B. Evans, Matthew J. Frey, Karen E. Joughin, Ian Steig, Eric J. McConnell, Joseph R. Medley, Brooke Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Atmospheres, Oceans, and Climate Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Criscitiello, Alison S. The climate of West Antarctica is strongly influenced by remote forcing from the tropical Pacific. For example, recent surface warming over West Antarctica reflects atmospheric circulation changes over the Amundsen Sea, driven by an atmospheric Rossby wave response to tropical sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. Here, it is demonstrated that tropical Pacific SST anomalies also influence the source and transport of marine-derived aerosols to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Using records from four firn cores collected along the Amundsen coast of West Antarctica, the relationship between sea ice–modulated chemical species and large-scale atmospheric variability in the tropical Pacific from 1979 to 2010 is investigated. Significant correlations are found between marine biogenic aerosols and sea salts, and SST and sea level pressure in the tropical Pacific. In particular, La Niña–like conditions generate an atmospheric Rossby wave response that influences atmospheric circulation over Pine Island Bay. Seasonal regression of atmospheric fields on methanesulfonic acid (MSA) reveals a reduction in onshore wind velocities in summer at Pine Island Bay, consistent with enhanced katabatic flow, polynya opening, and coastal dimethyl sulfide production. Seasonal regression of atmospheric fields on chloride (Cl[superscript −]) reveals an intensification in onshore wind velocities in winter, consistent with sea salt transport from offshore source regions. Both the source and transport of marine aerosols to West Antarctica are found to be modulated by similar atmospheric dynamics in response to remote forcing. Finally, the regional ice-core array suggests that there is both a temporally and a spatially varying response to remote tropical forcing. United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Science (Graduate Fellowship Program) National Science Foundation (U.S.). Division of Polar Programs (Grant ANT-0632031) National Science Foundation (U.S.). Division of Polar Programs (Grant ANT-0631973) National Science Foundation (U.S.). Major Research Instrumentation Program (Grant EAR-1126217) United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Cryosphere Program Grant NNX10AP09G) Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (WHOI Award for Innovative Research) 2014-09-24T13:22:52Z 2014-09-24T13:22:52Z 2014-02 2013-10 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0894-8755 1520-0442 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90294 Criscitiello, Alison S., Sarah B. Das, Kristopher B. Karnauskas, Matthew J. Evans, Karen E. Frey, Ian Joughin, Eric J. Steig, Joseph R. McConnell, and Brooke Medley. “Tropical Pacific Influence on the Source and Transport of Marine Aerosols to West Antarctica.” J. Climate 27, no. 3 (February 2014): 1343–1363. © 2014 American Meteorological Society en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-13-00148.1 Journal of Climate Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf American Meteorological Society American Meteorological Society |
| spellingShingle | Criscitiello, Alison S. Das, Sarah B. Karnauskas, Kristopher B. Evans, Matthew J. Frey, Karen E. Joughin, Ian Steig, Eric J. McConnell, Joseph R. Medley, Brooke Tropical Pacific Influence on the Source and Transport of Marine Aerosols to West Antarctica |
| title | Tropical Pacific Influence on the Source and Transport of Marine Aerosols to West Antarctica |
| title_full | Tropical Pacific Influence on the Source and Transport of Marine Aerosols to West Antarctica |
| title_fullStr | Tropical Pacific Influence on the Source and Transport of Marine Aerosols to West Antarctica |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tropical Pacific Influence on the Source and Transport of Marine Aerosols to West Antarctica |
| title_short | Tropical Pacific Influence on the Source and Transport of Marine Aerosols to West Antarctica |
| title_sort | tropical pacific influence on the source and transport of marine aerosols to west antarctica |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90294 |
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