Antarctic Bottom Water outflow from the western Ross Sea: preliminary results from the Ross Sea Outflow Experiment

Melissa Bowen, University of Auckland, School of Environment, Auckland, New Zealand, Denise Fernandez, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand and Aitana Forcen-Vazquez, MetOcean, Raglan, New Zealand
Abstract:
Antarctic Bottom Water from the western Ross Sea makes up 25% of the global volume of this water mass. Dense plumes leave the Drygalski Trough and flow downward and westward along the continental slope, entering deeper water off Cape Adare. Hydrographic and moored observations of the dense outflow off Cape Adare were made between February 2018 and January 2019. Here we present the initial findings of AABW transport from the hydrographic survey. We also show the seasonal and interannual variability of the dense outflow from the western Ross Sea in the recent moored observations and from past experiments in the region.
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