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Science 19 July 2002:
Vol. 297. no. 5580, pp. 386 - 389
DOI: 10.1126/science.1069574
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Reports

Freshening of the Ross Sea During the Late 20th Century

S. S. Jacobs,* C. F. Giulivi, P. A. Mele

Ocean measurements in the Ross Sea over the past four decades, one of the longest records near Antarctica, reveal marked decreases in shelf water salinity and the surface salinity within the Ross Gyre. These changes have been accompanied by atmospheric warming on Ross Island, ocean warming at depths of ~300 meters north of the continental shelf, a more negative Southern Oscillation Index, and thinning of southeast Pacific ice shelves. The freshening appears to have resulted from a combination of factors, including increased precipitation, reduced sea ice production, and increased melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sjacobs{at}ldeo.columbia.edu

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Ice Core Evidence for Antarctic Sea Ice Decline Since the 1950s.
M. A. J. Curran, T. D. van Ommen, V. I. Morgan, K. L. Phillips, and A. S. Palmer (2003)
Science 302, 1203-1206
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Mass Balance of Polar Ice Sheets.
E. Rignot and R. H. Thomas (2002)
Science 297, 1502-1506
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)