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IMIS - Marine Research Groups

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Formation of the Terra Nova Bay polynya and climatic implications
Funder identifier: A3/10/001 (Other contract id)
Period: September 1992 till September 1996
Status: Completed

Thesaurus terms: Deep water formation; Ice caps; Ice-air interface; Ice-water interface; Modelling; Polynyas; Sea ice
  • Université Catholique de Louvain; Science and Technology Sector; Earth and Life Institute; Earth and Climate division (ELIc), more
  • Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO), more, sponsor
Modelling of interactive relations between the ice cap, the atmosphere and the ocean in the Terra Nova region, in association with the Antarctic climate. To this end, simulating the katabatic wind generated above the ice cap and simulation of the formation of the polynya (area of ice-free sea) forced by the wind in Terra Nova Bay.

OBJECTIVES

- To achieve a better understanding of the processes favouring energy exchanges between ocean and atmosphere in the Antarctic coastal area on a seasonal basis.

- To study and model the physical processes generated by these energy exchanges and, in particular, the formation of sea ice and the release of salt into the ocean under the effect of the katabatic wind.

- To quantify the impact of these processes on the formation of deep waters in the Southern Ocean and to determine their significance for the evolution of the climate.