Ocean-Sea Ice Processes and Their Role in Multi-Month Predictability of Antarctic Sea Ice

Abstract

Antarctic sea ice is a critical component of the climate system and a vital habitat for Southern Ocean ecosystems. Understanding the underlying physical processes and improving Antarctic sea ice prediction is of broad interest. Using the model data, we investigate sea ice and upper ocean predictability at interannual timescales in the Weddell Sea region. We find that oceanic predictability is largely confined to the Winter Water layer and responds to seasonal modifications of the water column, mainly driven by sea ice processes. Predictability depends not only on the depth of the Winter Water layer, but also on how strongly stratified its base is. Predictability is lost when warm Circumpolar Deep Water with no sea ice-related memory entrains into the mixed layer. We show the strong dependence of sea ice predictability on the local upper ocean vertical structure, which suggests that both are likely to change in a warming climate.