On the development of Antarctic katabatic winds and their impact on ocean and ice processes in the coastal Southern Ocean with implications for primary productivity

As a first step toward improving the present understanding of the physics that control air-sea CO{dollar}sb2{dollar} exchange in the Southern Ocean, a coupled mesoscale atmosphere-ocean-sea ice model is described and used to examine the interaction of Antarctic katabatic winds with coastal ocean and sea ice processes. These winds are a dominant factor in shaping the climatology of Antarctica, particularly during the austral winter. Simulations are presented for winter and early spring conditions. For the spring case a simple primary productivity model is used to examine the early stages of phytoplankton bloom development.; Latent heat polynyas are a common feature along the Antarctic coast. These ice-free regions are maintained by a balance between wind driven ice divergence and ice production. For the winter simulation the coupled model creates an initial polynya that closes after 4 days of simulation. The closing of the polynya is linked to the adjustment of the katabatic winds to the alongshore direction which forces shoreward Ekman transport of the sea ice, closing the polynya.; Seasonal variations in the magnitude of the katabatic flows are linked to variations in the strength of the East Wind Drift. During the winter, the offshore directed katabtic winds adjust geostrophically, contributing to the strong polar easterlies of high southern latitudes. Shoreward Ekman transport associated with these easterlies supports a barotropic coastal current, the East Wind Drift. During spring the adjustment process is interrupted by the diurnal cycle, weakening the Ekman transport and the coastal current.; Phytoplankton blooms in the Southern Ocean are typically linked to the retreat of the seasonal ice cover. As the sea ice melts the associated input of fresh water stabilizes the surface layer of the ocean limiting the depth of turbulent mixing. In early spring, sea ice coverage, incoming solar irradiance and wind stress are shown to be the major factors contributing to early bloom development. Polynyas are shown to provide a favorable environment for bloom development even in the absence of fresh water input.