Hokkaido University · Earth and Planetary Sciences
Professor Yoshihiro Nakayama's research lab specializes in high-resolution ocean modeling to investigate the dynamics of warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) and its impact on Antarctic ice shelves, particularly in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas. The lab focuses on understanding the pathways of heat transport to ice shelf cavities, the role of subglacial freshwater discharge in enhancing basal melting, and the long-term effects of increased ice shelf melt on Southern Ocean circulation and bottom water formation. Using advanced regional ocean models with fine spatial resolution, the lab aims to bridge the gap between observational data and model simulations to improve predictions of Antarctic ice sheet contribution to global sea level rise.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Melting of West Antarctic ice shelves is enhanced by Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) intruding onto the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas (ABS) continental shelves. Despite existing studies of cross-shelf and on-shelf CDW transports, CDW pathways onto the ABS originating from further offshore have never been investigated. Here, we investigate CDW pathways onto the ABS using a regional ocean model. Simulated CDW tracers from a zonal section across 67°S (S04P) circulate along the Antarctic Circumpolar
Abstract It has been suggested that an increased melting of continental ice in the Amundsen Sea (AS) and Bellingshausen Sea (BS) is a likely source of the observed freshening of Ross Sea (RS) water. To test this hypothesis, we simulate the spreading of glacial meltwater using the Finite Element Sea Ice/Ice Shelf/Ocean Model. Based on the spatial distribution of simulated passive tracers, most of the basal meltwater from AS ice shelves flows toward the RS with more than half of the melt originati
In the Amundsen Sea, modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW) intrudes into ice shelf cavities, causing high ice shelf melting near the ice sheet grounding lines, accelerating ice flow, and controlling the pace of future Antarctic contributions to global sea level. The pathways of mCDW towards grounding lines are crucial as they directly control the heat reaching the ice. A realistic representation of mCDW circulation, however, remains challenging due to the sparsity of in-situ observations and th
Abstract Satellite‐based estimates of ice shelf melt rates reach 200 m close to the grounding line of Pine Island Glacier, in West Antarctica. However, ocean simulations have not yet been able to reproduce such high melt rates, even with high‐resolution models. Here, we use a regional model of Pine Island ice shelf cavity and study the impact of subglacial freshwater discharge on simulated ice shelf melt rates and ocean circulation in the cavity. We show that subglacial freshwater discharge subs
Abstract. Previous studies show accelerations of West Antarctic glaciers, implying that basal melt rates of these glaciers were previously small and increased in the middle of the 20th century. This enhanced melting is a likely source of the observed Ross Sea (RS) freshening, but its long-term impact on the Southern Ocean hydrography has not been well investigated. Here, we conduct coupled sea ice–ice shelf–ocean simulations with different levels of ice shelf melting from West Antarctic glaciers
Abstract At several locations around Antarctica, dense water is formed as a result of intense sea ice formation. When this dense water becomes sufficiently denser than the surrounding water, it descends the continental slope and forms Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW). This study presents the AABW formation off the coast of Cape Darnley [Cape Darnley Bottom Water (CDBW)] in East Antarctica, using a nonhydrostatic model. The model is forced for 8 months by a temporally uniform surface salt flux (beca
Abstract Wind factor, the ratio of sea ice drift speed to surface wind speed, is a key factor for the dynamics of sea ice and is generally about 2%. In some coastal oceans, however, the wind factor tends to be larger near the coast. This study proposes the enhancement mechanism of the sea ice drift caused by the dynamical coupling between sea ice and a coastal ocean. In a coastal ocean covered with sea ice, wind-forced sea ice drift excites coastal trapped waves (shelf waves) and generates fluct
Relations among load fluctuation, geometrical shape and propagation behavior of a deformation band were examined for an inhomogeneous plastic deformation generated at relatively low temperature. The geometrical shape and propagation behavior of the deformation band were evaluated by strain gauges and surface roughness of specimen. Quantitative analysis of the load fluctuation was also carried out by fast Fourier transform method. The following results were obtained. A wavy load fluctuation was o
Capacitive deionization (CDI) has attracted a lot of attention in recent years as an energy-efficient and cost-effective desalination technology. In addition to its low cost, granular activated carbon (GAC) satisfies the general requirements for the CDI electrodes. In this study, the possibility of using GAC for CDI electrodes was investigated experimentally. When GAC is packed into a CDI cell as the electrodes without pressure, the amount of ion removal was small due to high electric resistance
The Pine Island and Thwaites Ice Shelves (PIIS/TIS) in the Amundsen Sea are melting rapidly and impacting global sea levels. The thermocline depth (TD) variability, the interface between cold Winter Water and warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW), at the PIIS/TIS front strongly correlates with basal melt rates, but the drivers of its interannual variability remain uncertain. Here, using an ocean model, we propose that the strength of the eastern Amundsen Sea on-shelf circulation primarily
From July 1988 through August 1996, 54 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) on maintenance dialysis (50 hemodialysis = HD, and 4 continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis) have undergone some sort of surgical procedure requiring the use of extra corporeal circulation (ECC); 42 patients underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 8 valve replacement, 3 combined procedures and 1 correction of a congenital heart defect. The protocol called for maintenance dialysis on the day bef
Abstract. Previous studies show accelerations of West Antarctic glaciers, implying that basal melt rates of these glaciers were previously small and increased in the middle of the 20th century. This enhanced melting is a likely source of the observed Ross Sea (RS) freshening, but its long-term impact on the Southern Ocean hydrography has never been investigated. Here, we conduct coupled sea-ice/ice-shelf/ocean simulations with different levels of ice shelf melting from West Antarctic glaciers. F
<p>In the Amundsen Sea, modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW) intrudes into ice shelf cavities, causing high ice shelf melting near the ice sheet grounding lines, accelerating ice flow, and controlling the pace of future Antarctic contributions to global sea level. The pathways of mCDW towards grounding lines are crucial as they directly control the heat reaching the ice. A realistic representation of mCDW circulation, however, remains challenging due to the sparsity of in-situ ob
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