Wind‐Driven Processes During Sea Ice Melt Season in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

The Antarctica is surrounded by sea ice in winter, while at the end of summer, sea ice hundreds of kilometers wide can remain near the coast. However, in the Ross Sea section, an ocean channel usually forms in the melt season, connecting the Ross Sea Ice Shelf front with the Southern Ocean. This phenomenon has received little attention. In December, the Ross Sea Ice Shelf Polynya expands under the prevailing southerlies, which facilitates sea ice melting by pushing sunlight‐heated ocean water northward. In January, the Ice Strip to the north of the Ross Sea Ice Shelf breaks, and an ocean channel appears around the 180° date line. The key factor of prevailing southerlies to the north of the Ross Sea Ice Shelf in December is generally correlated with the Southern Annular Mode. This study underlines the role of Antarctic katabatic winds during sea ice melt season.