Abstract
Warm, salty Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) has long been regarded as the
climatological driver for Antarctica, but the mechanism of how it can
reach the continental shelf remains unsettled. Motivated by the absence
of observational eddy flux estimation in the Antarctic margin, we
quantify isopycnal diffusivity of CDW by hydrographic records and
satellite altimetry under the mixing length framework. For comparison,
spiciness and thickness are used as the isopycnal tracer. Over the
extent of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), we find a general
agreement with the mixing suppression theory and its exception in the
lee of the topography as previously reported. In contrast, mixing length
does not depend on mean flow to the pole, reflecting a stagnant flow
regime in the Antarctic margin. Estimated isopycnal diffusivity ranges
100-500 m2 s-1 to the south of the ACC. Eddy diffusion is likely
enhanced where the CDW intrusion is localized by the recirculating
gyres, primarily attributable to the small gradient of isopycnal
thickness. Volume transport is then estimated by the layer thickness
gradient. Associated onshore heat flux across the continental slope by
CDW is calculated as ~3.6 TW and ~1.2 TW
in the eastern and western Indian sectors, respectively. The estimates
are quantitatively consistent with cryospheric heat sinks by sea ice
formation and ice shelf basal melt, suggesting that the isopycnal eddy
diffusion is the leading cause of the onshore CDW intrusion. We
emphasize that the thickness field is essential for determining the eddy
fluxes in the Antarctic margin.