Oceanography of the Ross Sea Antarctica

1. Front Matter

   Pages II-XII

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2. General Aspects

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Thermohaline Data and Ocean Circulation on the Ross Sea Continental Shelf

      • S. S. Jacobs, C. F. Giulivi

      Pages 3-16

   3. Mapping the Thickness of Pancake Ice Using Ocean Wave Dispersion in SAR Imagery

      • P. Wadhams, F. Parmiggiani, G. de Carolis, M. Tadross

      Pages 17-34

3. The Southern Ocean and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 35-35

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   2. Observations of the Dynamics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean

      • E. Zambianchi, G. Budillon, P. Falco, G. Spezie

      Pages 37-50

   3. Altimeter Data Analysis of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

      • A. Simone, S. Zoffoli, D. Iudicone, R. Santoleri, S. Marullo

      Pages 51-65

   4. Upper Ocean Thermal Structure and Fronts Between New Zealand and the Ross Sea (Austral Summer 1994–1995 and 1995–1996)

      • A. Russo, A. Artegiani, G. Budillon, E. Paschini, G. Spezie

      Pages 67-75

   5. The Large-Scale Thermohaline Structure of the Ross Gyre

      • V. Gouretski

      Pages 77-100

4. Water Masses and Dynamics of the Ross Sea Continental Shelf

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 101-101

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   2. Temporal Variability of Currents in the Ross Sea (Antarctica)

      • P. Picco, L. Amici, R. Meloni, L. Langone, M. Ravaioli

      Pages 103-117

   3. Reconstructing the General Circulation of the Ross Sea (Antarctica) Using a Robust Diagnostic Model

      • A. Bergamasco, S. Carniel, L. Caldesi Valeri

      Pages 119-134

   4. A Wind and Boundary Driven Circulation Model of the Ross Sea

      • V. Commodari, S. Pierini

      Pages 135-144

   5. Wintertime Expansion and Contraction of the Terra Nova Bay Polynya

      • M. L. Van Woert

      Pages 145-164

   6. Current, Temperature and Salinity Observations in the Terra Nova Bay Polynya Area

      • G. M. R. Manzella, R. Meloni, P. Picco

      Pages 165-173

5. Particle Fluxes and Organic Matter

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 175-175

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   2. Particle Fluxes at the Edge of the Ross Ice Shelf: the Role of Physical Forcing

      • A. Accornero, A. Bergamasco, A. Monaco, S. Tucci

      Pages 177-195

   3. Actual Sedimentation on the Antarctic Continental Shelf (Southern Part of the Ross Sea)

      • S. Tucci, M. Ferrari, M. Capello

      Pages 197-207

   4. Particle Fluxes and Sediment Characteristics at Three Selected Sites in the Ross Sea (Antarctica)

      • M. Ravaioli, M. Frignani, M. C. Gambi, L. Labbrozzi, L. Langone

      Pages 209-222

   5. General Characteristics of Density-Turbidity Currents in the Ross Sea (Antarctica)

      • S. Gremes Cordero, E. Salusti

      Pages 223-232

The era of the exploration of the World Ocean is not yet over: some areas still lack an adequate number of observations. The relationships between the physical, chemical and biological processes, which sustain the life on this planet, are not yet fully understood. In short, knowledge of the oceans is still far from satisfactory. This book covers an important period in the study of one of the last investigated areas of the World Ocean: the Ross Sea, Antarctica. During the 1990s, long-term experiments were conducted in this area as part of the Climatic Long-term Interaction for the Mass balance in Antarctica (CLIMA) project of the Italian National Programme for Antarctic Research (PNRA), providing a wealth of oceanographic information. This book is an outcome of the CLIMA field obser­ vations and international collaborations with the most important programmes in the Ross Sea-Southern Ocean area. It contributes to the st!ldies of the spatial and temporal variability of Ross Sea water masses and circulation and their relation­ ship with the Southern Ocean circulation. A comprehensive review of historical data is offered, and new data sets are analysed. The studies presented in this book show that much progress has been achieved during the last decade, but large gaps in our understanding of the physical processes in the Ross Sea are still to be filled. However, these studies contribute significantly to the investigation of some specific aspects regarding the circula­ tion of the main water masses.

• Meteorology
• Ocean
• Oceanography
• Pancake Ice
• Scale
• Snow
• Southern Ocean
• Wind
• marine

• Institute of Meteorology and Oceanography, IUN, Napoli, Italy

  Giancarlo Spezie

• Marine Environment Research Centre, ENEA, S. Terenzo(La Spezia), Italy

  Giuseppe M. R. Manzella

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