Tidal effects on the ice concentration and lead fraction over the contintental shelf and slope off Wilkes Land

Project aim

Sea ice and tides are important factors affecting ocean-atmosphere heat transfer and deep water formation. They affect climate and the global thermohaline circulation. Generally, tidal processes were ignored in coupled sea ice/ocean models and sea ice was ignored in tidal models. Here, a coupled sea ice/ocean model is used to evaluate tidal effects on sea ice and deep water formation in the continental margin off Wilkes Land. The model results will both support and be verified against results from an observational sea ice program. The project will also investigate the effects of warming of circumpolar deep water on sea ice.