The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

2027 Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

January 12-15, 2027

Argo-Based Evidence for Hydrographic Responses to Cyclones in the Ross Sea polynyas
ID:1604 Invited Oral Presentation

2027-01-12 10:25 (China Standard Time)

Session: Session 48 - OCEANOGRAPHIC PROCESSES IN AUSTAL AUTUMN IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN

Abstract
Cyclones frequently affect the Ross Sea sector of the Southern Ocean, but their short-term impacts on sea ice–ocean interactions and water-mass variability remain insufficiently quantified. This study investigates the hydrographic response of the Ross Sea to synoptic-scale and mesoscale cyclones using Argo float observations and cyclone tracking data from 2020 to 2025. Typical cyclone events passing near the Ross Sea were selected based on their trajectories, duration, and proximity to available Argo profiles. Sea level pressure fields were further used to characterize the evolution and movement of these cyclone systems. Temperature and salinity profiles before, during, and after cyclone passages were compared over approximately ±12 days around each event. Preliminary results show that selected cyclone events are associated with measurable changes in upper-ocean hydrographic structure. In particular, isohalines show evident shoaling after cyclone passages, although the timing of this response differs among events, occurring nearly synchronously with some cyclones but lagging by several days in others. Temperature responses also exhibit different tendencies among cases, suggesting that cyclone impacts on the upper ocean are modulated by local stratification, background water-mass structure, and the relative importance of vertical mixing and water-mass redistribution. Differences among events and float locations indicate that cyclone scale, pathway, and background ocean conditions may jointly regulate the magnitude and persistence of the oceanic response. These findings highlight the potential role of episodic cyclone forcing in modulating short-term hydrographic variability and high-salinity shelf water formation in the Ross Sea.
Speaker
Xiaoqiao Wang National University of Defense Technology

Author
Xiaoqiao Wang National University of Defense Technology

    Important Dates

    • Jan 30

      2026

      Session / Event proposals open

    • Mar 31

      2026

      Session / Event proposals close
      (Extended to April 7)

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Session acceptance notifications

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions & registration open

    • Jun 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions close
      (Extended to July 21)

    • Aug 31

      2026

      Abstract acceptance notifications

    • Sep 15

      2026

      Scientific program released

    • Oct 15

      2026

      Early bird registration closes

    • Jan 12–15

      2027

      XMAS 2027