title: Mechanisms driving variability in the ocean forcing of Pine Island Glacier.
abstract: Pine Island Glacier (PIG) terminates in a rapidly melting ice shelf, and ocean circulation and temperature are implicated in the retreat and growing contribution to sea level rise of PIG and nearby glaciers. However, the variability of the ocean forcing of PIG has been poorly constrained due to a lack of multi-year observations. Here we show, using a unique record close to the Pine Island Ice Shelf (PIIS), that there is considerable oceanic variability at seasonal and interannual timescales, including a pronounced cold period from October 2011 to May 2013. This variability can be largely explained by two processes: cumulative ocean surface heat fluxes and sea ice formation close to PIIS; and interannual reversals in ocean currents and associated heat transport within Pine Island Bay, driven by a combination of local and remote forcing. Local atmospheric forcing therefore plays an important role in driving oceanic variability close to PIIS.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
authors.forename: Benjamin G M
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Webber
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
authors.forename: Karen J
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9859-0026
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Heywood
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Mathematics, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
authors.forename: David P
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7283-4405
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: Ocean and Climate Physics, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, New York 10964-1000, USA.|Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105-6698, USA.|British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8066-934X
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dutrieux
authors.affiliation: British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.
authors.forename: E Povl
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Abrahamsen
authors.affiliation: British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: Ocean and Climate Physics, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, New York 10964-1000, USA.
authors.forename: Stanley S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: Department of Ocean Sciences, Inha University, Incheon 22212, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ho Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 21990, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 21990, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Wan
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kim