Multidecadal poleward shift of the southern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current off East Antarctica

The southern boundary (SB) of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the southernmost extent of the upper overturning circulation, regulates the Antarctic thermal conditions. The SB's behavior remains unconstrained because it does not have a clear surface signature. Revisited hydrographic data from off East Antarctica indicate full-depth warming from 1996 to 2019, concurrent with an extensive poleward shift of the SB subsurface isotherms (>50 km), which is most prominent at 120 degrees E off the Sabrina Coast. The SB shift is attributable to enhanced upper overturning circulation and a depth-independent frontal shift, generally accounting for 30 and 70%, respectively. Thirty years of oceanographic data corroborate the overall and localized poleward shifts that are likely controlled by continental slope topography. Numerical experiments successfully reproduce this locality and demonstrate its sensitivity to mesoscale processes and wind forcing. The poleward SB shift under intensified westerlies potentially induces multidecadal warming of Antarctic shelf water.

Automated summary

This study reveals that the movement of the southern boundary (SB) of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is influenced by the upper overturning circulation. Through a reexamination of hydrographic data, it was found that there is overall warming and a poleward shift of subsurface isotherms of SB.