Analysis output of the MITgcm ocean model data for the Amundsen Sea (1920 to 2100)

This dataset contains high-resolution oceanographic model outputs generated using the MIT General Circulation Model (MITgcm) to study the projected ocean warming in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica, under the RCP8.5 scenario. The primary focus of this dataset is to isolate and analyse the contributions of different atmospheric and oceanic drivers - namely, stronger poleward-shifted winds and changes in atmospheric thermodynamics - to future changes in ocean temperature and freshwater fluxes in this region. The spatial focus is on the Amundsen Sea continental shelf, a key area where Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) intrudes and drives ice shelf melting. Data were generated using MITgcm, a high-resolution regional ocean model. The model was run under different configurations: with all modern atmospheric and oceanic drivers (ALL), with no anthropogenic changes (NONE), with only thermodynamic changes (THERMO), and with only wind changes (WIND). Additional ensemble runs and experiments with transient boundary conditions were performed to assess the robustness of the findings.

Funding:
Computing hours were funded by the UKRI-JSPS project 'Quantifying Human Influence on Ocean Melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet' budget (NE/S011994/1)
My funding comes from the NERC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership INSPIRE DTP