A coupled sea ice‐mixed layer‐pycnocline model for the Weddell Sea

Abstract

A dynamic‐thermodynamic sea ice model is coupled to a one‐dimensional model of the oceanic mixed layer and pycnocline and is applied to the Weddell Sea. This model prognostically determines the vertical oceanic heat flux from the mixed layer dynamics in contrast to earlier sea ice modeling where the oceanic heat flux was prescribed. In addition to the standard simulation, polynya and paleoclimate experiments were performed to investigate the effects of sea ice dynamics. Furthermore, the mixed layer‐pycnocline model is compared to the original Kraus‐Turner approach.