Intensification of the Antarctic slope current due to freshwater forcing in a warmer climate

The Antarctic slope current (ASC) flows westward along the Antarctic coastlines and influences heat exchange across the Antarctic continental shelf. Therefore, it could play an important role in regulating the Southern Ocean circulation by affecting processes such as ice melting and water mass formation. However, clarifying the mechanism and change of ASC in future climate using high-resolution climate model is still challenging. We showthat ASC is projected to accelerate in response to CO2 increases by comparing present-day and CO2 increased simulations (2×CO2 and 4×CO2)conducted with the fully coupled ultra-high-resolution Community Earth System Model. The intensification of ASC was attributable to an increase in the gradient of sea surface height due to a decrease in salinity through geostrophic balance. This freshening was dominated by sea ice melting, while increases in runoff and precipitation minus evaporation played a minor role with regional and seasonal dependence. These results increased understanding about the future change of ASC using high-resolution simulations and have important implications for changes in mesoscale ocean circulation and the climate of Southern Ocean.