Influence of tides on mass transport in the northern Antarctic Peninsula

The northern Antarctic Peninsula is a high-productivity region for biological resources in the Antarctic. Physical oceanographic processes produce strong ecosystem dynamics via mass transport and water exchange. However, few studies have focused on these processes from coast to shelf and across slopes by tidal dynamics. Therefore, a numerical model was implemented with a high resolution to simulate the influence of the tide on mass transport. The output of model indicated that the tidal residual current produced by the diurnal tide is dominant and primarily distributed along the shelf break and near the coast, and water stratification amplifies this residual current system. Water exchange processes were evaluated utilizing passive tracer dyes to demonstrate the influence of the tides on the channel and bay. The tracer residence time ranged from a few days to a week and was affected by the considered representative region’s topography and area. Correspondingly, Lagrangian particles tracking method is also used to illustrate the mass transportation, which primarily move along the isobaths on the slope but spiral on the flat shelf. All experiments conducted herein indicate that tidal dynamic is indispensable in this region when studying cross-shelf mass transport.