The Sea Journal of the Korean Society of Oceanography ISSN:1226-2978(Print) 2671-8820(Online) 한국해양학회지 바다

This study presents a comprehensive review of recent oceanic environmental changes and the variability of ice-shelf basal melting in the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, driven by climate change. Owing to its deep trough topography and the persistent influence of the Amundsen Sea Low, the Amundsen Sea is particularly vulnerable to the intrusion of Circumpolar Deep Water onto the continental shelf, resulting in the most rapid rates of ice-shelf melting and glacier retreat worldwide, especially at Pine Island Glacier and Thwaites Glacier. The regional water-mass structure is characterized by Antarctic Surface Water, Winter Water, and Modified Circumpolar Deep Water, and variability in the volume, temperature, and salinity of Circumpolar Deep Water directly regulates ice-shelf basal melting. Understanding the mechanisms of oceanic variability in the Amundsen Sea is therefore essential for reducing uncertainties in projections of West Antarctic Ice Sheet instability and its contribution to global sea-level rise. This variability is not governed by a simple warming trend but is strongly modulated by atmosphere-ocean-sea ice interactions, including wind-driven surface stress and curl associated with sea ice, as well as remote climate modes such as the Southern Annular Mode and El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Therefore, future research should prioritize sustained long-term observations and high-resolution coupled modeling to elucidate the interplay between large-scale climate modes and anthropogenic forcing. By synthesizing the current state of knowledge through an extensive literature review, this study provides a critical foundation for advancing future research on Antarctic and global climate change.