An east-west contrasting changes of Antarctic Bottom Water properties in the Southern Indian Ocean over the last three decades

Physical properties of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) derived from mixture of multiple source waters of different properties, are significantly affected by and contribute to the climate change. This study reveals a contrasting east-west pattern of changes in AABW temperature and salinity in the Southern Indian Ocean (SIO), which continues to become warmer (0.04 ± 0.01°C/decade) and more saline (0.002 ± 0.001 kg/g/decade) in the western SIO whereas warmer (0.03 ± 0.01°C/decade) and fresher (-0.004 ± 0.001 kg/g/decade) in the eastern SIO over the past three decades, based on repeat hydrographic observations along meridional lines (1993, 1996, 2008, and 2019 in the western SIO and 1995, 2004, and 2012 in the eastern SIO). Warming and salinification of AABW consisting of the Cape Darnley Bottom Water (CDBW), Weddell Sea Deep Water (WSDW), and Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW) in the western SIO, are explained by changing proportion of source waters during the period, e.g., decreasing portion of relatively fresh CDBW (from 68% to 59%), and increasing portions of saline WSDW (from 30% to 34%) and warm and saline LCDW (from 2% to 7%). In contrast, in the eastern SIO, warming and freshening of the AABW consisting of the Ross Sea Bottom Water (RSBW), Adélie Land Bottom Water (ALBW), and LCDW are not explained by the changing proportion but properties of the source waters during the period, e.g., warming and freshening of RSBW (0.08°C/decade and -0.013 kg/g/decade) and ALBW (0.01°C/decade and -0.008 kg/g/decade). The east-west contrasting changes of AABW properties (eastern freshening and western salinification) over the last three decades have important consequences within and beyond the SIO.