Ocean Wave Energy Regimes of the Circumpolar Coastal Zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkinson, D. E.

2004-12-01

Ocean wave activity is a major enviromental forcing agent of the ice-rich sediments that comprise large sections of the arctic coastal margins. While it is instructive to possess information about the wind regimes in these regions, direct application to geomorphological and engineering needs requires knowledge of the resultant wave-energy regimes. Wave energy information has been calculated at the regional scale using adjusted reanalysis model windfield data. Calculations at this scale are not designed to account for local-scale coastline/bathymetric irregularities and variability. Results will be presented for the circumpolar zones specified by the Arctic Coastal Dynamics Project.

An atmosphere-ocean GCM modelling study of the climate response to changing Arctic seaways in the early Cenozoic.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, C. D.; Legrande, A. N.; Tripati, A. K.

2008-12-01

The report of fossil Azolla (a freshwater aquatic fern) in sediments from the Lomonosov Ridge suggests low salinity conditions occurred in the Arctic Ocean in the early Eocene. Restricted passages between the Arctic Ocean and the surrounding oceans are hypothesized to have caused this Arctic freshening. We investigate this scenario using a water-isotope enabled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model with Eocene boundary conditions including 4xCO2, 7xCH4, altered bathymetry and topography, and an estimated distribution of Eocene vegetational types. In one experiment, oceanic exchange between the Arctic Ocean and other ocean basins was restricted to two shallow (~250 m) seaways, one in the North Atlantic, the Greenland-Norwegian seaway, and the second connecting the Arctic Ocean with the Tethys Ocean, the Turgai Straits. In the restricted configuration, the Greenland-Norwegian seaway was closed and exchange through the Turgai Straits was limited to a depth of ~60 m. The simulations suggest that the severe restriction of Arctic seaways in the early Eocene may have been sufficient to freshen Arctic Ocean surface waters, conducive to Azolla blooms. When exchange with the Arctic Ocean is limited, salinities in the upper several hundred meters of the water column decrease by ~10 psu. In some regions, surface salinity is within 2-3 psu of the reported maximum modern conditions tolerated by Azolla (~5 psu). In the restricted scenario, salt is stored preferentially in the North Atlantic and Tethys oceans, resulting in enhanced meridional overturning, increased poleward heat transport in the North Atlantic western boundary current, and warming of surface and intermediate waters in the North Atlantic by several degrees. Increased sensible and latent heat fluxes from the North Atlantic Ocean, combined with a reduction in cloud albedo, also lead to an increase in surface air temperature of over much of North America, Greenland and Eurasia. Our work is consistent with previous findings on the potential influence of Arctic gateways on ocean overturning and also suggests that Northern Hemisphere climate, particularly in the North Atlantic, was very sensitive to changes in Arctic seaways. This result is of particular significance when considered in the context of the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Volcanic activity prior to the PETM may have been responsible for the formation of a sub-aerial barrier in the North Atlantic, and consequently may have driven warming of intermediate waters sufficient to destabilize methane clathrates. Evidence for freshening of Arctic ocean waters prior to the PETM would support this hypothesis.

Retention of ice-associated amphipods: possible consequences for an ice-free Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Berge, J; Varpe, O; Moline, M A; Wold, A; Renaud, P E; Daase, M; Falk-Petersen, S

2012-12-23

Recent studies predict that the Arctic Ocean will have ice-free summers within the next 30 years. This poses a significant challenge for the marine organisms associated with the Arctic sea ice, such as marine mammals and, not least, the ice-associated crustaceans generally considered to spend their entire life on the underside of the Arctic sea ice. Based upon unique samples collected within the Arctic Ocean during the polar night, we provide a new conceptual understanding of an intimate connection between these under-ice crustaceans and the deep Arctic Ocean currents. We suggest that downwards vertical migrations, followed by polewards transport in deep ocean currents, are an adaptive trait of ice fauna that both increases survival during ice-free periods of the year and enables re-colonization of sea ice when they ascend within the Arctic Ocean. From an evolutionary perspective, this may have been an adaptation allowing success in a seasonally ice-covered Arctic. Our findings may ultimately change the perception of ice fauna as a biota imminently threatened by the predicted disappearance of perennial sea ice.

An analysis of the carbon balance of the Arctic Basin from 1997 to 2006

Treesearch

A.D. McGuire; D.J. Hayes; D.W. Kicklighter; M. Manizza; Q. Zhuang; M. Chen; M.J. Follows; K.R. Gurney; J.W. McClelland; J.M. Melillo; B.J. Peterson; R.G. Prinn

2010-01-01

This study used several model-based tools to analyze the dynamics of the Arctic Basin between 1997 and 2006 as a linked system of land-ocean-atmosphere C exchange. The analysis estimates that terrestrial areas of the Arctic Basin lost 62.9 Tg C yr-1 and that the Arctic Ocean gained 94.1 Tg C yr-1. Arctic lands and oceans...

Arctic and N Atlantic Crustal Thickness and Oceanic Lithosphere Distribution from Gravity Inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusznir, Nick; Alvey, Andy

2014-05-01

The ocean basins of the Arctic and N. Atlantic formed during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic as a series of distinct ocean basins, both small and large, leading to a complex distribution of oceanic crust, thinned continental crust and rifted continental margins. The plate tectonic framework of this region was demonstrated by the pioneering work of Peter Ziegler in AAPG Memoir 43 " Evolution of the Arctic-North Atlantic and the Western Tethys" published in 1988. The spatial evolution of Arctic Ocean and N Atlantic ocean basin geometry and bathymetry are critical not only for hydrocarbon exploration but also for understanding regional palaeo-oceanography and ocean gateway connectivity, and its influence on global climate. Mapping crustal thickness and oceanic lithosphere distribution represents a substantial challenge for the Polar Regions. Using gravity anomaly inversion we have produced comprehensive maps of crustal thickness and oceanic lithosphere distribution for the Arctic and N Atlantic region, We determine Moho depth, crustal basement thickness, continental lithosphere thinning and ocean-continent transition location using a 3D spectral domain gravity inversion method, which incorporates a lithosphere thermal gravity anomaly correction (Chappell & Kusznir 2008). Gravity anomaly and bathymetry data used in the gravity inversion are from the NGA (U) Arctic Gravity Project and IBCAO respectively; sediment thickness is from a new regional compilation. The resulting maps of crustal thickness and continental lithosphere thinning factor are used to determine continent-ocean boundary location and the distribution of oceanic lithosphere. Crustal cross-sections using Moho depth from the gravity inversion allow continent-ocean transition structure to be determined and magmatic type (magma poor, "normal" or magma rich). Our gravity inversion predicts thin crust and high continental lithosphere thinning factors in the Eurasia, Canada, Makarov, Podvodnikov and Baffin Basins consistent with these basins being oceanic. Larger crustal thicknesses, in the range 20 - 30 km, are predicted for the Lomonosov, Alpha and Mendeleev Ridges. Crustal basement thicknesses of 10-15 km are predicted under the Laptev Sea which is interpreted as highly thinned continental crust formed at the eastward continuation of Eurasia Basin sea-floor spreading. Thin continental or oceanic crust of thickness 7 km or less is predicted under the North Chukchi Basin and has major implications for understanding the Mesozoic and Cenozoic plate tectonic history of the Siberian and Chukchi Amerasia Basin margins. Restoration of crustal thickness and continent-ocean boundary location from gravity inversion may be used to test and refine plate tectonic reconstructions. Using crustal thickness and continental lithosphere thinning factor maps with superimposed shaded-relief free-air gravity anomaly, we improve the determination of pre-breakup rifted margin conjugacy and sea-floor spreading trajectory within the Arctic and N Atlantic basins. By restoring crustal thickness & continental lithosphere thinning maps of the Eurasia Basin & NE Atlantic to their initial post-breakup configuration we show the geometry and segmentation of the rifted continental margins at their time of breakup, together with the location of highly-stretched failed breakup basins and rifted micro-continents. We interpret gravity inversion crustal thicknesses underneath Morris Jessop Rise & Yermak Plateau as continental crust which provided a barrier to the tectonic and palaeo-oceanic linkage between the Arctic & North Atlantic until the Oligocene. Before this time, we link the seafloor spreading within the Eurasia Basin to that in Baffin Bay.

Sedimentary Cover of the Central Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kireev, Artem; Poselov, Viktor; Butsenko, Viktor; Smirnov, Oleg

2017-04-01

Partial revised Submission of the Russian Federation for establishment of the OLCS (outer limit of the continental shelf) in the Arctic Ocean is made to include in the extended continental shelf of the Russian Federation, in accordance with article 76 of the Convention, the seabed and its subsoil in the central Arctic Ocean which is natural prolongation of the Russian land territory. To submit partial revised Submission in 2016, in 2005 - 2014 the Russian organizations carried out a wide range of geophysical studies, so that today over 23000 km of MCS lines, over hundreds of wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic sonobuoy soundings and 4000 km of deep seismic sounding are accomplished. All of these MCS and seismic soundings data were used to establish the seismic stratigraphy model of the Arctic region. Stratigraphy model of the sedimentary cover was successively determined for the Cenozoic and pre-Cenozoic parts of the section and was based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and seismic data documented by existing boreholes. Interpretation of the Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover was based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and AWI91090 section calibrated by ACEX-2004 boreholes on the Lomonosov Ridge for Amerasia basin and by correlation of onlap contacts onto oceanic crust with defined magnetic anomalies for Eurasia basin, while interpretation of the Pre-Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover was based on correlation with MCS and boreholes data from Chukchi sea shelf. Six main unconformities were traced: regional unconformity (RU), Eocene unconformity (EoU) (for Eurasia basin only), post-Campanian unconformity (pCU), Brookian (BU - base of the Lower Brookian unit), Lower Cretaceous (LCU) and Jurassic (JU - top of the Upper Ellesmerian unit). The final step in our research was to estimate the total thickness of the sedimentary cover of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent Eurasian shelf using top of acoustic basement correlation data and bathymetry data. Structural prolongation of the shallow shelf into deep-water could be observed on this sedimentary map.

Arctic circulation regimes

PubMed Central

Proshutinsky, Andrey; Dukhovskoy, Dmitry; Timmermans, Mary-Louise; Krishfield, Richard; Bamber, Jonathan L.

2015-01-01

Between 1948 and 1996, mean annual environmental parameters in the Arctic experienced a well-pronounced decadal variability with two basic circulation patterns: cyclonic and anticyclonic alternating at 5 to 7 year intervals. During cyclonic regimes, low sea-level atmospheric pressure (SLP) dominated over the Arctic Ocean driving sea ice and the upper ocean counterclockwise; the Arctic atmosphere was relatively warm and humid, and freshwater flux from the Arctic Ocean towards the subarctic seas was intensified. By contrast, during anticylonic circulation regimes, high SLP dominated driving sea ice and the upper ocean clockwise. Meanwhile, the atmosphere was cold and dry and the freshwater flux from the Arctic to the subarctic seas was reduced. Since 1997, however, the Arctic system has been under the influence of an anticyclonic circulation regime (17 years) with a set of environmental parameters that are atypical for this regime. We discuss a hypothesis explaining the causes and mechanisms regulating the intensity and duration of Arctic circulation regimes, and speculate how changes in freshwater fluxes from the Arctic Ocean and Greenland impact environmental conditions and interrupt their decadal variability. PMID:26347536

Multinational Experiment 7. Maritime Security Region: The Arctic

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-08

Russia. Marine Resources The Arctic Ocean is home to countless species from microscopic plankton to gigantic whales . Large-scale commercial...Arctic is a circumpolar region that encompasses both marine and land masses and includes the Arctic Ocean and its seas that cover more than 30...and does not rise on the day of the winter solstice. The Arctic Ocean is the world’s smallest and shallowest, with an average depth of roughly a

Freshwater and its role in the Arctic Marine System: Sources, disposition, storage, export, and physical and biogeochemical consequences in the Arctic and global oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carmack, E. C.; Yamamoto-Kawai, M.; Haine, T. W. N.; Bacon, S.; Bluhm, B. A.; Lique, C.; Melling, H.; Polyakov, I. V.; Straneo, F.; Timmermans, M.-L.; Williams, W. J.

2016-03-01

The Arctic Ocean is a fundamental node in the global hydrological cycle and the ocean's thermohaline circulation. We here assess the system's key functions and processes: (1) the delivery of fresh and low-salinity waters to the Arctic Ocean by river inflow, net precipitation, distillation during the freeze/thaw cycle, and Pacific Ocean inflows; (2) the disposition (e.g., sources, pathways, and storage) of freshwater components within the Arctic Ocean; and (3) the release and export of freshwater components into the bordering convective domains of the North Atlantic. We then examine physical, chemical, or biological processes which are influenced or constrained by the local quantities and geochemical qualities of freshwater; these include stratification and vertical mixing, ocean heat flux, nutrient supply, primary production, ocean acidification, and biogeochemical cycling. Internal to the Arctic the joint effects of sea ice decline and hydrological cycle intensification have strengthened coupling between the ocean and the atmosphere (e.g., wind and ice drift stresses, solar radiation, and heat and moisture exchange), the bordering drainage basins (e.g., river discharge, sediment transport, and erosion), and terrestrial ecosystems (e.g., Arctic greening, dissolved and particulate carbon loading, and altered phenology of biotic components). External to the Arctic freshwater export acts as both a constraint to and a necessary ingredient for deep convection in the bordering subarctic gyres and thus affects the global thermohaline circulation. Geochemical fingerprints attained within the Arctic Ocean are likewise exported into the neighboring subarctic systems and beyond. Finally, we discuss observed and modeled functions and changes in this system on seasonal, annual, and decadal time scales and discuss mechanisms that link the marine system to atmospheric, terrestrial, and cryospheric systems.

Velocity Models of the Sedimentary Cover and Acoustic Basement, Central Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bezumov, D. V.; Butsenko, V.

2017-12-01

As the part of the Russian Federation Application on the Extension of the outer limit of the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean to the Commission for the limits of the continental shelf the regional 2D seismic reflection and sonobuoy data was obtained in 2011, 2012 and 2014 years. Structure and thickness of the sedimentary cover and acoustic basement of the Central Arctic ocean can be refined due to this data. "VNIIOkeangeologia" created a methodology for matching 2D velocity model of the sedimentary cover based on vertical velocity spectrum calculated from wide-angle reflection sonobuoy data and the results of ray tracing of reflected and refracted waves. Matched 2D velocity models of the sedimentary cover in the Russian part of the Arctic Ocean were computed along several seismic profiles (see Figure). Figure comments: a) vertical velocity spectrum calculated from wide-angle reflection sonobuoy data. RMS velocity curve was picked in accordance with interpreted MCS section. Interval velocities within sedimentary units are shown. Interval velocities from Seiswide model are shown in brackets.b) interpreted sonobuoy record with overlapping of time-distance curves calculated by ray-tracing modelling.c) final depth velocity model specified by means of Seiswide software.

Plate tectonic history of the Arctic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, K.

1984-01-01

Tectonic development of the Arctic Ocean is outlined, and geological maps are provided for the Arctic during the mid-Cenozoic, later Cretaceous, late Jurassic, early Cretaceous, early Jurassic and late Devonian. It is concluded that Arctic basin history is moulded by the events of the following intervals: (1) continental collision and immediately subsequent rifting and ocean formation in the Devonian, and continental rifting ocean formation, rapid rotation of microcontinents, and another episode of collision in the latest Jurassic and Cretaceous. It is noted that Cenozoic Arctic basin formation is a smaller scale event superimposed on the late Mesozoic ocean basin.

77 FR 2513 - Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Effects of Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic Ocean

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-18

... Environmental Impact Statement for Effects of Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic Ocean AGENCY: National Marine... Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Effects of Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic Ocean.'' Based on... Web page at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/eis/arctic.htm . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT...

Radiocesium in the western subarctic area of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean in 2013 and 2014.

PubMed

Kumamoto, Yuichiro; Aoyama, Michio; Hamajima, Yasunori; Nishino, Shigeto; Murata, Akihiko; Kikuchi, Takashi

2017-08-01

We measured radiocesium ( 134 Cs and 137 Cs) in seawater from the western subarctic area of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean in 2013 and 2014. Fukushima-derived 134 Cs in surface seawater was observed in the western subarctic area and Bering Sea but not in the Arctic Ocean. Vertical profile of 134 Cs in the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean implies that Fukushima-derived 134 Cs intruded into the basin from the Bering Sea through subsurface (150m depth) in 2014. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Role and Variability of Ocean Heat Content in the Arctic Ocean: 1948-2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

moved from the Bering Sea past the Bering Strait into the Beaufort Sea (Logerwell 2008). However, besides the risks of ocean acidification and...VARIABILITY OF OCEAN HEAT CONTENT IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN : 1948–2009 by Dominic F. DiMaggio June 2014 Thesis Co-Advisors: Wieslaw Maslowski...COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE THE ROLE AND VARIABILITY OF OCEAN HEAT CONTENT IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN : 1948–2009 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6

Drivers of Arctic Ocean warming in CMIP5 models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgard, Clara; Notz, Dirk

2017-05-01

We investigate changes in the Arctic Ocean energy budget simulated by 26 general circulation models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 framework. Our goal is to understand whether the Arctic Ocean warming between 1961 and 2099 is primarily driven by changes in the net atmospheric surface flux or by changes in the meridional oceanic heat flux. We find that the simulated Arctic Ocean warming is driven by positive anomalies in the net atmospheric surface flux in 11 models, by positive anomalies in the meridional oceanic heat flux in 11 models, and by positive anomalies in both energy fluxes in four models. The different behaviors are mainly characterized by the different changes in meridional oceanic heat flux that lead to different changes in the turbulent heat loss to the atmosphere. The multimodel ensemble mean is hence not representative of a consensus across the models in Arctic climate projections.

Arctic sea-ice variability and its implication to the path of pollutants under a changing climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castro-Morales, K.; Gerdes, R.; Riemann-Campe, K.; Köberle, C.; Losch, M.

2012-04-01

The increasing concentration of pollutants from anthropogenic origin in the Arctic atmosphere, water, sediments and biota has been evident during the last decade. The sea-ice is an important vehicle for pollutants in the Arctic Ocean. Pollutants are taken up by precipitation and dry atmospheric deposition over the snow and ice cover during winter and released to the ocean during melting. Recent changes in the sea-ice cover of the Arctic Ocean affect the fresh water balance and the oceanic circulation, and with it, the fate of pollutants in the system. The Arctic Ocean is characterized by complex dynamics and strong stratification. Thus, to evaluate the current and future changes in the Arctic circulation high-resolution models are needed. As part of the EU FP7 project ArcRisk (under the scope of the IPY), we use a high resolution regional sea-ice-ocean coupled model covering the Arctic Ocean and the subpolar North Atlantic based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - circulation model (MITgcm). Under realistic atmospheric forcing we obtain hindcast results of circulation patterns for the period 1990 - 2010 for validation of the model. We evaluate possible consequences on the pathways and transport of contaminants by downscaling future climate scenario runs available in the coupled model intercomparison project (CMIP3) for the following fifty years. Particular interest is set in the Barents Sea. In this shallow region strong river runoff, sea-ice delivered from the interior of the Arctic Ocean and warm waters from the North Atlantic current are main sources of contaminants. Under a changing climate, a higher input of contaminants delivered to surface waters is expected, remaining in the interior of the Arctic Ocean in a strongly stratified water column remaining.

Studying ocean acidification in the Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, Lisa

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard Ice Breaker Healey and its United Nations Convention Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) cruises has produced new synoptic data from samples collected in the Arctic Ocean and insights into the patterns and extent of ocean acidification. This framework of foundational geochemical information will help inform our understanding of potential risks to Arctic resources due to ocean acidification.

Late-Middle Quaternary lithostratigraphy and sedimentation patterns on the Alpha Ridge, central Arctic Ocean: Implications for Arctic climate variability on orbital time scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Rujian; Polyak, Leonid; Xiao, Wenshen; Wu, Li; Zhang, Taoliang; Sun, Yechen; Xu, Xiaomei

2018-02-01

We use sediment cores collected by the Chinese National Arctic Research Expeditions from the Alpha Ridge to advance Quaternary stratigraphy and paleoceanographic reconstructions for the Arctic Ocean. Our cores show a good litho/biostratigraphic correlation to sedimentary records developed earlier for the central Arctic Ocean, suggesting a recovered stratigraphic range of ca. 0.6 Ma, suitable for paleoclimatic studies on orbital time scales. This stratigraphy was tested by correlating the stacked Alpha Ridge record of bulk XRF manganese, calcium and zirconium (Mn, Ca, Zr), to global stable-isotope (LR04-δ18O) and sea-level stacks and tuning to orbital parameters. Correlation results corroborate the applicability of presumed climate/sea-level controlled Mn variations in the Arctic Ocean for orbital tuning. This approach enables better understanding of the global and orbital controls on the Arctic climate. Orbital tuning experiments for our records indicate strong eccentricity (100-kyr) and precession (∼20-kyr) controls on the Arctic Ocean, probably implemented via glaciations and sea ice. Provenance proxies like Ca and Zr are shown to be unsuitable as orbital tuning tools, but useful as indicators of glacial/deglacial processes and circulation patterns in the Arctic Ocean. Their variations suggest an overall long-term persistence of the Beaufort Gyre circulation in the Alpha Ridge region. Some glacial intervals, e.g., MIS 6 and 4/3, are predominated by material presumably transported by the Transpolar Drift. These circulation shifts likely indicate major changes in the Arctic climatic regime, which yet need to be investigated. Overall, our results demonstrate applicability of XRF data to paleoclimatic studies of the Arctic Ocean.

The emergence of modern sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Knies, Jochen; Cabedo-Sanz, Patricia; Belt, Simon T; Baranwal, Soma; Fietz, Susanne; Rosell-Melé, Antoni

2014-11-28

Arctic sea ice coverage is shrinking in response to global climate change and summer ice-free conditions in the Arctic Ocean are predicted by the end of the century. The validity of this prediction could potentially be tested through the reconstruction of the climate of the Pliocene epoch (5.33-2.58 million years ago), an analogue of a future warmer Earth. Here we show that, in the Eurasian sector of the Arctic Ocean, ice-free conditions prevailed in the early Pliocene until sea ice expanded from the central Arctic Ocean for the first time ca. 4 million years ago. Amplified by a rise in topography in several regions of the Arctic and enhanced freshening of the Arctic Ocean, sea ice expanded progressively in response to positive ice-albedo feedback mechanisms. Sea ice reached its modern winter maximum extension for the first time during the culmination of the Northern Hemisphere glaciation, ca. 2.6 million years ago.

Arctic Ocean Pathways in the 21st century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aksenov, Yevgeny; van Gennip, Simon J.; Kelly, Stephen J.; Popova, Ekaterina E.; Yool, Andrew

2017-04-01

In the last three decades, changes in the Arctic environment have been occurring at an increasing rate. The opening up of large areas of previously sea ice-covered ocean affects the marine environment with potential impacts on Arctic ecosystems, including through changes in Arctic access, industries and societies. Changes to sea ice and surface winds result in large-scale shifts in ocean circulation and oceanic pathways. This study presents a high-resolution analysis of the projected ocean circulation and pathways of the Arctic water masses across the 21st century. The analysis is based on an eddy-permitting high-resolution global simulation of the ocean general circulation model NEMO (Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean) at the 1/4-degree horizontal resolution. The atmospheric forcing is from HadGEM2-ES model output from IPCC Assessment Report 5 (AR5) simulations performed for Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5), and follow the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. During the 21st century the AO experiences a significant warming, with sea surface temperature increased by in excess of 4 deg. C. Annual mean Arctic sea ice thickness drops to less than 0.5m, and the Arctic Ocean is ice-free in summer from the mid-century. We use an off-line tracer technique to investigate Arctic pathways of the Atlantic and Pacific waters (AW and PW respectively) under this future climate. The AW tracers have been released in the eastern Fram Strait and in the western Barents Sea, whereas the PW tracer has been seeded in the Bering Strait. In the second half of the century the upper 1000 m ocean circulation shows a reduction in the eastward AW flow along the continental slopes towards the Makarov and Canada basins and a deviation of the PW flow away from the Beaufort Sea towards the Siberian coast. Strengthening of Arctic boundary current and intensification of the cyclonic gyre in the Nansen basin of the Arctic Ocean is accompanied by weakening of the current and an anti-cyclonic gyre spin-up in the Makarov Basin. This presents a shift of the Arctic circulation "dipole" and of the Transpolar Drift, with the consequence that the PW flow towards Fram Strait is significantly reduced by the end of the century, weakening the Pacific-Atlantic connection via the Arctic Ocean, and reducing the Arctic freshwater outflow into the North Atlantic. Examination of the simulations suggests that these circulation changes are primarily due to the shift in the wind.

Episodic fresh surface waters in the Eocene Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinkhuis, Henk; Schouten, Stefan; Collinson, Margaret E.; Sluijs, Appy; Damsté, Jaap S. Sinninghe; Dickens, Gerald R.; Huber, Matthew; Cronin, Thomas M.; Onodera, Jonaotaro; Takahashi, Kozo; Bujak, Jonathan P.; Stein, Ruediger; van der Burgh, Johan; Eldrett, James S.; Harding, Ian C.; Lotter, André F.; Sangiorgi, Francesca; Cittert, Han Van Konijnenburg-Van; de Leeuw, Jan W.; Matthiessen, Jens; Backman, Jan; Moran, Kathryn; Expedition 302 Scientists

2006-06-01

It has been suggested, on the basis of modern hydrology and fully coupled palaeoclimate simulations, that the warm greenhouse conditions that characterized the early Palaeogene period (55-45Myr ago) probably induced an intensified hydrological cycle with precipitation exceeding evaporation at high latitudes. Little field evidence, however, has been available to constrain oceanic conditions in the Arctic during this period. Here we analyse Palaeogene sediments obtained during the Arctic Coring Expedition, showing that large quantities of the free-floating fern Azolla grew and reproduced in the Arctic Ocean by the onset of the middle Eocene epoch (~50Myr ago). The Azolla and accompanying abundant freshwater organic and siliceous microfossils indicate an episodic freshening of Arctic surface waters during an ~800,000-year interval. The abundant remains of Azolla that characterize basal middle Eocene marine deposits of all Nordic seas probably represent transported assemblages resulting from freshwater spills from the Arctic Ocean that reached as far south as the North Sea. The termination of the Azolla phase in the Arctic coincides with a local sea surface temperature rise from ~10°C to 13°C, pointing to simultaneous increases in salt and heat supply owing to the influx of waters from adjacent oceans. We suggest that onset and termination of the Azolla phase depended on the degree of oceanic exchange between Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas.

Episodic fresh surface waters in the Eocene Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brinkhuis, H.; Schouten, S.; Collinson, M.E.; Sluijs, A.; Damste, J.S.S.; Dickens, G.R.; Huber, M.; Cronin, T. M.; Onodera, J.; Takahashi, K.; Bujak, J.P.; Stein, R.; Van Der Burgh, J.; Eldrett, J.S.; Harding, I.C.; Lotter, A.F.; Sangiorgi, F.; Cittert, H.V.K.V.; De Leeuw, J. W.; Matthiessen, J.; Backman, J.; Moran, K.

2006-01-01

It has been suggested, on the basis of modern hydrology and fully coupled palaeoclimate simulations, that the warm greenhouse conditions that characterized the early Palaeogene period (55-45 Myr ago) probably induced an intensified hydrological cycle with precipitation exceeding evaporation at high latitudes. Little field evidence, however, has been available to constrain oceanic conditions in the Arctic during this period. Here we analyse Palaeogene sediments obtained during the Arctic Coring Expedition, showing that large quantities of the free-floating fern Azolla grew and reproduced in the Arctic Ocean by the onset of the middle Eocene epoch (???50 Myr ago). The Azolla and accompanying abundant freshwater organic and siliceous microfossils indicate an episodic freshening of Arctic surface waters during an ???800,000-year interval. The abundant remains of Azolla that characterize basal middle Eocene marine deposits of all Nordic seas probably represent transported assemblages resulting from freshwater spills from the Arctic Ocean that reached as far south as the North Sea. The termination of the Azolla phase in the Arctic coincides with a local sea surface temperature rise from ???10??C to 13??C, pointing to simultaneous increases in salt and heat supply owing to the influx of waters from adjacent oceans. We suggest that onset and termination of the Azolla phase depended on the degree of oceanic exchange between Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas. ?? 2006 Nature Publishing Group.

Meet the Arctic Benthos. Arctic Ocean Exploration--Grades 7-8. Benthic Invertebrate Groups in the Deep Arctic Ocean.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC), Rockville, MD.

This activity introduces students to major groups of invertebrates that have been found in other polar ocean expeditions and acquaints them with the feeding habits of these animals as a basis for making inferences about benthic communities and their connection to other components of the Artic Ocean ecosystem. The activity provides learning…

Orbital-scale Central Arctic Ocean Temperature Records from Benthic Foraminiferal δ18O and Ostracode Mg/Ca Ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, K.; Cronin, T. M.; Dwyer, G. S.; Farmer, J. R.; Poirier, R. K.; Schaller, M. F.

2017-12-01

Orbital-scale climate variability is often amplified in the polar region, for example in changes in seawater temperature, sea-ice cover, deep-water formation, ecosystems, heat storage and carbon cycling. Yet, the relationship between the Arctic Ocean and global climate remains poorly understood due largely to limited orbital-scale paleoclimate records, the complicated nature of sea-ice response to climate and limited abundance of deep sea biological proxies. Here we reconstruct central Arctic Ocean bottom temperatures over the last 600 kyr using ostracode Mg/Ca ratios (genus Krithe) and benthic foraminiferal oxygen isotope ratios (δ18Obf - I. teretis, O. tener, P. bulloides, C. reniforme, C. wuellerstorfi) in six sediment cores recovered from the Mendeleev and Northwind Ridges (700- 2726 m water depth). We examined glacial-interglacial cycles in Arctic seawater temperatures and Arctic δ18Obf chronostratigraphy to reconcile effects of changing bottom water temperature, ice volume and regional hydrography on δ18Obf records. Results show lower ( 10-12 mmol/mol) interglacial and higher ( 16-23 mmol/mol) glacial Mg/Ca ratios, signifying intermediate depth ocean warming during glacials of up to 2 ºC. These temperature maxima are likely related to a deepening of the halocline and the corresponding deeper influence of warm Atlantic water. Glacial-interglacial δ18Obf ranges are smaller in the Arctic ( 0.8-1‰ VPDB) than in the global ocean ( 1.8 ‰). However, when the distinct glacial-interglacial temperature histories of the Arctic (glacial warming) and global ocean (glacial cooling) are accounted for, both Arctic and global ocean seawater δ18O values (δ18Osw) exhibit similar 1.2-1.3 ‰ glacial-interglacial ranges. Thus, Arctic δ18Obf confirms glacial Arctic warming inferred from ostracode Mg/Ca. This study will discuss the strengths and limitations of applying paired Mg/Ca and oxygen isotope proxies in reconstructing more robust paleoceanographic changes in the Arctic Ocean.

Observed Changes at the Surface of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortmeyer, M.; Rigor, I.

2004-12-01

The Arctic has long been considered a harbinger of global climate change since simulations with global climate models predict that if the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere doubles, the Arctic would warm by more than 5°C, compared to a warming of 2°C for subpolar regions (Manabe et al., 1991). And indeed, studies of the observational records show polar amplification of the warming trends (e.g. Serreze and Francis, 2004). These temperature trends are accompanied by myriad concurrent changes in Arctic climate. One of the first indicators of Arctic climate change was found by Walsh et al. (1996) using sea level pressure (SLP) data from the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP, http://iabp.apl.washington.edu). In this study, they showed that SLP over the Arctic Ocean decreased by over 4 hPa from 1979 - 1994. The decreases in SLP (winds) over the Arctic Ocean, forced changes in the circulation of sea ice and the surface ocean currents such that the Beaufort Gyre is reduced in size and speed (e.g. Rigor et al., 2002). Data from the IABP has also been assimilated into the global surface air temperature (SAT) climatologies (e.g. Jones et al. 1999), and the IABP SAT analysis shows that the temperature trends noted over land extend out over the Arctic Ocean. Specifically, Rigor et al. (2000) found warming trends in SAT over the Arctic Ocean during win¬ter and spring, with values as high as 2°C/decade in the eastern Arctic during spring. It should be noted that many of the changes in Arctic climate were first observed or explained using data from the IABP. The observations from IABP have been one of the cornerstones for environmental forecasting and studies of climate and climate change. These changes have a profound impact on wildlife and people. Many species and cultures depend on the sea ice for habitat and subsistence. Thus, monitoring the Arctic Ocean is crucial not only for our ability to detect climate change, but also to improve our understanding of the Arctic and global climate system, and for forecasting weather and sea ice conditions. The IABP provides the longest continuing record of observations for the Arctic Ocean.

An inventory of Arctic Ocean data in the World Ocean Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zweng, Melissa M.; Boyer, Tim P.; Baranova, Olga K.; Reagan, James R.; Seidov, Dan; Smolyar, Igor V.

2018-03-01

The World Ocean Database (WOD) contains over 1.3 million oceanographic casts (where cast refers to an oceanographic profile or set of profiles collected concurrently at more than one depth between the ocean surface and ocean bottom) collected in the Arctic Ocean basin and its surrounding marginal seas. The data, collected from 1849 to the present, come from many submitters and countries, and were collected using a variety of instruments and platforms. These data, along with the derived products World Ocean Atlas (WOA) and the Arctic Regional Climatologies, are exceptionally useful - the data are presented in a standardized, easy to use format and include metadata and quality control information. Collecting data in the Arctic Ocean is challenging, and coverage in space and time ranges from excellent to nearly non-existent. WOD continues to compile a comprehensive collection of Arctic Ocean profile data, ideal for oceanographic, environmental and climatic analyses (https://doi.org/10.7289/V54Q7S16).

High colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption in surface waters of the central-eastern Arctic Ocean: Implications for biogeochemistry and ocean color algorithms

PubMed Central

Rabe, Benjamin; Peeken, Ilka; Bracher, Astrid

2018-01-01

As consequences of global warming sea-ice shrinking, permafrost thawing and changes in fresh water and terrestrial material export have already been reported in the Arctic environment. These processes impact light penetration and primary production. To reach a better understanding of the current status and to provide accurate forecasts Arctic biogeochemical and physical parameters need to be extensively monitored. In this sense, bio-optical properties are useful to be measured due to the applicability of optical instrumentation to autonomous platforms, including satellites. This study characterizes the non-water absorbers and their coupling to hydrographic conditions in the poorly sampled surface waters of the central and eastern Arctic Ocean. Over the entire sampled area colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) dominates the light absorption in surface waters. The distribution of CDOM, phytoplankton and non-algal particles absorption reproduces the hydrographic variability in this region of the Arctic Ocean which suggests a subdivision into five major bio-optical provinces: Laptev Sea Shelf, Laptev Sea, Central Arctic/Transpolar Drift, Beaufort Gyre and Eurasian/Nansen Basin. Evaluating ocean color algorithms commonly applied in the Arctic Ocean shows that global and regionally tuned empirical algorithms provide poor chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) estimates. The semi-analytical algorithms Generalized Inherent Optical Property model (GIOP) and Garver-Siegel-Maritorena (GSM), on the other hand, provide robust estimates of Chl-a and absorption of colored matter. Applying GSM with modifications proposed for the western Arctic Ocean produced reliable information on the absorption by colored matter, and specifically by CDOM. These findings highlight that only semi-analytical ocean color algorithms are able to identify with low uncertainty the distribution of the different optical water constituents in these high CDOM absorbing waters. In addition, a clustering of the Arctic Ocean into bio-optical provinces will help to develop and then select province-specific ocean color algorithms. PMID:29304182

High colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption in surface waters of the central-eastern Arctic Ocean: Implications for biogeochemistry and ocean color algorithms.

PubMed

Gonçalves-Araujo, Rafael; Rabe, Benjamin; Peeken, Ilka; Bracher, Astrid

2018-01-01

As consequences of global warming sea-ice shrinking, permafrost thawing and changes in fresh water and terrestrial material export have already been reported in the Arctic environment. These processes impact light penetration and primary production. To reach a better understanding of the current status and to provide accurate forecasts Arctic biogeochemical and physical parameters need to be extensively monitored. In this sense, bio-optical properties are useful to be measured due to the applicability of optical instrumentation to autonomous platforms, including satellites. This study characterizes the non-water absorbers and their coupling to hydrographic conditions in the poorly sampled surface waters of the central and eastern Arctic Ocean. Over the entire sampled area colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) dominates the light absorption in surface waters. The distribution of CDOM, phytoplankton and non-algal particles absorption reproduces the hydrographic variability in this region of the Arctic Ocean which suggests a subdivision into five major bio-optical provinces: Laptev Sea Shelf, Laptev Sea, Central Arctic/Transpolar Drift, Beaufort Gyre and Eurasian/Nansen Basin. Evaluating ocean color algorithms commonly applied in the Arctic Ocean shows that global and regionally tuned empirical algorithms provide poor chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) estimates. The semi-analytical algorithms Generalized Inherent Optical Property model (GIOP) and Garver-Siegel-Maritorena (GSM), on the other hand, provide robust estimates of Chl-a and absorption of colored matter. Applying GSM with modifications proposed for the western Arctic Ocean produced reliable information on the absorption by colored matter, and specifically by CDOM. These findings highlight that only semi-analytical ocean color algorithms are able to identify with low uncertainty the distribution of the different optical water constituents in these high CDOM absorbing waters. In addition, a clustering of the Arctic Ocean into bio-optical provinces will help to develop and then select province-specific ocean color algorithms.

Integrating Research on Global Climate Change and Human Use of the Oceans: a Geospatial Method for Daily Monitoring of Sea Ice and Ship Traffic in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eucker, W.; McGillivary, P. A.

2012-12-01

One apparent consequence of global climate change has been a decrease in the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice more rapidly than models have predicted, while Arctic ship traffic has likewise increased beyond economic predictions. To ensure representative observations of changing climate conditions and human use of the Arctic Ocean, we concluded a method of tracking daily changes in both sea ice and shipping in the Arctic Ocean was needed. Such a process improves the availability of sea ice data for navigational safety and allows future developments to be monitored for understanding of ice and shipping in relation to policy decisions appropriate to optimize sustainable use of a changing Arctic Ocean. The impetus for this work was the 2009 Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment (AMSA) which provided baseline data on Arctic ship traffic. AMSA was based on responses from circumpolar countries, was manpower intensive, and took years to compile. A more timely method of monitoring human use of the Arctic Ocean was needed. To address this, a method of monitoring sea ice on a scale relevant to ship-navigation (<10km) was developed and implemented in conjunction with arctic ship tracking using S-AIS (Satellite Automatic Identification Systems). S-AIS is internationally required on ships over a certain size, which includes most commercial vessels in the Arctic Ocean. Daily AIS and sea ice observations were chosen for this study. Results of this method of geospatial analysis of the entire arctic are presented for a year long period from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011. This confirmed the dominance of European Arctic ship traffic. Arctic shipping is maximal during August and diminishes in September with a minimum in winter, although some shipping continues year-round in perennially ice-free areas. Data are analyzed for the four principal arctic quadrants around the North Pole by season for number and nationality of vessels. The goal of this study was not merely to monitor ship traffic and ice conditions concurrently, but also to demonstrate a new method of ocean monitoring based on daily assimilation, data fusion, and integrated visualization of satellite ice remote sensing data and S-AIS ship data. In the future, as Arctic ship traffic and cryosphere sea ice cover variability are both expected to increase, this method can provide near real-time physical data on global climate change and human dimensions of ocean use of to guide policies addressing arctic resource management, Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, oil spill response, and issues such as ship noise impacts on marine mammals, and whale-ship collision avoidance. An internationally agreed implementation of this methodology would benefit ships operating in the Arctic and advance sustainable use of the Arctic Ocean.

Impacts of ocean albedo alteration on Arctic sea ice restoration and Northern Hemisphere climate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cvijanovic, Ivana; Caldeira, Ken; MacMartin, Douglas G.

The Arctic Ocean is expected to transition into a seasonally ice-free state by mid-century, enhancing Arctic warming and leading to substantial ecological and socio-economic challenges across the Arctic region. It has been proposed that artificially increasing high latitude ocean albedo could restore sea ice, but the climate impacts of such a strategy have not been previously explored. Motivated by this, we investigate the impacts of idealized high latitude ocean albedo changes on Arctic sea ice restoration and climate. In our simulated 4xCO₂ climate, imposing surface albedo alterations over the Arctic Ocean leads to partial sea ice recovery and a modestmore » reduction in Arctic warming. With the most extreme ocean albedo changes, imposed over the area 70°–90°N, September sea ice cover stabilizes at ~40% of its preindustrial value (compared to ~3% without imposed albedo modifications). This is accompanied by an annual mean Arctic surface temperature decrease of ~2 °C but no substantial global mean temperature decrease. Imposed albedo changes and sea ice recovery alter climate outside the Arctic region too, affecting precipitation distribution over parts of the continental United States and Northeastern Pacific. For example, following sea ice recovery, wetter and milder winter conditions are present in the Southwest United States while the East Coast experiences cooling. We conclude that although ocean albedo alteration could lead to some sea ice recovery, it does not appear to be an effective way of offsetting the overall effects of CO₂ induced global warming.« less

Impacts of ocean albedo alteration on Arctic sea ice restoration and Northern Hemisphere climate

DOE PAGES

Cvijanovic, Ivana; Caldeira, Ken; MacMartin, Douglas G.

2015-04-01

The Arctic Ocean is expected to transition into a seasonally ice-free state by mid-century, enhancing Arctic warming and leading to substantial ecological and socio-economic challenges across the Arctic region. It has been proposed that artificially increasing high latitude ocean albedo could restore sea ice, but the climate impacts of such a strategy have not been previously explored. Motivated by this, we investigate the impacts of idealized high latitude ocean albedo changes on Arctic sea ice restoration and climate. In our simulated 4xCO₂ climate, imposing surface albedo alterations over the Arctic Ocean leads to partial sea ice recovery and a modestmore » reduction in Arctic warming. With the most extreme ocean albedo changes, imposed over the area 70°–90°N, September sea ice cover stabilizes at ~40% of its preindustrial value (compared to ~3% without imposed albedo modifications). This is accompanied by an annual mean Arctic surface temperature decrease of ~2 °C but no substantial global mean temperature decrease. Imposed albedo changes and sea ice recovery alter climate outside the Arctic region too, affecting precipitation distribution over parts of the continental United States and Northeastern Pacific. For example, following sea ice recovery, wetter and milder winter conditions are present in the Southwest United States while the East Coast experiences cooling. We conclude that although ocean albedo alteration could lead to some sea ice recovery, it does not appear to be an effective way of offsetting the overall effects of CO₂ induced global warming.« less

The Deglacial to Holocene Paleoceanography of Bering Strait: Results From the SWERUS-C3 Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakobsson, M.; Anderson, L. G.; Backman, J.; Barrientos, N.; Björk, G. M.; Coxall, H.; Cronin, T. M.; De Boer, A. M.; Gemery, L.; Jerram, K.; Johansson, C.; Kirchner, N.; Mayer, L. A.; Mörth, C. M.; Nilsson, J.; Noormets, R. R. N. N.; O'Regan, M.; Pearce, C.; Semiletov, I. P.; Stranne, C.

2017-12-01

The climate-carbon-cryosphere (C3) interactions in the East Siberian Arctic Ocean and related ocean, river and land areas of the Arctic have been the focus for the SWERUS-C3 Program (Swedish - Russian - US Arctic Ocean Investigation of Climate-Cryosphere-Carbon Interactions). This multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary program was carried out on a two-leg 90-day long expedition in 2014 with Swedish icebreaker Oden. One component of the expedition consisted of geophysical mapping and coring of Herald Canyon, located on the Chukchi Sea shelf north of the Bering Strait in the western Arctic Ocean. Herald Canyon is strategically placed to capture the history of the Pacific-Arctic Ocean connection and related changes in Arctic Ocean paleoceanography. Here we present a summary of key results from analyses of the marine geophysical mapping data and cores collected from Herald Canyon on the shelf and slope that proved to be particularly well suited for paleoceanographic reconstruction. For example, we provide a new age constraint of 11 cal ka BP on sediments from the uppermost slope for the initial flooding of the Bering Land Bridge and reestablishment of the Pacific-Arctic Ocean connection following the last glaciation. This age corresponds to meltwater pulse 1b (MWP1b) known as a post-Younger Dryas warming in many sea level and paleoclimate records. In addition, high late Holocene sedimentation rates that range between about 100 and 300 cm kyr-1, in Herald Canyon permitted paleoceanographic reconstructions of ocean circulation and sea ice cover at centennial scales throughout the late Holocene. Evidence suggests varying influence from inflowing Pacific water into the western Arctic Ocean including some evidence for quasi-cyclic variability in several paleoceanographic parameters, e.g. micropaleontological assemblages, isotope geochemistry and sediment physical properties.

JAMSTEC Compact Arctic Drifter (J-CAD): A new Generation drifting buoy to observe the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatakeyama, Kiyoshi; Hosono, Masuo; Shimada, Koji; Kikuchi, Takashi; Nishino, Shigeto

The Arctic Ocean is one of the most sensitive regions to the earth environment changes. Japan Marine Science and Technology Center developed a new drift buoy to observe the Arctic Ocean. The name of the buoy is J-CAD (JAMSTEC Compact Arctic Drifter). From 1991 to 1993, JAMSTEC developed Ice-Ocean Environmental Buoy (IOEB) as a buoy to observe the Arctic Ocean in cooperation with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The J-CAD is the buoy, which adopted the latest technology based on the knowledge and experience of IOEB development. The J-CAD was designed and developed by JAMSTEC and made by a Canadian Company MetOcean. JAMSTEC did design and development, and a Canadian company Met-Ocean made the J-CAD. It acquires meteorological and oceanographic data of the Arctic Ocean, and transmits the data that it measured via satellite. It dose also store the data inside its memory. An Inductive Modem system, which was developed by Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc. in the United States, was adopted in the underwater transmission system that data on each ocean sensor were collected. An ORBCOMM communication system was adopted for the satellite data transmission. J-CAD-1 was installed at 89°41'N 130°20'W on April 24, 2000, and the observation was started. August 1st was the day when 100 days have passed since the J-CAD-1 was installed on the North Pole. And now, the distance J-CAD-1 has covered exceeds 400 km, and it has transmitted data more than 500 k byte. A part of the data is introduced to the public in the homepage (http://w3.jamstec.go.jp: 8338) of the Arctic research group of JAMSTEC.

Exploring Arctic history through scientific drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ODP Leg 151 Shipboard Scientific Party

During the brief Arctic summer of 1993, the Ocean Drilling Program's research vessel JOIDES Resolution recovered the first scientific drill cores from the eastern Arctic Ocean. Dodging rafts of pack ice shed from the Arctic ice cap, the science party sampled sediments north of 80°N latitude from the Yermak Plateau, as well as from sites in Fram Strait, the northeastern Greenland margin, and the Iceland Plateau (Figure 1).The sediments collected reveal the earliest history of the connection between the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans through the Nordic Seas. The region between Greenland and Norway first formed a series of isolated basins, sometimes with restricted deep circulation, that eventually joined and allowed deep and surface Arctic Ocean water to invade the region. A record was also retrieved that shows major glaciation in the region began about 2.5 m.y.a.

Bridging a possible gap of GRACE observations in the Arctic Ocean using existing GRACE data and in situ bottom pressure sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peralta Ferriz, C.; Morison, J.

2014-12-01

Since 2003, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite system has provided the means of investigating month-to-month to inter-annual variability of, among many other things, Arctic Ocean circulation over the entire Arctic Basin. Such a comprehensive picture could not have been achieved with the limited in situ pressure observations available. Results from the first 10 years of ocean bottom pressure measurements from GRACE in the Arctic Ocean reveal distinct patterns of ocean variability that are strongly associated with changes in large-scale atmospheric circulation (Peralta-Ferriz et al., 2014): the leading mode of variability being a wintertime basin-coherent mass change driven by winds in the Nordic Seas; the second mode of variability corresponding to a mass signal coherent along the Siberian shelves, and driven by the Arctic Oscillation; and the third mode being a see-saw between western and eastern Arctic shelves, also driven by the large-scale wind patterns. In order to understand Arctic Ocean changes, it is fundamental to continue to track ocean bottom pressure. Our concern is what to do if the present GRACE system, which is already well beyond its design lifetime, should fail before its follow-on is launched, currently estimated to be in 2017. In this work, we regress time series of pressure from the existing and potential Arctic Ocean bottom pressure recorder locations against the fundamental modes of bottom pressure variation. Our aim is to determine the optimum combination of in situ measurements to represent the broader scale variability now observed by GRACE. With this understanding, we can be better prepared to use in situ observations to at least partially cover a possible gap in GRACE coverage. Reference:Peralta-Ferriz, Cecilia, James H. Morison, John M. Wallace, Jennifer A. Bonin, Jinlun Zhang, 2014: Arctic Ocean Circulation Patterns Revealed by GRACE. J. Climate, 27, 1445-1468. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00013.1

Satellite surface salinity maps to determine fresh water fluxes in the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabarro, Carolina; Estrella, Olmedo; Emelianov, Mikhail; Ballabrera, Joaquim; Turiel, Antonio

2017-04-01

Salinity and temperature gradients drive the thermohaline circulation of the oceans, and play a key role in the ocean-atmosphere coupling. The strong and direct interactions between the ocean and the cryosphere (primarily through sea ice and ice shelves) are also a key ingredient of the thermohaline circulation. Recent observational studies have documented changes in upper Arctic Ocean hydrography [1, 2]. The ESA's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, launched in 2009, have the objective to measure soil moisture over the continents and sea surface salinity over the oceans [3]. However, SMOS is also making inroads in Cryospheric science, as the measurements of thin ice thickness and sea ice concentration. SMOS carries an innovative L-band (1.4 GHz, or 21-cm wavelength), passive interferometric radiometer (the so-called MIRAS) that measures the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Earth's surface, at about 50 km spatial resolution wide swath (1200-km), and with a 3-day revisit time at the equator, but more frequently at the poles. Although the SMOS radiometer operating frequency offers almost the maximum sensitivity of the brightness temperature (TB) to sea surface salinity (SSS) variations, such sensitivity is rather low, even lower at cold waters [4]: 90% of ocean SSS values span a range of brightness temperatures of just 5K. This implies that the SMOS SSS retrieval requires a high performance of the MIRAS interferometric radiometer [5]. New algorithms, recently developed at the Barcelona Expert Center (BEC) to improve the quality of SMOS measurements [6], allow for the first time to derive cold-water SSS maps from SMOS data, and to observe the variability of the SSS in the higher north Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. In this work, we will provide an assessment of the quality of these new SSS Arctic maps, and we will illustrate their potential to monitor the impact on ocean state of the discharges from the main rivers to the Arctic Ocean. Moreover, results make you think that assimilating SMOS Arctic SSS data could be beneficial for the TOPAZ Arctic Ocean Prediction system. Therefore, SMOS shows great potential to routinely monitor the extension of the surface freshwater fluxes also in the Arctic Ocean. The new SMOS Arctic products can therefore substantially contribute to increase our knowledge of the critical processes that are taking place in the Arctic. [1] Haine, T. et al. (2015), 'Arctic freshwater export: Status, mechanisms, and prospects', Global and Planetary Change, 125, 2015. [2] Peterson, B., et al. (2002), 'Increasing river discharge to the arctic ocean', Science, 298, 21712173. [3] Font, J. et al. (2010), 'The Challenging Sea Surface Salinity Measurement From Space'. Proceed. IEEE, 98, 649 -665 [4] Swift, C. (1980). Boundary-layer Meteorology, 18:25-54. [5] McMullan, K. et al. (2008), 'SMOS: The payload', IEEE T. Geosci. Remote, 46. [6] Olmedo, E., et al. (2017) 'Debiased Non-Bayesian retrieval: a novel approach to SMOS Sea Surface Salinity', Remote Sensing of Environment, under review.

75 FR 8304 - Notice of Public Scoping Meetings for the Environmental Impact Statement on the Effects of Oil...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-24

... in the Arctic Ocean AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and...., seismic surveys and exploratory drilling) in the Arctic Ocean (U.S. Chukchi and Beaufort Seas). DATES: The... found on the Protected Resources webpage at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/eis/arctic.htm . FOR...

Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardants and Plasticizers in Ocean Sediments from the North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Ma, Yuxin; Xie, Zhiyong; Lohmann, Rainer; Mi, Wenying; Gao, Guoping

2017-04-04

The presence of organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants and plasticizers in surface sediment from the North Pacific to Arctic Ocean was observed for the first time during the fourth National Arctic Research Expedition of China in the summer of 2010. The samples were analyzed for three halogenated OPEs [tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), and tris(dichloroisopropyl) phosphate], three alkylated OPEs [triisobutyl phosphate (TiBP), tri-n-butyl phosphate, and tripentyl phosphate], and triphenyl phosphate. Σ 7 OPEs (total concentration of the observed OPEs) was in the range of 159-4658 pg/g of dry weight. Halogenated OPEs were generally more abundant than the nonhalogenated OPEs; TCEP and TiBP dominated the overall concentrations. Except for that of the Bering Sea, Σ 7 OPEs values increased with increasing latitudes from Bering Strait to the Central Arctic Ocean, while the contributions of halogenated OPEs (typically TCEP and TCPP) to the total OPE profile also increased from the Bering Strait to the Central Arctic Ocean, indicating they are more likely to be transported to the remote Arctic. The median budget of 52 (range of 17-292) tons for Σ 7 OPEs in sediment from the Central Arctic Ocean represents only a very small amount of their total production volume, yet the amount of OPEs in Arctic Ocean sediment was significantly larger than the sum of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the sediment, indicating they are equally prone to long-range transport away from source regions. Given the increasing level of production and usage of OPEs as substitutes of PBDEs, OPEs will continue to accumulate in the remote Arctic.

Paleogene blackshales in the central Arctic Ocean and paleoenvironment: Anoxia vs. high primary production vs. terrigenous input

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, R.; Weller, P.; Boucsein, B.

2006-12-01

During IODP Expedition 302 (Arctic Ocean Coring Experiment ACEX), the first scientific drilling campaign in the permantly ice-covered central Arctic Ocean on Lomonosov Ridge, a 430 m thick sequence of upper Cretaceaous to Quaternary sediments has been drilled. Here we present detailed organic carbon (OC) records from the entire ca. 200 m thick, upper Paleocene to middle Eocene blackshale-type section of the ACEX drill sites, characterized by OC contents of about 1 to 6%. Based on a multi-proxy organic geochemical approach (hydrogen indices, C/N and C/S ratios, stable carbon isotopes, biomarkers, and maceral composition), organic-carbon sources and paleoenvironmental conditions were reconstructed. The late Paleocene interval is characterized by oxic conditions and a predominance of reworked terrigenous OC. In contrast, euxinic "Black Sea-type" conditions favorable for the preservation of labile aquatic (marine algae-type) OC occur throughout the upper part of the early Eocene and the middle Eocene, explained by salinity stratification due to freshwater discharge. The superimposed short-term ("Milankovitch-type") variability in amount and composition of OC is related to changes in primary production and terrigenous input. Prominent early Eocene events of algae-type OC preservation coincide with global 13C events such as the Paleocene- Eocece Thermal Maximum (PETM) and Elmo events. During Eocene times of anoxia, OC accumulation rates were 5-20 times higher than modern ones. Whereas very low organic carbon accumulation rates of about 0.005 gC cm-2 ky-1 are typical for the modern (Holocene) central Arctic Ocean on Lomonosov Ridge, values of up to 0.1-0.15 gC cm-2 ky-1 were calculated for the Eocene ACEX section. Because major part of the OC deposited during Eocene times is of aquatic (marine) origin and the OC deposited during Holocene times is almost entirely of terrigenous origin, the difference between the modern and Eocene situation becomes even more drastic when comparing the values for aquatic (marine) OC accumulation. During the Eocene, primary productivity in the central Arctic Ocean may may have reached values of 50-75 gC m-2 y-1, i.e., values 5-10 times higher than modern ones.

Modes of Arctic Ocean Change from GRACE, ICESat and the PIOMAS and ECCO2 Models of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peralta Ferriz, C.; Morison, J. H.; Bonin, J. A.; Chambers, D. P.; Kwok, R.; Zhang, J.

2012-12-01

EOF analysis of month-to-month variations in GRACE derived Arctic Ocean bottom pressure (OBP) with trend and seasonal variation removed yield three dominant modes. The first mode is a basin wide variation in mass associated with high atmospheric pressure (SLP) over Scandinavia mainly in winter. The second mode is a shift of mass from the central Arctic Ocean to the Siberian shelves due to low pressure over the basins, associated with the Arctic Oscillation. The third mode is a shift in mass between the Eastern and Western Siberian shelves, related to strength of the Beaufort High mainly in summer, and to eastward alongshore winds on the Barents Sea in winter. The PIOMAS and ECCO2 modeled OBP show fair agreement with the form of these modes and provide context in terms of variations in sea surface height SSH. Comparing GRACE OBP from 2007 to 2011 with GRACE OBP from 2002 to 2006 reveals a rising trend over most of the Arctic Ocean but declines in the Kara Sea region and summer East Siberian Sea. ECCO2 bears a faint resemblance to the observed OBP change but appears to be biased negatively. In contrast, PIOMAS SSH and ECCO2 especially, show changes between the two periods that are muted but similar to ICESat dynamic ocean topography and GRACE-ICESat freshwater trends from 2005 through 2008 [Morison et al., 2012] with a rising DOT and freshening in the Beaufort Sea and a trough with decreased freshwater on the Russian side of the Arctic Ocean. Morison, J., R. Kwok, C. Peralta-Ferriz, M. Alkire, I. Rigor, R. Andersen, and M. Steele (2012), Changing Arctic Ocean freshwater pathways, Nature, 481(7379), 66-70.

Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl compounds in surface waters from the North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Cai, Minghong; Zhao, Zhen; Yin, Zhigao; Ahrens, Lutz; Huang, Peng; Cai, Minggang; Yang, Haizhen; He, Jianfeng; Sturm, Renate; Ebinghaus, Ralf; Xie, Zhiyong

2012-01-17

Perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) were determined in 22 surface water samples (39-76°N) and three sea ice core and snow samples (77-87°N) collected from North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean during the fourth Chinese Arctic Expedition in 2010. Geographically, the average concentration of ∑PFC in surface water samples were 560 ± 170 pg L(-1) for the Northwest Pacific Ocean, 500 ± 170 pg L(-1) for the Arctic Ocean, and 340 ± 130 pg L(-1) for the Bering Sea, respectively. The perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) were the dominant PFC class in the water samples, however, the spatial pattern of PFCs varied. The C(5), C(7) and C(8) PFCAs (i.e., perfluoropentanoate (PFPA), perfluoroheptanoate (PFHpA), and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA)) were the dominant PFCs in the Northwest Pacific Ocean while in the Bering Sea the PFPA dominated. The changing in the pattern and concentrations in Pacific Ocean indicate that the PFCs in surface water were influenced by sources from the East-Asian (such as Japan and China) and North American coast, and dilution effect during their transport to the Arctic. The presence of PFCs in the snow and ice core samples indicates an atmospheric deposition of PFCs in the Arctic. The elevated PFC concentration in the Arctic Ocean shows that the ice melting had an impact on the PFC levels and distribution. In addition, the C(4) and C(5) PFCAs (i.e., perfluorobutanoate (PFBA), PFPA) became the dominant PFCs in the Arctic Ocean indicating that PFBA is a marker for sea ice melting as the source of exposure.

Modern benthic foraminifer distribution in the Amerasian Basin, Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ishman, S.E.; Foley, K.M.

1996-01-01

A total of 38 box cores were collected from the Amerasian Basin, Arctic Ocean during the U.S. Geological Survey 1992 (PI92-AR) and 1993 (PI93-AR) Arctic Cruises aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker Polar Star. In addition, the cruises collected geophysical data, piston cores and hydrographic data to address the geologic and oceanographic history of the western Arctic Ocean. This paper reports the results of the quantitative analyses of benthic foraminifer distribution data of the total (live + dead) assemblages derived from 22 box core-top samples. The results show that a distinct depth distribution of three dominant benthic foraminifer assemblages, the Textularia spp. - Spiroplectammina biformis, Cassidulina teretis and Oridorsalis tener - Eponides tumidulus Biofacies are strongly controlled by the dominant water masses within the Canada Basin: the Arctic Surface Water, Arctic Intermediate Water and Canada Basin Deep Water. The faunal distributions and their oceanographic associations in the Canada Basin are consistent with observations of benthic foraminifer distributions from other regions within the Arctic Ocean.

Biological response to climate change in the Arctic Ocean: The view from the past

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronin, Thomas M.; Cronin, Matthew A.

2017-01-01

The Arctic Ocean is undergoing rapid climatic changes including higher ocean temperatures, reduced sea ice, glacier and Greenland Ice Sheet melting, greater marine productivity, and altered carbon cycling. Until recently, the relationship between climate and Arctic biological systems was poorly known, but this has changed substantially as advances in paleoclimatology, micropaleontology, vertebrate paleontology, and molecular genetics show that Arctic ecosystem history reflects global and regional climatic changes over all timescales and climate states (103–107 years). Arctic climatic extremes include 25°C hyperthermal periods during the Paleocene-Eocene (56–46 million years ago, Ma), Quaternary glacial periods when thick ice shelves and sea ice cover rendered the Arctic Ocean nearly uninhabitable, seasonally sea-ice-free interglacials and abrupt climate reversals. Climate-driven biological impacts included large changes in species diversity, primary productivity, species’ geographic range shifts into and out of the Arctic, community restructuring, and possible hybridization, but evidence is not sufficient to determine whether or when major episodes of extinction occurred.

Modeling seasonality of ice and ocean carbon production in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, M.; Deal, C. M.; Ji, R.

2011-12-01

In the Arctic Ocean, both phytoplankton and sea ice algae are important contributors to the primary production and the arctic food web. Copepod in the arctic regions have developed their feeding habit depending on the timing between the ice algal bloom and the subsequent phytoplankton bloom. A mismatch of the timing due to climate changes could have dramatic consequences on the food web as shown by some regional observations. In this study, a global coupled ice-ocean-ecosystem model was used to assess the seasonality of the ice algal and phytoplankton blooms in the arctic. The ice-ocean ecosystem modules are fully coupled in the physical model POP-CICE (Parallel Ocean Program- Los Alamos Sea Ice Model). The model results are compared with various observations. The modeled ice and ocean carbon production were analyzed by regions and their linkage to the physical environment changes (such as changes of ice concentration and water temperature, and light intensity etc.) between low- and high-ice years.

Evidence for an ice shelf covering the central Arctic Ocean during the penultimate glaciation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jakobsson, Martin; Nilsson, Johan; Anderson, Leif G.; Backman, Jan; Bjork, Goran; Cronin, Thomas M.; Kirchner, Nina; Koshurnikov, Andrey; Mayer, Larry; Noormets, Riko; O'Regan, Matthew; Stranne, Christian; Ananiev, Roman; Macho, Natalia Barrientos; Cherniykh, Dennis; Coxall, Helen; Eriksson, Bjorn; Floden, Tom; Gemery, Laura; Gustafsson, Orjan; Jerram, Kevin; Johansson, Carina; Khortov, Alexey; Mohammad, Rezwan; Semiletov, Igor

2016-01-01

The hypothesis of a km-thick ice shelf covering the entire Arctic Ocean during peak glacial conditions was proposed nearly half a century ago. Floating ice shelves preserve few direct traces after their disappearance, making reconstructions difficult. Seafloor imprints of ice shelves should, however, exist where ice grounded along their flow paths. Here we present new evidence of ice-shelf groundings on bathymetric highs in the central Arctic Ocean, resurrecting the concept of an ice shelf extending over the entire central Arctic Ocean during at least one previous ice age. New and previously mapped glacial landforms together reveal flow of a spatially coherent, in some regions >1-km thick, central Arctic Ocean ice shelf dated to marine isotope stage 6 (~140 ka). Bathymetric highs were likely critical in the ice-shelf development by acting as pinning points where stabilizing ice rises formed, thereby providing sufficient back stress to allow ice shelf thickening.

FIRE III ACE Data Sets

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2017-12-22

... in conjunction with the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) Experiment. The FIRE-ACE focused on all aspects of Arctic cloud ... Alaska with measurements extending well over the Arctic Ocean (ship and aircraft). Guide Documents:  FIRE Project ...

Increased fluxes of shelf-derived materials to the central Arctic Ocean

PubMed Central

Kipp, Lauren E.; Charette, Matthew A.; Moore, Willard S.; Henderson, Paul B.; Rigor, Ignatius G.

2018-01-01

Rising temperatures in the Arctic Ocean region are responsible for changes such as reduced ice cover, permafrost thawing, and increased river discharge, which, together, alter nutrient and carbon cycles over the vast Arctic continental shelf. We show that the concentration of radium-228, sourced to seawater through sediment-water exchange processes, has increased substantially in surface waters of the central Arctic Ocean over the past decade. A mass balance model for 228Ra suggests that this increase is due to an intensification of shelf-derived material inputs to the central basin, a source that would also carry elevated concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and nutrients. Therefore, we suggest that significant changes in the nutrient, carbon, and trace metal balances of the Arctic Ocean are underway, with the potential to affect biological productivity and species assemblages in Arctic surface waters. PMID:29326980

Arctic Ocean Paleoceanography and Future IODP Drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, Ruediger

2015-04-01

Although the Arctic Ocean is a major player in the global climate/earth system, this region is one of the last major physiographic provinces on Earth where the short- and long-term geological history is still poorly known. This lack in knowledge is mainly due to the major technological/logistical problems in operating within the permanently ice-covered Arctic region which makes it difficult to retrieve long and undisturbed sediment cores. Prior to 2004, in the central Arctic Ocean piston and gravity coring was mainly restricted to obtaining near-surface sediments, i.e., only the upper 15 m could be sampled. Thus, all studies were restricted to the late Pliocene/Quaternary time interval, with a few exceptions. These include the four short cores obtained by gravity coring from drifting ice floes over the Alpha Ridge, where older pre-Neogene organic-carbon-rich muds and laminated biosiliceous oozes were sampled. Continuous central Arctic Ocean sedimentary records, allowing a development of chronologic sequences of climate and environmental change through Cenozoic times and a comparison with global climate records, however, were missing prior to the IODP Expedition 302 (Arctic Ocean Coring Expedition - ACEX), the first scientific drilling in the central Arctic Ocean. By studying the unique ACEX sequence, a large number of scientific discoveries that describe previously unknown Arctic paleoenvironments, were obtained during the last decade (for most recent review and references see Stein et al., 2014). While these results from ACEX were unprecedented, key questions related to the climate history of the Arctic Ocean remain unanswered, in part because of poor core recovery, and in part because of the possible presence of a major mid-Cenozoic hiatus or interval of starved sedimentation within the ACEX record. In order to fill this gap in knowledge, international, multidisciplinary expeditions and projects for scientific drilling/coring in the Arctic Ocean are needed. Key areas and approaches for drilling and recovering undisturbed and complete sedimentary sequences are depth transects across the major ocean ridge systems, such as the Lomonosov Ridge. These new detailed climate records spanning time intervals from the (late Cretaceous/)Paleogene Greenhouse world to the Neogene-Quaternary Icehouse world will give new insights into our understanding of the Arctic Ocean within the global climate system and provide an opportunity to test the performance of climate models used to predict future climate change. During the Polarstern Expedition PS87 in August-September 2014, new site survey data including detailed multibeam bathymetry, multi-channel seismic and Parasound profiling as well as geological coring, were obtained on Lomonosov Ridge (Stein, 2015), being the basis for a more precise planning and update for a future IODP drilling campaign. Reference: Stein, R. (Ed.), 2015. Cruise Report of Polarstern Expedition PS87-2014 (Arctic Ocean/Lomonosov Ridge). Reps. Pol. Mar. Res., in press. Stein, R. , Weller, P. , Backman, J. , Brinkhuis, H., Moran, K. , Pälike, H., 2014. Cenozoic Arctic Ocean Climate History: Some highlights from the IODP Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX). Developments in Marine Geology 7, Elsevier Amsterdam/New York, pp. 259-293.

Enhanced Arctic Amplification Began at the Mid-Brunhes Event ~400,000 years ago.

PubMed

Cronin, T M; Dwyer, G S; Caverly, E K; Farmer, J; DeNinno, L H; Rodriguez-Lazaro, J; Gemery, L

2017-11-03

Arctic Ocean temperatures influence ecosystems, sea ice, species diversity, biogeochemical cycling, seafloor methane stability, deep-sea circulation, and CO 2 cycling. Today's Arctic Ocean and surrounding regions are undergoing climatic changes often attributed to "Arctic amplification" - that is, amplified warming in Arctic regions due to sea-ice loss and other processes, relative to global mean temperature. However, the long-term evolution of Arctic amplification is poorly constrained due to lack of continuous sediment proxy records of Arctic Ocean temperature, sea ice cover and circulation. Here we present reconstructions of Arctic Ocean intermediate depth water (AIW) temperatures and sea-ice cover spanning the last ~ 1.5 million years (Ma) of orbitally-paced glacial/interglacial cycles (GIC). Using Mg/Ca paleothermometry of the ostracode Krithe and sea-ice planktic and benthic indicator species, we suggest that the Mid-Brunhes Event (MBE), a major climate transition ~ 400-350 ka, involved fundamental changes in AIW temperature and sea-ice variability. Enhanced Arctic amplification at the MBE suggests a major climate threshold was reached at ~ 400 ka involving Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), inflowing warm Atlantic Layer water, ice sheet, sea-ice and ice-shelf feedbacks, and sensitivity to higher post-MBE interglacial CO 2 concentrations.

Trends in Arctic Ocean bottom pressure, sea surface height and freshwater content using GRACE and the ice-ocean model PIOMAS from 2008-2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peralta-Ferriz, Cecilia; Morison, James; Zhang, Jinlun; Bonin, Jennifer

2014-05-01

The variability of ocean bottom pressure (OBP) in the Arctic is dominated by the variations in sea surface height (SSH) from daily to monthly timescales. Conversely, OBP variability is dominated by the changes in the steric pressure (StP) at inter-annual timescales, particularly off the continental shelves. The combination of GRACE-derived ocean bottom pressure and ICESat altimetry-derived sea surface height variations in the Arctic Ocean have provided new means of identifying inter-annual trends in StP (StP = OBP-SSH) and associated freshwater content (FWC) of the Arctic region (Morison et al., 2012). Morison et al. (2012) showed that from 2004 to 2008, the FWC increased in the Beaufort Gyre and decreased in the Siberian and Central Arctic, resulting in a relatively small net basin-averaged FWC change. In this work, we investigate the inter-annual trends from 2008 to 2012 in OBP from GRACE, SSH from the state-of-the-art pan-Arctic ocean model PIOMAS -validated with tide and pressure gauges in the Arctic-, and compute the trends in StP and FWC from 2008-2012. We compare these results with the previous trends from 2005-2008 described in Morison et al. (2012). Our initial findings suggest increased salinity in the entire Arctic basin (relative to the climatological seasonal variation) from 2008-2012, compared to the preceding four years (2005-2008). We also find that the trends in OBP, SSH and StP from 2008-2012 present a different behavior during the spring-summer and fall-winter, unlike 2005-2008, in which the trends were generally consistent through all months of the year. It seems since 2009, when the Beaufort Gyre relaxed and the export of freshwater from the Canada Basin into the Canadian Archipelago and Fram Strait, via the Lincoln Sea, was anomalously large (de Steur et al., 2013), the Arctic Ocean has entered a new circulation regime. The causes of such changes in the inter-annual trends of OBP, SSH and StP -hence FWC-, associated with the changes in the shape and strength of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the wind patterns, as well as with the changes in sea ice conditions will be explored. References: Morison, J., R. Kwok, C. Peralta-Ferriz, M. Alkire, I. Rigor, R. Andersen, and M. Steele, Changing Arctic Ocean Freshwater Pathways Measured With ICESat and GRACE, Nature, 481, 66-70, DOI: 10.1038/nature10705, 2012. de Steur, L., et al. (2013), Hydrographic changes in the Lincoln Sea in the Arctic Ocean with focus on an upper ocean freshwater anomaly between 2007 and 2010, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 118, 4699-4715, doi:10.1002/jgrc.20341.

Scientific Discoveries in the Central Arctic Ocean Based on Seafloor Mapping Carried out to Support Article 76 Extended Continental Shelf Claims (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakobsson, M.; Mayer, L. A.; Marcussen, C.

2013-12-01

Despite the last decades of diminishing sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean, ship operations are only possible in vast sectors of the central Arctic using the most capable polar-class icebreakers. There are less than a handful of these icebreakers outfitted with modern seafloor mapping equipment. This implies either fierce competition between those having an interest in using these icebreakers for investigations of the shape and properties of Arctic Ocean seafloor or, preferably, collaboration. In this presentation examples will be shown of scientific discoveries based on mapping data collected during Arctic Ocean icebreaker expeditions carried out for the purpose of substantiating claims for an extended continental shelf under United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Article 76. Scientific results will be presented from the suite of Lomonosov Ridge off Greenland (LOMROG) expeditions (2007, 2009, and 2012), shedding new light on Arctic Ocean oceanography and glacial history. The Swedish icebreaker Oden was used in collaboration between Sweden and Denmark during LOMROG to map and sample portions of the central Arctic Ocean; specifically focused on the Lomonosov Ridge north of Greenland. While the main objective of the Danish participation was seafloor and sub-seabed mapping to substantiate their Article 76 claim, LOMROG also included several scientific components, with scientists from both countries involved. Other examples to be presented are based on data collected using US Coast Guard Cutter Healy, which for several years has carried out mapping in the western Arctic Ocean for the US continental shelf program. All bathymetric data collected with Oden and Healy have been contributed to the International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO). This is also the case for bathymetric data collected by Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent for Canada's extended continental shelf claim. Together, the bathymetric data collected during these Article 76 mapping missions comprises, by far, the most comprehensive contribution to the last Version 3.0 of IBCAO.

Research Spotlight: No tipping point for Arctic Ocean ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Colin

2011-03-01

Declines in the summer sea ice extent have led to concerns within the scientific community that the Arctic Ocean may be nearing a tipping point, beyond which the sea ice cap could not recover. In such a scenario, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap outgoing radiation, and as the Sun beats down 24 hours a day during the Arctic summer, temperatures rise and melt what remains of the polar sea ice cap. The Arctic Ocean, now less reflective, would absorb more of the Sun’s warmth, a feedback loop that would keep the ocean ice free. However, new research by Tietsche et al. suggests that even if the Arctic Ocean sees an ice-free summer, it would not lead to catastrophic runaway ice melt. The researchers, using a general circulation model of the global ocean and the atmosphere, found that Arctic sea ice recovers within 2 years of an imposed ice-free summer to the conditions dictated by general climate conditions during that time. Furthermore, they found that this quick recovery occurs whether the ice-free summer is triggered in 2000 or in 2060, when global temperatures are predicted to be 2°C warmer. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2010GL045698, 2011)

Collaborative Project. Understanding the effects of tides and eddies on the ocean dynamics, sea ice cover and decadal/centennial climate prediction using the Regional Arctic Climate Model (RACM)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hutchings, Jennifer; Joseph, Renu

2013-09-14

The goal of this project is to develop an eddy resolving ocean model (POP) with tides coupled to a sea ice model (CICE) within the Regional Arctic System Model (RASM) to investigate the importance of ocean tides and mesoscale eddies in arctic climate simulations and quantify biases associated with these processes and how their relative contribution may improve decadal to centennial arctic climate predictions. Ocean, sea ice and coupled arctic climate response to these small scale processes will be evaluated with regard to their influence on mass, momentum and property exchange between oceans, shelf-basin, ice-ocean, and ocean-atmosphere. The project willmore » facilitate the future routine inclusion of polar tides and eddies in Earth System Models when computing power allows. As such, the proposed research addresses the science in support of the BER’s Climate and Environmental Sciences Division Long Term Measure as it will improve the ocean and sea ice model components as well as the fully coupled RASM and Community Earth System Model (CESM) and it will make them more accurate and computationally efficient.« less

The large-scale freshwater cycle of the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serreze, Mark C.; Barrett, Andrew P.; Slater, Andrew G.; Woodgate, Rebecca A.; Aagaard, Knut; Lammers, Richard B.; Steele, Michael; Moritz, Richard; Meredith, Michael; Lee, Craig M.

2006-11-01

This paper synthesizes our understanding of the Arctic's large-scale freshwater cycle. It combines terrestrial and oceanic observations with insights gained from the ERA-40 reanalysis and land surface and ice-ocean models. Annual mean freshwater input to the Arctic Ocean is dominated by river discharge (38%), inflow through Bering Strait (30%), and net precipitation (24%). Total freshwater export from the Arctic Ocean to the North Atlantic is dominated by transports through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (35%) and via Fram Strait as liquid (26%) and sea ice (25%). All terms are computed relative to a reference salinity of 34.8. Compared to earlier estimates, our budget features larger import of freshwater through Bering Strait and larger liquid phase export through Fram Strait. While there is no reason to expect a steady state, error analysis indicates that the difference between annual mean oceanic inflows and outflows (˜8% of the total inflow) is indistinguishable from zero. Freshwater in the Arctic Ocean has a mean residence time of about a decade. This is understood in that annual freshwater input, while large (˜8500 km3), is an order of magnitude smaller than oceanic freshwater storage of ˜84,000 km3. Freshwater in the atmosphere, as water vapor, has a residence time of about a week. Seasonality in Arctic Ocean freshwater storage is nevertheless highly uncertain, reflecting both sparse hydrographic data and insufficient information on sea ice volume. Uncertainties mask seasonal storage changes forced by freshwater fluxes. Of flux terms with sufficient data for analysis, Fram Strait ice outflow shows the largest interannual variability.

Sea surface height and dynamic topography of the ice-covered oceans from CryoSat-2: 2011-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwok, Ron; Morison, James

2016-01-01

We examine 4 years (2011-2014) of sea surface heights (SSH) from CryoSat-2 (CS-2) over the ice-covered Arctic and Southern Oceans. Results are from a procedure that identifies and determines the heights of sea surface returns. Along 25 km segments of satellite ground tracks, variability in the retrieved SSHs is between ˜2 and 3 cm (standard deviation) in the Arctic and is slightly higher (˜3 cm) in the summer and the Southern Ocean. Average sea surface tilts (along these 25 km segments) are 0.01 ± 3.8 cm/10 km in the Arctic, and slightly lower (0.01 ± 2.0 cm/10 km) in the Southern Ocean. Intra-seasonal variability of CS-2 dynamic ocean topography (DOT) in the ice-covered Arctic is nearly twice as high as that of the Southern Ocean. In the Arctic, we find a correlation of 0.92 between 3 years of DOT and dynamic heights (DH) from hydrographic stations. Further, correlation of 4 years of area-averaged CS-2 DOT near the North Pole with time-variable ocean-bottom pressure from a pressure gauge and from GRACE, yields coefficients of 0.83 and 0.77, with corresponding differences of <3 cm (RMS). These comparisons contrast the length scale of baroclinic and barotropic features and reveal the smaller amplitude barotropic signals in the Arctic Ocean. Broadly, the mean DOT from CS-2 for both poles compares well with those from the ICESat campaigns and the DOT2008A and DTU13MDT fields. Short length scale topographic variations, due to oceanographic signals and geoid residuals, are especially prominent in the Arctic Basin but less so in the Southern Ocean.

Climate sensitivity to Arctic seaway restriction during the early Paleogene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Christopher D.; LeGrande, Allegra N.; Tripati, Aradhna K.

2009-09-01

The opening and closing of ocean gateways affects the global distribution of heat, salt, and moisture, potentially driving climatic change on regional to global scales. Between 65 and 45 million years ago (Ma), during the early Paleogene, exchange between the Arctic and global oceans occurred through two narrow and shallow seaways, the Greenland-Norway seaway and the Turgai Strait. Sediments from the Arctic Ocean suggest that, during this interval, the surface ocean was warm, brackish, and episodically enabled the freshwater fern Azolla to bloom. The precise mechanisms responsible for the development of these conditions in the Paleogene Arctic remain uncertain. Here we show results from an isotope-enabled, atmosphere-ocean general circulation model, which indicate that Northern Hemisphere climate would have been very sensitive to the degree of oceanic exchange through the Arctic seaways. We also present modelled estimates of seawater and calcite δ18O for the Paleogene. By restricting these seaways, we simulate freshening of the surface Arctic Ocean to ~ 6 psu and warming of sea-surface temperatures by 2 °C in the North Atlantic and 5-10 °C in the Labrador Sea. Our results may help explain the occurrence of low-salinity tolerant taxa in the Arctic Ocean during the Eocene and provide a mechanism for enhanced warmth in the north western Atlantic. We propose that the formation of a volcanic land-bridge between Greenland and Europe could have caused increased ocean convection and warming of intermediate waters in the Atlantic. If true, this result is consistent with the theory that bathymetry changes may have caused thermal destabilisation of methane clathrates and supports a tectonic trigger hypothesis for the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM).

Diversity of planktonic microorganisms in the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedrós-Alió, Carlos; Potvin, Marianne; Lovejoy, Connie

2015-12-01

The present paper begins by reviewing recent developments in our understanding of the diversity of planktonic microorganisms in the Arctic Ocean, taking into account recent data from high throughput sequencing techniques. This data has enabled deeper analysis of the many thousands of different microorganisms present in natural samples. The Arctic Ocean is similar to the other oceans in terms of the abundance and general composition of microbial communities. However, some traits are unique. For example, there are essentially no cyanobacteria in the Arctic and their ecological role seems to be taken up by picoeukaryotic algae. Recent comparisons of the bacterial communities from the two Polar oceans with those from temperate waters showed that Polar communities were closer to each other than to the lower latitude ones. However, they only shared about 15% of the taxa. Newer data considerably increases the coverage of Arctic sites sampled and indicates that bacterial communities in the Arctic vary significantly across regions and seasons. In particular several recent cruises have provided access to the Arctic Ocean during the winter, the least known season and we review two instances of active microbes during the winter. First a bloom of Thaumarchaeota that may have been based on the use of urea as a source of carbon and reducing power, and second the increase in picoeukaryotic algae as soon as light reaches the ocean in February. Both examples show that there is considerable microbial activity during the Polar winter.

Late Cretaceous seasonal ocean variability from the Arctic.

PubMed

Davies, Andrew; Kemp, Alan E S; Pike, Jennifer

2009-07-09

The modern Arctic Ocean is regarded as a barometer of global change and amplifier of global warming and therefore records of past Arctic change are critical for palaeoclimate reconstruction. Little is known of the state of the Arctic Ocean in the greenhouse period of the Late Cretaceous epoch (65-99 million years ago), yet records from such times may yield important clues to Arctic Ocean behaviour in near-future warmer climates. Here we present a seasonally resolved Cretaceous sedimentary record from the Alpha ridge of the Arctic Ocean. This palaeo-sediment trap provides new insight into the workings of the Cretaceous marine biological carbon pump. Seasonal primary production was dominated by diatom algae but was not related to upwelling as was previously hypothesized. Rather, production occurred within a stratified water column, involving specially adapted species in blooms resembling those of the modern North Pacific subtropical gyre, or those indicated for the Mediterranean sapropels. With increased CO(2) levels and warming currently driving increased stratification in the global ocean, this style of production that is adapted to stratification may become more widespread. Our evidence for seasonal diatom production and flux testify to an ice-free summer, but thin accumulations of terrigenous sediment within the diatom ooze are consistent with the presence of intermittent sea ice in the winter, supporting a wide body of evidence for low temperatures in the Late Cretaceous Arctic Ocean, rather than recent suggestions of a 15 degrees C mean annual temperature at this time.

High Resolution Simulations of Arctic Sea Ice, 1979-1993

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-01

William H. Lipscomb * PO[ARISSP To evaluate improvements in modelling Arctic sea ice, we compare results from two regional models at 1/120 horizontal...resolution. The first is a coupled ice-ocean model of the Arctic Ocean, consisting of an ocean model (adapted from the Parallel Ocean Program, Los...Alamos National Laboratory [LANL]) and the "old" sea ice model . The second model uses the same grid but consists of an improved "new" sea ice model (LANL

Pan-Arctic Distributions of Continental Runoff in the Arctic Ocean

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-11

lignin is well established as a biomarker of tDOM in oceanic waters10,11 and has been successfully applied as a tracer of riverine inputs in the... Lignin is also an important chro- mophore in tDOM, a property that facilitates detection using optical properties. Here, we demonstrate that the spectral...solved lignin and tDOM across various river-influenced ocean mar- gins of the Arctic Ocean12,13 (Fig. 1a). An increase in S2752295 is indicative of a

Spatial Distributions of DDTs in the Water Masses of the Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Carrizo, Daniel; Sobek, Anna; Salvadó, Joan A; Gustafsson, Örjan

2017-07-18

There is a scarcity of data on the amount and distribution of the organochlorine pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites in intermediate and deep ocean water masses. Here, the distribution and inventories of DDTs in water of the Arctic shelf seas and the interior basin are presented. The occurrence of ∑ 6 DDT (0.10-66 pg L -1 ) in the surface water was dominated by 4,4'-DDE. In the Central Arctic Ocean increasing concentrations of DDE with depth were observed in the Makarov and Amundsen basins. The increasing concentrations down to 2500 m depth is in accordance with previous findings for PCBs and PBDEs. Similar concentrations of DDT and DDEs were found in the surface water, while the relative contribution of DDEs increased with depth, demonstrating a transformation over time and depth. Higher concentrations of DDTs were found in the European part of the Arctic Ocean; these distributions likely reflect a combination of different usage patterns, transport, and fate of these compounds. For instance, the elevated concentrations of DDTs in the Barents and Atlantic sectors of the Arctic Ocean indicate the northbound Atlantic current as a significant conveyor of DDTs. This study contributes to the very rare data on OCPs in the vast deep-water compartments and combined with surface water distribution across the Arctic Ocean helps to improve our understanding of the large-scale fate of DDTs in the Arctic.

Recent trends in energy flows through the Arctic climate system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Michael; Haimberger, Leo

2016-04-01

While Arctic climate change can be diagnosed in many parameters, a comprehensive assessment of long-term changes and low frequency variability in the coupled Arctic energy budget still remains challenging due to the complex physical processes involved and the lack of observations. Here we draw on strongly improved observational capabilities of the past 15 years and employ observed radiative fluxes from CERES along with state-of-the-art atmospheric as well as coupled ocean-ice reanalyses to explore recent changes in energy flows through the Arctic climate system. Various estimates of ice volume and ocean heat content trends imply that the energy imbalance of the Arctic climate system was >1 Wm-2 during the 2000-2015 period, where most of the extra heat warmed the ocean and a comparatively small fraction was used to melt sea ice. The energy imbalance was partly fed by enhanced oceanic heat transports into the Arctic, especially in the mid 2000s. Seasonal trends of net radiation show a very clear signal of the ice-albedo feedback. Stronger radiative energy input during summer means increased seasonal oceanic heat uptake and accelerated sea ice melt. In return, lower minimum sea ice extent and higher SSTs lead to enhanced heat release from the ocean during fall season. These results are consistent with modeling studies finding an enhancement of the annual cycle of surface energy exchanges in a warming Arctic. Moreover, stronger heat fluxes from the ocean to the atmosphere in fall tend to warm the arctic boundary layer and reduce meridional temperature gradients, thereby reducing atmospheric energy transports into the polar cap. Although the observed results are a robust finding, extended high-quality datasets are needed to reliably separate trends from low frequency variability.

The freshwater export from the Arctic Ocean and the circulation of liquid freshwater around Greenland - constraints, interactions & consequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudels, Bert

2010-05-01

The freshwater added to the Arctic Ocean is stored as sea ice and as liquid freshwater residing primarily in the upper layers. This allows for simple zero order estimates of the liquid freshwater content and export based on rotationally controlled baroclinic flow. At present the freshwater outflow occurs on both sides of Greenland. In Fram Strait the sea ice export in the East Greenland Current is significantly larger than the liquid freshwater outflow, while the liquid freshwater export dominates in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Although the outflow in the upper layer and the freshwater export respond to short periodic wind events and longer periodic atmospheric circulation patterns, the long-term trend is controlled by the net freshwater supply - the freshwater input minus the ice export. As the ice formation and ice export are expected to diminish in a warmer climate the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, comprising several passages, should gradually carry more of the total Arctic Ocean freshwater outflow. However, the channels in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago discharge into the restricted Baffin, which also receives a part of the Fram Strait freshwater export via the West Greenland Current. In a situation with increased glacial melting and freshwater discharge from Greenland the density of the upper layer in Baffin Bay may decrease considerably. This would reduce the sea level difference between the Arctic Ocean and Baffin Bay and thus weaken the outflow through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, in extreme cases perhaps even reverse the flow. This would shift the main Arctic Ocean liquid freshwater export from The Canadian Arctic Archipelago to Fram Strait. The zero order dynamics of the exchanges through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Baffin Bay are described and the possibility for a weakening of the outflow is examined.

An analysis of the carbon balance of the Arctic Basin from 1997 to 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGuire, A.D.; Hayes, D.J.; Kicklighter, D.W.; Manizza, M.; Zhuang, Q.; Chen, M.; Follows, M.J.; Gurney, K.R.; McClelland, J.W.; Melillo, J.M.; Peterson, B.J.; Prinn, R.G.

2010-01-01

This study used several model-based tools to analyse the dynamics of the Arctic Basin between 1997 and 2006 as a linked system of land-ocean-atmosphere C exchange. The analysis estimates that terrestrial areas of the Arctic Basin lost 62.9 Tg C yr-1 and that the Arctic Ocean gained 94.1 Tg C yr-1. Arctic lands and oceans were a net CO2 sink of 108.9 Tg C yr-1, which is within the range of uncertainty in estimates from atmospheric inversions. Although both lands and oceans of the Arctic were estimated to be CO2 sinks, the land sink diminished in strength because of increased fire disturbance compared to previous decades, while the ocean sink increased in strength because of increased biological pump activity associated with reduced sea ice cover. Terrestrial areas of the Arctic were a net source of 41.5 Tg CH4 yr-1 that increased by 0.6 Tg CH4 yr-1 during the decade of analysis, a magnitude that is comparable with an atmospheric inversion of CH4. Because the radiative forcing of the estimated CH4 emissions is much greater than the CO2 sink, the analysis suggests that the Arctic Basin is a substantial net source of green house gas forcing to the climate system.

The frequency and extent of sub-ice phytoplankton blooms in the Arctic Ocean

PubMed Central

Horvat, Christopher; Jones, David Rees; Iams, Sarah; Schroeder, David; Flocco, Daniela; Feltham, Daniel

2017-01-01

In July 2011, the observation of a massive phytoplankton bloom underneath a sea ice–covered region of the Chukchi Sea shifted the scientific consensus that regions of the Arctic Ocean covered by sea ice were inhospitable to photosynthetic life. Although the impact of widespread phytoplankton blooms under sea ice on Arctic Ocean ecology and carbon fixation is potentially marked, the prevalence of these events in the modern Arctic and in the recent past is, to date, unknown. We investigate the timing, frequency, and evolution of these events over the past 30 years. Although sea ice strongly attenuates solar radiation, it has thinned significantly over the past 30 years. The thinner summertime Arctic sea ice is increasingly covered in melt ponds, which permit more light penetration than bare or snow-covered ice. Our model results indicate that the recent thinning of Arctic sea ice is the main cause of a marked increase in the prevalence of light conditions conducive to sub-ice blooms. We find that as little as 20 years ago, the conditions required for sub-ice blooms may have been uncommon, but their frequency has increased to the point that nearly 30% of the ice-covered Arctic Ocean in July permits sub-ice blooms. Recent climate change may have markedly altered the ecology of the Arctic Ocean. PMID:28435859

Past, Present, and Future: A Science Program for the Arctic Ocean Linking Ancient and Contemporary Observations of Change Through Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coakley, Bernard; Edmonds, Henrietta N.; Frey, Karen; Gascard, Jean-Claude; Grebmeier, Jacqueline M.; Kassens, Heidemarie; Thiede, Jörn; Wegner, Carolyn

2007-07-01

A follow-up to the 2nd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning, 19-21 November 2007, Potsdam, Germany The Arctic Ocean is the missing piece for any global model. Records of processes at both long and short timescales will be necessary to predict the future evolution of the Arctic Ocean through what appears to be a period of rapid climate change. Ocean monitoring is impoverished without the long-timescale records available from paleoceanography and the boundary conditions that can be obtained from marine geology and geophysics. The past and the present are the key to our ability to predict the future.

Regular network model for the sea ice-albedo feedback in the Arctic.

PubMed

Müller-Stoffels, Marc; Wackerbauer, Renate

2011-03-01

The Arctic Ocean and sea ice form a feedback system that plays an important role in the global climate. The complexity of highly parameterized global circulation (climate) models makes it very difficult to assess feedback processes in climate without the concurrent use of simple models where the physics is understood. We introduce a two-dimensional energy-based regular network model to investigate feedback processes in an Arctic ice-ocean layer. The model includes the nonlinear aspect of the ice-water phase transition, a nonlinear diffusive energy transport within a heterogeneous ice-ocean lattice, and spatiotemporal atmospheric and oceanic forcing at the surfaces. First results for a horizontally homogeneous ice-ocean layer show bistability and related hysteresis between perennial ice and perennial open water for varying atmospheric heat influx. Seasonal ice cover exists as a transient phenomenon. We also find that ocean heat fluxes are more efficient than atmospheric heat fluxes to melt Arctic sea ice.

Enhanced Arctic amplification began at the Mid-Brunhes Event 430,000 years ago

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronin, Thomas M.; Dwyer, Gary S.; Caverly, Emma; Farmer, Jesse; DeNinno, Lauren H.; Rodriguez-Lazaro, Julio; Gemery, Laura

2017-01-01

Arctic Ocean temperatures influence ecosystems, sea ice, species diversity, biogeochemical cycling, seafloor methane stability, deep-sea circulation, and CO2 cycling. Today's Arctic Ocean and surrounding regions are undergoing climatic changes often attributed to "Arctic amplification" - that is, amplified warming in Arctic regions due to sea-ice loss and other processes, relative to global mean temperature. However, the long-term evolution of Arctic amplification is poorly constrained due to lack of continuous sediment proxy records of Arctic Ocean temperature, sea ice cover and circulation. Here we present reconstructions of Arctic Ocean intermediate depth water (AIW) temperatures and sea-ice cover spanning the last ~ 1.5 million years (Ma) of orbitally-paced glacial/interglacial cycles (GIC). Using Mg/Ca paleothermometry of the ostracode Krithe and sea-ice planktic and benthic indicator species, we suggest that the Mid-Brunhes Event (MBE), a major climate transition ~ 400-350 ka, involved fundamental changes in AIW temperature and sea-ice variability. Enhanced Arctic amplification at the MBE suggests a major climate threshold was reached at ~ 400 ka involving Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), inflowing warm Atlantic Layer water, ice sheet, sea-ice and ice-shelf feedbacks, and sensitivity to higher post-MBE interglacial CO2 concentrations.

Evidence for an ice shelf covering the central Arctic Ocean during the penultimate glaciation

PubMed Central

Jakobsson, Martin; Nilsson, Johan; Anderson, Leif; Backman, Jan; Björk, Göran; Cronin, Thomas M.; Kirchner, Nina; Koshurnikov, Andrey; Mayer, Larry; Noormets, Riko; O'Regan, Matthew; Stranne, Christian; Ananiev, Roman; Barrientos Macho, Natalia; Cherniykh, Denis; Coxall, Helen; Eriksson, Björn; Flodén, Tom; Gemery, Laura; Gustafsson, Örjan; Jerram, Kevin; Johansson, Carina; Khortov, Alexey; Mohammad, Rezwan; Semiletov, Igor

2016-01-01

The hypothesis of a km-thick ice shelf covering the entire Arctic Ocean during peak glacial conditions was proposed nearly half a century ago. Floating ice shelves preserve few direct traces after their disappearance, making reconstructions difficult. Seafloor imprints of ice shelves should, however, exist where ice grounded along their flow paths. Here we present new evidence of ice-shelf groundings on bathymetric highs in the central Arctic Ocean, resurrecting the concept of an ice shelf extending over the entire central Arctic Ocean during at least one previous ice age. New and previously mapped glacial landforms together reveal flow of a spatially coherent, in some regions >1-km thick, central Arctic Ocean ice shelf dated to marine isotope stage 6 (∼140 ka). Bathymetric highs were likely critical in the ice-shelf development by acting as pinning points where stabilizing ice rises formed, thereby providing sufficient back stress to allow ice shelf thickening. PMID:26778247

Contrasting glacial/interglacial regimes in the western Arctic Ocean as exemplified by a sedimentary record from the Mendeleev Ridge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Polyak, L.; Curry, W.B.; Darby, D.A.; Bischof, J.; Cronin, T. M.

2004-01-01

Distinct cyclicity in lithology and microfaunal distribution in sediment cores from the Mendeleev Ridge in the western Arctic Ocean (water depths ca. 1. 5 km) reflects contrasting glacial/interglacial sedimentary patterns. We conclude that during major glaciations extremely thick pack ice or ice shelves covered the western Arctic Ocean and its circulation was restricted in comparison with interglacial, modern-type conditions. Glacier collapse events are marked in sediment cores by increased contents of ice-rafted debris, notably by spikes of detrital carbonates and iron oxide grains from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Composition of foraminiferal calcite ?? 18O and ??13C also shows strong cyclicity indicating changes in freshwater balance and/or ventilation rates of the Arctic Ocean. Light stable isotopic spikes characterize deglacial events such as the last deglaciation at ca. 12 14C kyr BP. The prolonged period with low ??18O and ??13C values and elevated contents of iron oxide grains from the Canadian Archipelago in the lower part of the Mendeleev Ridge record is interpreted to signify the pooling of freshwater in the Amerasia Basin, possibly in relation to an extended glaciation in arctic North America. Unique benthic foraminiferal events provide a means for an independent stratigraphic correlation of sedimentary records from the Mendeleev Ridge and other mid-depth locations throughout the Arctic Ocean such as the Northwind and Lomonosov Ridges. This correlation demonstrates the disparity of existing age models and underscores the need to establish a definitive chronostratigraphy for Arctic Ocean sediments. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phanerozoic stratigraphy of Northwind Ridge, magnetic anomalies in the Canada Basin, and the geometry and timing of rifting in the Amerasia Basin, Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grantz, A.; Clark, D.L.; Phillips, R.L.; Srivastava, S.P.; Blome, C.D.; Gray, L.-B.; Haga, H.; Mamet, B.L.; McIntyre, D.J.; McNeil, D.H.; Mickey, M.B.; Mullen, M.W.; Murchey, B.I.; Ross, C.A.; Stevens, C.H.; Silberling, Norman J.; Wall, J.H.; Willard, D.A.

1998-01-01

Cores from Northwind Ridge, a high-standing continental fragment in the Chukchi borderland of the oceanic Amerasia basin, Arctic Ocean, contain representatives of every Phanerozoic system except the Silurian and Devonian systems. Cambrian and Ordovician shallow-water marine carbonates in Northwind Ridge are similar to basement rocks beneath the Sverdrup basin of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Upper Mississippian(?) to Permian shelf carbonate and spicularite and Triassic turbidite and shelf lutite resemble coeval strata in the Sverdrup basin and the western Arctic Alaska basin (Hanna trough). These resemblances indicate that Triassic and older strata in southern Northwind Ridge were attached to both Arctic Canada and Arctic Alaska prior to the rifting that created the Amerasia basin. Late Jurassic marine lutite in Northwind Ridge was structurally isolated from coeval strata in the Sverdrup and Arctic Alaska basins by rift shoulder and grabens, and is interpreted to be a riftogenic deposit. This lutite may be the oldest deposit in the Canada basin. A cape of late Cenomanian or Turonian rhyodacite air-fall ash that lacks terrigenous material shows that Northwind Ridge was structurally isolated from the adjacent continental margins by earliest Late Cretaceous time. Closing Amerasia basin by conjoining seafloor magnetic anomalies beneath the Canada basin or by uniting the pre-Jurassic strata of Northwind Ridge with kindred sections in the Sverdrup basin and Hanna trough yield simular tectonic reconstructions. Together with the orientation and age of rift-marine structures, these data suggest that: 1) prior to opening of the Amerasia basin, both northern Alaska and continental ridges of the Chukchi borderland were part of North America, 2) the extension that created the Amerasia basin formed rift-margin graben beginning in Early Jurassic time and new oceanic crust probably beginning in Late Jurassic or early Neocomian time. Reconstruction of the Amerasia basin on the basis of the stratigraphy of Northwind Ridge and sea-floor magnetic anomalies in the Canada basin accounts in a general way for the major crustal elements of the Americasia basin, including the highstanding ridges of the Chukchi borderland, and supports S.W. Carye's hypothesis that the Amerasia basin is the product of anticlockwise rotational rifting of Arctic Alaska from North America.

Coastal Oceanography in the Beaufort Sea, Summer 1985.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-01

Laboratory University of Washington Li -- and 1: R. K. Perry The Arctic Submarine Laboratory Naval Ocean Systems Center 1. . .. DT IC .ELECTE J 27 V...Applied Physics Laboratory Arctic Submarine Laboratory University of Washington Naval Ocean Systems Center Seattle, Washington 98105 San Diego, California...Becker and G. R. Garrison N The Applied Physics Laboratory University of Washington and R. K. Perry The Arctic Submarine Laboratory Naval Ocean Systems

Methane excess in Arctic surface water-triggered by sea ice formation and melting.

PubMed

Damm, E; Rudels, B; Schauer, U; Mau, S; Dieckmann, G

2015-11-10

Arctic amplification of global warming has led to increased summer sea ice retreat, which influences gas exchange between the Arctic Ocean and the atmosphere where sea ice previously acted as a physical barrier. Indeed, recently observed enhanced atmospheric methane concentrations in Arctic regions with fractional sea-ice cover point to unexpected feedbacks in cycling of methane. We report on methane excess in sea ice-influenced water masses in the interior Arctic Ocean and provide evidence that sea ice is a potential source. We show that methane release from sea ice into the ocean occurs via brine drainage during freezing and melting i.e. in winter and spring. In summer under a fractional sea ice cover, reduced turbulence restricts gas transfer, then seawater acts as buffer in which methane remains entrained. However, in autumn and winter surface convection initiates pronounced efflux of methane from the ice covered ocean to the atmosphere. Our results demonstrate that sea ice-sourced methane cycles seasonally between sea ice, sea-ice-influenced seawater and the atmosphere, while the deeper ocean remains decoupled. Freshening due to summer sea ice retreat will enhance this decoupling, which restricts the capacity of the deeper Arctic Ocean to act as a sink for this greenhouse gas.

Evaporative fractionation of marine water isotopes in the Arctic Ocean help understand a changing Arctic water cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, E. S.; Welker, J. M.

2017-12-01

Most of the global hydrologic cycle occurs in oceanic waters. This oceanic derived moisture is critical to the precipitation and evapotranspiration regimes that influence terrestrial Earth systems. Thus understanding oceanic water processes has important global implications for our knowledge of modern and past hydrologic cycles. As they are influenced by environmental variables such as sea surface temperature and atmospheric humidity, water isotope ratios (e.g., δ18O, δ2H) can help understand the patterns driving the water cycle. However, our knowledge of marine isotopes is relatively limited. In particular, the fractionation of water isotopes during evaporation of oceanic water, essentially the start of the hydrologic cycle, is largely based on theoretical relationships derived from spatially and temporally limited data sets. This constrained understanding of oceanic evaporation fractionation patterns is especially pronounced in the rapidly changing Arctic Ocean. These changes are associated with reduced sea ice coverage, which is increasing the amount of local Artic Ocean sourced moisture in atmospheric and terrestrial systems and amplifying the Arctic hydrologic cycle. Here we present new data revealing the nuances of evaporative fractionation of Arctic Ocean water isotopes with the first collection of continuous, contemporaneous sea water and vapor isotopes. These data, collected in situ aboard the icebreaker Healy, show that the difference between actual ocean vapor isotope values and vapor values estimated by the closure equation increases progressively with latitude (especially beyond 70°) and varies between δ18O and δ2H. These differences are likely due to more isotopic mixing in the troposphere and/or closure equation assumptions inapplicable to Arctic regions. Moreover, we find: 1) a positive relationship between fractionation magnitude and latitude; and 2) the influence of evaporative fractionation from environmental variables such as wind and relative humidity reverses with the presence of sea ice. These new data increase our understanding of the patterns and processes governing past, present, and future changes to the Arctic hydrologic cycle.

Long-Endurance, Ice-capable Autonomous Seagliders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, C. M.; Gobat, J. I.; Shilling, G.; Curry, B.

2012-12-01

Autonomous Seagliders capable of extended (many months) operation in ice-covered waters have been developed and successfully employed as part of the US Arctic Observing Network. Seagliders operate routinely in lower-latitude oceans for periods of up to 9 months to provide persistent sampling in difficult, remote conditions, including strong boundary currents and harsh wintertime subpolar seas. The Arctic Observing Network calls for sustained occupation of key sections within the Arctic Ocean and across the critical gateways that link the Arctic to lower-latitude oceans, motivating the extension of glider technologies to permit operation in ice-covered waters. When operating in open water, gliders rely on GPS for navigation and Iridium satellite phones for data and command telemetry. Ice cover blocks access to the sea surface and thus prevents gliders from using these critical services. When operating under ice, ice-capable Seagliders instead navigate by trilateration from an array of RAFOS acoustic sound sources and employ advanced autonomy to make mission-critical decisions (previously the realm of the human pilot) and identify and exploit leads in the ice to allow intermittent communication through Iridium. Davis Strait, one of the two primary pathways through which Arctic waters exit into the subpolar North Atlantic, provided a convenient site for development of ice-capable Seagliders at a location where the resulting measurements could greatly augment the existing observing system. Initial testing of 780 Hz RAFOS sources in Davis Strait, substantiated by the performance of the operational array, indicates effective ranges of 100-150 km in ice-covered waters. Surface ducting and reflection off the ice bottom significantly degrade the range from the 500+ km expected in ice-free conditions. Comparisons between GPS and acoustically-derived positions collected during operations in ice-free conditions suggest 1-2 km uncertainty in the acoustically-derived positions. The first successful section across the ice-covered Davis Strait occurred in 2006, while the first full mission took place September - February 2008. Mission duration was 25 weeks, with over 800 km of under-ice transit over 51 days. The glider was able to identify and surface through leads 10 times during under-ice operations. Most recently, a pair of successful missions collected continuous sections across Davis Strait from October 2010 through June 2011, including operations between January and June, when the strait was nearly entirely ice-covered and the glider rarely gained access to the surface. These missions provide the first year-round time series of high-resolution sections across Davis Strait. In the Antarctic, ice-capable Seagliders successfully transited beneath a 40-km ice bridge and self-extracted after being carried beneath the Ross ice shelf during missions conducted without the support of an acoustic navigation array. Ice-capable Seagliders can provide sustainable, continuous occupation of critical sections in ice-covered regions, including the marginal ice zone, with typical horizontal resolution of 3 km and routine sampling of the important, but hazardous, region near the ice-ocean interface. Future directions include development of basin-scale acoustic navigation ('underwater GPS' for the Arctic) and use of existing high-frequency acoustic communications for short-range data transfer.

Long-Endurance, Ice-capable Autonomous Seagliders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Craig; Gobat, Jason; Shilling, Geoff; Curry, Beth

2013-04-01

Autonomous Seagliders capable of extended (many months) operation in ice-covered waters have been developed and successfully employed as part of the US Arctic Observing Network. Seagliders operate routinely in lower-latitude oceans for periods of up to 9 months to provide persistent sampling in difficult, remote conditions, including strong boundary currents and harsh wintertime subpolar seas. The Arctic Observing Network calls for sustained occupation of key sections within the Arctic Ocean and across the critical gateways that link the Arctic to lower-latitude oceans, motivating the extension of glider technologies to permit operation in ice-covered waters. When operating in open water, gliders rely on GPS for navigation and Iridium satellite phones for data and command telemetry. Ice cover blocks access to the sea surface and thus prevents gliders from using these critical services. When operating under ice, ice-capable Seagliders instead navigate by trilateration from an array of RAFOS acoustic sound sources and employ advanced autonomy to make mission-critical decisions (previously the realm of the human pilot) and identify and exploit leads in the ice to allow intermittent communication through Iridium. Davis Strait, one of the two primary pathways through which Arctic waters exit into the subpolar North Atlantic, provided a convenient site for development of ice-capable Seagliders at a location where the resulting measurements could greatly augment the existing observing system. Initial testing of 780 Hz RAFOS sources in Davis Strait, substantiated by the performance of the operational array, indicates effective ranges of 100-150 km in ice-covered waters. Surface ducting and reflection off the ice bottom significantly degrade the range from the 500+ km expected in ice-free conditions. Comparisons between GPS and acoustically-derived positions collected during operations in ice-free conditions suggest 1-2 km uncertainty in the acoustically-derived positions. The first successful section across the ice-covered Davis Strait occurred in 2006, while the first full mission took place September - February 2008. Mission duration was 25 weeks, with over 800 km of under-ice transit over 51 days. The glider was able to identify and surface through leads 10 times during under-ice operations. Most recently, a pair of successful missions collected continuous sections across Davis Strait from October 2010 through June 2011, including operations between January and June, when the strait was nearly entirely ice-covered and the glider rarely gained access to the surface. These missions provide the first year-round time series of high-resolution sections across Davis Strait. In the Antarctic, ice-capable Seagliders successfully transited beneath a 40-km ice bridge and self-extracted after being carried beneath the Ross ice shelf during missions conducted without the support of an acoustic navigation array. Ice-capable Seagliders can provide sustainable, continuous occupation of critical sections in ice-covered regions, including the marginal ice zone, with typical horizontal resolution of 3 km and routine sampling of the important, but hazardous, region near the ice-ocean interface. Future directions include development of basin-scale acoustic navigation ('underwater GPS' for the Arctic) and use of existing high-frequency acoustic communications for short-range data transfer.

Salinity of the Eocene Arctic Ocean from oxygen isotope analysis of fish bone carbonate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waddell, Lindsey M.; Moore, Theodore C.

2008-03-01

Stable isotope analysis was performed on the structural carbonate of fish bone apatite from early and early middle Eocene samples (˜55 to ˜45 Ma) recently recovered from the Lomonosov Ridge by Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 302 (the Arctic Coring Expedition). The δ18O values of the Eocene samples ranged from -6.84‰ to -2.96‰ Vienna Peedee belemnite, with a mean value of -4.89‰, compared to 2.77‰ for a Miocene sample in the overlying section. An average salinity of 21 to 25‰ was calculated for the Eocene Arctic, compared to 35‰ for the Miocene, with lower salinities during the Paleocene Eocene thermal maximum, the Azolla event at ˜48.7 Ma, and a third previously unidentified event at ˜47.6 Ma. At the Azolla event, where the organic carbon content of the sediment reaches a maximum, a positive δ13C excursion was observed, indicating unusually high productivity in the surface waters.

Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison Using Sound Speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dukhovskoy, D. S.; Johnson, M. A.

2002-05-01

The monthly and annual means from three Arctic ocean - sea ice climate model simulations are compared for the period 1979-1997. Sound speed is used to integrate model outputs of temperature and salinity along a section between Barrow and Franz Josef Land. A statistical approach is used to test for differences among the three models for two basic data subsets. We integrated and then analyzed an upper layer between 2 m - 50 m, and also a deep layer from 500 m to the bottom. The deep layer is characterized by low time-variability. No high-frequency signals appear in the deep layer having been filtered out in the upper layer. There is no seasonal signal in the deep layer and the monthly means insignificantly oscillate about the long-period mean. For the deep ocean the long-period mean can be considered quasi-constant, at least within the 19 year period of our analysis. Thus we assumed that the deep ocean would be the best choice for comparing the means of the model outputs. The upper (mixed) layer was chosen to contrast the deep layer dynamics. There are distinct seasonal and interannual signals in the sound speed time series in this layer. The mixed layer is a major link in the ocean - air interaction mechanism. Thus, different mean states of the upper layer in the models might cause different responses in other components of the Arctic climate system. The upper layer also strongly reflects any differences in atmosphere forcing. To compare data from the three models we have used a one-way t-test for the population mean, the Wilcoxon one-sample signed-rank test (when the requirement of normality of tested data is violated), and one-way ANOVA method and F-test to verify our hypothesis that the model outputs have the same mean sound speed. The different statistical approaches have shown that all models have different mean characteristics of the deep and upper layers of the Arctic Ocean.

Arctic-COLORS (Coastal Land Ocean Interactions in the Arctic) - a NASA field campaign scoping study to examine land-ocean interactions in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernes, P.; Tzortziou, M.; Salisbury, J.; Mannino, A.; Matrai, P.; Friedrichs, M. A.; Del Castillo, C. E.

2014-12-01

The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else on the planet, triggering rapid social and economic changes and impacting both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Yet our understanding of critical processes and interactions along the Arctic land-ocean interface is limited. Arctic-COLORS is a Field Campaign Scoping Study funded by NASA's Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry Program that aims to improve understanding and prediction of land-ocean interactions in a rapidly changing Arctic coastal zone, and assess vulnerability, response, feedbacks and resilience of coastal ecosystems, communities and natural resources to current and future pressures. Specific science objectives include: - Quantify lateral fluxes to the arctic inner shelf from (i) rivers and (ii) the outer shelf/basin that affect biology, biodiversity, biogeochemistry (i.e. organic matter, nutrients, suspended sediment), and the processing rates of these constituents in coastal waters. - Evaluate the impact of the thawing of Arctic permafrost within the river basins on coastal biology, biodiversity and biogeochemistry, including various rates of community production and the role these may play in the health of regional economies. - Assess the impact of changing Arctic landfast ice and coastal sea ice dynamics. - Establish a baseline for comparison to future change, and use state-of-the-art models to assess impacts of environmental change on coastal biology, biodiversity and biogeochemistry. A key component of Arctic-COLORS will be the integration of satellite and field observations with coupled physical-biogeochemical models for predicting impacts of future pressures on Arctic, coastal ocean, biological processes and biogeochemical cycles. Through interagency and international collaborations, and through the organization of dedicated workshops, town hall meetings and presentations at international conferences, the scoping study engages the broader scientific community and invites participation of experts from a wide range of disciplines, to refine our science objectives and outline detailed research strategies needed to attain these objectives. The deliverable will be a comprehensive report to NASA outlining the major scientific questions, and developing the initial study design and implementation concept.

Constraints on Oceanic Meridional Transport of Heat and Carbon from Combined Oceanic and Atmospheric Measurements.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Resplandy, L.; Keeling, R. F.; Stephens, B. B.; Bent, J. D.; Jacobson, A. R.; Rödenbeck, C.; Khatiwala, S.

2016-02-01

The global ocean transports heat northward. The magnitude of this asymmetry between the two hemispheres is a key factor of the climate system through the displacement of tropical precipitation north of the equator and its influence on Arctic temperature and sea-ice extent. These asymmetric influences on heat are however not well constrained by observations or models. We identify a robust link between the ocean heat asymmetry and the large-scale distribution in atmospheric oxygen, using both atmospheric and oceanic observations and a suite of models (oceanic, climate and inverse). Novel aircraft observations from the pole-to-pole HIPPO campaign reveal that the ocean northward heat transport necessary to explain the atmospheric oxygen distribution is in the upper range of previous estimates from hydrographic sections and atmospheric reanalyses. Finally, we evidence a strong link between the oceanic transports of heat and natural carbon. This supports the existence of a strong southward transport of natural carbon at the global scale, a feature present at pre-industrial times and still underlying the anthropogenic signal today. We find that current climate models systematically underestimate these natural large-scale ocean meridional transports of heat and carbon, which bears on future climate projections, in particular concerning Arctic climate, possible shifts in rainfall and carbon sinks partition between the land and the ocean.

An Array of Ice-Based Observatories for Arctic Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plueddemann, A.; Proshutinsky, A.; Toole, J.; Ashjian, C.; Krishfield, R.; Carmack, E.; Dethloff, K.; Fahrbach, E.; Gascard, J.; Perovich, D.; Pryamikov, S.

2004-12-01

The Arctic Ocean's role in global climate - while now widely appreciated - remains poorly understood. Lack of information about key processes within the oceanic, cryospheric, biologic, atmospheric and geologic disciplines will continue to impede physical understanding, model validation, and climate prediction until a practical observing system is designed and implemented. Requirements, challenges and recommendations for Ice-Based Observatories (IBO?s) for the Arctic Ocean were formulated by workshop participants of an international workshop entitled "Arctic Observing Based on Ice-Tethered Platforms" held at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA, June 28-30, 2004. The principal conclusion from the workshop was that practical, cost-effective and proven IBO designs presently exist, can be readily extended to provide interdisciplinary observations, and should be implemented expeditiously as part of a coordinated Arctic observing system. Ice-based instrument systems are a proven means of acquiring unattended high quality air, ice, and ocean data from the central Arctic during all seasons. Arctic Change is ongoing and measurements need to begin now. An array of approximately 25-30 IBO units maintained throughout the Arctic Ocean is envisioned to observe the annual and interannual variations of the polar atmosphere-ice-ocean environment. An international body will be required to coordinate the various national programs (eliminate overlap, insure no data holes) and insure compatibility of data and their widespread distribution. A long-term, internationally coordinated logistics plan should be implemented as an essential complement to scientific and technical plans for an IBO array. The 25 years of IABP drift trajectories, existing data climatologies and available numerical simulations should be exploited to derive insight to optimal array design, deployment strategies, sampling intervals, and expected performance of an IBO array. IBO designs should provide accommodation for novel sensors, tomographic receivers, and communication and navigation capabilities for free vehicles. Emerging technologies for Arctic observation should be developed within the framework of an integrated Arctic observing system.

A modelling study of the influence of anomalous wind forcing over the Barents Sea on the Atlantic water flow to the Arctic Ocean in the period 1979-2004

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marciniak, Jakub; Schlichtholz, Pawel; Maslowski, Wieslaw

2016-04-01

Arctic climate system is influenced by oceanic heat transport with the Atlantic water (AW) streaming towards the Arctic Ocean in two branches, through the deep Fram Strait and the shallow Barents Sea. In Fram Strait, the AW submerges below the Polar surface water and then flows cyclonically along the margin of the Arctic Ocean as a subsurface water mass in the Arctic Slope Current. In contrast to the Fram Strait branch, which is the major source of heat for the Arctic Ocean, most of the heat influx to the Barents Sea through the Barents Sea opening (BSO) is passed to the atmosphere. Only cold remnants of AW outflow to the Arctic Ocean through the northeastern gate of the Barents Sea. Some AW entering the Barents Sea recirculates westward, contributing to an outflow from the Barents Sea through the BSO along the shelf slope south of Bear Island, in the Bear Island Slope Current. Even though the two-branched AW flow toward the Arctic Ocean has been known for more than a century, little is known about co-variability of heat fluxes in the two branches, its mechanisms and climatic implications. Recent studies indicate that the Bear Island Slope Current may play a role in this co-variability. Here, co-variability of the flow through the BSO and Fram Strait is investigated using a pan-Arctic coupled ice-ocean hindcast model run for the period 1979-2004 and forced with daily atmospheric data from the ECMWF. Significant wintertime co-variability between the volume transport in the Bear Island and Arctic slope currents and its link to wind forcing over the Barents Sea is confirmed. It is found that the volume transports in these currents are, however, not correlated in the annual mean and that the wintertime co-variability of these currents has no immediate effect on either the net heat flux through the BSO or the net heat flux divergence in the Barents Sea. It is shown that the main climatic effect of wind forcing over the northern Barents Sea shelf is to induce temperature anomalies in the Murman/West Novaya Zemlya current system on the eastern side of the Barents Sea. These anomalies affect sea ice in the eastern Barents Sea 1-3 months later, but are not completely lost on the interactions with the sea ice and local atmosphere. Statistically significant subsurface temperature anomalies driven by anomalous winds over the Barents Sea join, on their exit to the Arctic Ocean through St. Anna Trough, the Arctic Slope Current, in which they persist for several years.

Diazotroph Diversity in the Sea Ice, Melt Ponds, and Surface Waters of the Eurasian Basin of the Central Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Fernández-Méndez, Mar; Turk-Kubo, Kendra A; Buttigieg, Pier L; Rapp, Josephine Z; Krumpen, Thomas; Zehr, Jonathan P; Boetius, Antje

2016-01-01

The Eurasian basin of the Central Arctic Ocean is nitrogen limited, but little is known about the presence and role of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Recent studies have indicated the occurrence of diazotrophs in Arctic coastal waters potentially of riverine origin. Here, we investigated the presence of diazotrophs in ice and surface waters of the Central Arctic Ocean in the summer of 2012. We identified diverse communities of putative diazotrophs through targeted analysis of the nifH gene, which encodes the iron protein of the nitrogenase enzyme. We amplified 529 nifH sequences from 26 samples of Arctic melt ponds, sea ice and surface waters. These sequences resolved into 43 clusters at 92% amino acid sequence identity, most of which were non-cyanobacterial phylotypes from sea ice and water samples. One cyanobacterial phylotype related to Nodularia sp. was retrieved from sea ice, suggesting that this important functional group is rare in the Central Arctic Ocean. The diazotrophic community in sea-ice environments appear distinct from other cold-adapted diazotrophic communities, such as those present in the coastal Canadian Arctic, the Arctic tundra and glacial Antarctic lakes. Molecular fingerprinting of nifH and the intergenic spacer region of the rRNA operon revealed differences between the communities from river-influenced Laptev Sea waters and those from ice-related environments pointing toward a marine origin for sea-ice diazotrophs. Our results provide the first record of diazotrophs in the Central Arctic and suggest that microbial nitrogen fixation may occur north of 77°N. To assess the significance of nitrogen fixation for the nitrogen budget of the Arctic Ocean and to identify the active nitrogen fixers, further biogeochemical and molecular biological studies are needed.

Diazotroph Diversity in the Sea Ice, Melt Ponds, and Surface Waters of the Eurasian Basin of the Central Arctic Ocean

PubMed Central

Fernández-Méndez, Mar; Turk-Kubo, Kendra A.; Buttigieg, Pier L.; Rapp, Josephine Z.; Krumpen, Thomas; Zehr, Jonathan P.; Boetius, Antje

2016-01-01

The Eurasian basin of the Central Arctic Ocean is nitrogen limited, but little is known about the presence and role of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Recent studies have indicated the occurrence of diazotrophs in Arctic coastal waters potentially of riverine origin. Here, we investigated the presence of diazotrophs in ice and surface waters of the Central Arctic Ocean in the summer of 2012. We identified diverse communities of putative diazotrophs through targeted analysis of the nifH gene, which encodes the iron protein of the nitrogenase enzyme. We amplified 529 nifH sequences from 26 samples of Arctic melt ponds, sea ice and surface waters. These sequences resolved into 43 clusters at 92% amino acid sequence identity, most of which were non-cyanobacterial phylotypes from sea ice and water samples. One cyanobacterial phylotype related to Nodularia sp. was retrieved from sea ice, suggesting that this important functional group is rare in the Central Arctic Ocean. The diazotrophic community in sea-ice environments appear distinct from other cold-adapted diazotrophic communities, such as those present in the coastal Canadian Arctic, the Arctic tundra and glacial Antarctic lakes. Molecular fingerprinting of nifH and the intergenic spacer region of the rRNA operon revealed differences between the communities from river-influenced Laptev Sea waters and those from ice-related environments pointing toward a marine origin for sea-ice diazotrophs. Our results provide the first record of diazotrophs in the Central Arctic and suggest that microbial nitrogen fixation may occur north of 77°N. To assess the significance of nitrogen fixation for the nitrogen budget of the Arctic Ocean and to identify the active nitrogen fixers, further biogeochemical and molecular biological studies are needed. PMID:27933047

Mooring-based long-term observation of oceanographic condition in the Chukchi Ses and Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikuchi, Takashi; Itoh, Motoyo; Nishino, Shigeto; Watanabe, Eiji

2015-04-01

Changes of the Arctic Ocean environment are well known as one of the most remarkable evidences of global warming, attracting social and public attentions as well as scientists'. However, to illustrate on-going changes and predict future condition of the Arctic marine environment, we still do not have enough knowledge of Arctic sea ice and marine environment. In particular, lack of observation data in winter, e.g., under sea ice, still remains a key issue for precise understanding of seasonal cycle on oceanographic condition in the Arctic Ocean. Mooring-based observation is one of the most useful methods to collect year-long data in the Arctic Ocean. We have been conducting long-term monitoring using mooring system in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. Volume, heat, and freshwater fluxes through Barrow Canyon where is a major conduit of Pacific-origin water-masses into the Canada Basin have been observed since 2000. We show from an analysis of the mooring results that volume flux through Barrow Canyon was about 60 % of Bering Strait volume flux. Averaged heat flux ranges from 0.9 to 3.07 TW, which could melt 88,000 to 300,000 km2 of 1m thick ice in the Canada Basin, which likely contributed to sea ice retreat in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. In winter, we found inter-annual variability in salinity related to coastal polynya activity in the Chukchi Sea. In collaboration with Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) project, which is one of the tasks of Sustaining Arctic Observing Network (SAON), we also initiated year-long mooring observation in the Hope Valley of the southern Chukchi Sea since 2012. Interestingly, winter oceanographic conditions in the Hope Valley are greatly different between in 2012-2013 and in 2013-2014. We speculate that differences of sea ice freeze-up and coastal polynya activity in the southern Chukchi Sea cause significant difference of winter oceanographic condition. It suggests that recent sea ice reduction in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean presumably influences marine environment not only in summer but also in winter.

Regional variations in provenance and abundance of ice-rafted clasts in Arctic Ocean sediments: Implications for the configuration of late Quaternary oceanic and atmospheric circulation in the Arctic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phillips, R.L.; Grantz, A.

2001-01-01

The composition and distribution of ice-rafted glacial erratics in late Quaternary sediments define the major current systems of the Arctic Ocean and identify two distinct continental sources for the erratics. In the southern Amerasia basin up to 70% of the erratics are dolostones and limestones (the Amerasia suite) that originated in the carbonate-rich Paleozoic terranes of the Canadian Arctic Islands. These clasts reached the Arctic Ocean in glaciers and were ice-rafted to the core sites in the clockwise Beaufort Gyre. The concentration of erratics decreases northward by 98% along the trend of the gyre from southeastern Canada basin to Makarov basin. The concentration of erratics then triples across the Makarov basin flank of Lomonosov Ridge and siltstone, sandstone and siliceous clasts become dominant in cores from the ridge and the Eurasia basin (the Eurasia suite). The bedrock source for the siltstone and sandstone clasts is uncertain, but bedrock distribution and the distribution of glaciation in northern Eurasia suggest the Taymyr Peninsula-Kara Sea regions. The pattern of clast distribution in the Arctic Ocean sediments and the sharp northward decrease in concentration of clasts of Canadian Arctic Island provenance in the Amerasia basin support the conclusion that the modem circulation pattern of the Arctic Ocean, with the Beaufort Gyre dominant in the Amerasia basin and the Transpolar drift dominant in the Eurasia basin, has controlled both sea-ice and glacial iceberg drift in the Arctic Ocean during interglacial intervals since at least the late Pleistocene. The abruptness of the change in both clast composition and concentration on the Makarov basin flank of Lomonosov Ridge also suggests that the boundary between the Beaufort Gyre and the Transpolar Drift has been relatively stable during interglacials since that time. Because the Beaufort Gyre is wind-driven our data, in conjunction with the westerly directed orientation of sand dunes that formed during the last glacial maximum on the North Slope of Alaska, suggests that atmospheric circulation in the western Arctic during late Quaternary was similar to that of the present. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.

Pole-to-pole biogeography of surface and deep marine bacterial communities

PubMed Central

Ghiglione, Jean-François; Galand, Pierre E.; Pommier, Thomas; Pedrós-Alió, Carlos; Maas, Elizabeth W.; Bakker, Kevin; Bertilson, Stefan; Kirchman, David L.; Lovejoy, Connie; Yager, Patricia L.; Murray, Alison E.

2012-01-01

The Antarctic and Arctic regions offer a unique opportunity to test factors shaping biogeography of marine microbial communities because these regions are geographically far apart, yet share similar selection pressures. Here, we report a comprehensive comparison of bacterioplankton diversity between polar oceans, using standardized methods for pyrosequencing the V6 region of the small subunit ribosomal (SSU) rRNA gene. Bacterial communities from lower latitude oceans were included, providing a global perspective. A clear difference between Southern and Arctic Ocean surface communities was evident, with 78% of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) unique to the Southern Ocean and 70% unique to the Arctic Ocean. Although polar ocean bacterial communities were more similar to each other than to lower latitude pelagic communities, analyses of depths, seasons, and coastal vs. open waters, the Southern and Arctic Ocean bacterioplankton communities consistently clustered separately from each other. Coastal surface Southern and Arctic Ocean communities were more dissimilar from their respective open ocean communities. In contrast, deep ocean communities differed less between poles and lower latitude deep waters and displayed different diversity patterns compared with the surface. In addition, estimated diversity (Chao1) for surface and deep communities did not correlate significantly with latitude or temperature. Our results suggest differences in environmental conditions at the poles and different selection mechanisms controlling surface and deep ocean community structure and diversity. Surface bacterioplankton may be subjected to more short-term, variable conditions, whereas deep communities appear to be structured by longer water-mass residence time and connectivity through ocean circulation. PMID:23045668

Role of Greenland meltwater in the changing Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dukhovskoy, Dmitry; Proshutinsky, Andrey; Timmermans, Mary-Louise; Myers, Paul; Platov, Gennady; Bamber, Jonathan; Curry, Beth; Somavilla, Raquel

2016-04-01

Observational data show that the Arctic ocean-ice-atmosphere system has been changing over the last two decades. Arctic change is manifest in the atypical behavior of the climate indices in the 21st century. Before the 2000s, these indices characterized the quasi-decadal variability of the Arctic climate related to different circulation regimes. Between 1948 and 1996, the Arctic atmospheric circulation alternated between anticyclonic circulation regimes and cyclonic circulation regimes with a period of 10-15 years. Since 1997, however, the Arctic has been dominated by an anticyclonic regime. Previous studies indicate that in the 20th century, freshwater and heat exchange between the Arctic Ocean and the sub-Arctic seas were self-regulated and their interactions were realized via quasi-decadal climate oscillations. What physical processes in the Arctic Ocean - sub-Arctic ocean-ice-atmosphere system are responsible for the observed changes in Arctic climate variability? The presented work is motivated by our hypothesis that in the 21st century, these quasi-decadal oscillations have been interrupted as a result of an additional freshwater source associated with Greenland Ice Sheet melt. Accelerating since the early 1990s, the Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss exerts a significant impact on thermohaline processes in the sub-Arctic seas. Surplus Greenland freshwater, the amount of which is about a third of the freshwater volume fluxed into the region during the 1970s Great Salinity Anomaly event, can spread and accumulate in the sub-Arctic seas influencing convective processes there. It is not clear, however, whether Greenland freshwater can propagate into the interior convective regions in the Labrador Sea and the Nordic Seas. In order to investigate the fate and pathways of Greenland freshwater in the sub-Arctic seas and to determine how and at what rate Greenland freshwater propagates into the convective regions, several numerical experiments using a passive tracer to track propagation of Greenland freshwater have been conducted as a part of the Forum for Arctic Ocean Modeling and Observational Synthesis effort. The presentation discusses the role of Greenland meltwater in the Arctic environment and how this can explain observed cessation of the quasi-decadal Arctic variability. The rate and pathways of Greenland meltwater in the sub-Arctic seas derived from the coordinated model experiments are analyzed. The presented study discusses a possible scenario of the Arctic in the future. It is argued that Greenland meltwater being accumulated in the sub-Arctic seas since the 1990s can trigger a negative feedback mechanism that may impede or even reverse processes of Arctic warming observed in the 21st century.

The dominant role of Arctic surface buoyancy fluxes for AMOC slow-down on multi-decadal timescales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedorov, A. V.; Sevellec, F.

2016-12-01

One of the most dramatic consequences of the ongoing climate change is the reduction in the Arctic sea ice cover observed over the past few decades. This sea ice loss increases net heat flux into the ocean and at the same time exposes the ocean to additional freshwater flux from the atmosphere. These two effects imply positive anomalies in surface buoyancy fluxes over the Arctic ocean. In this study we estimate the sensitivity of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) to global changes in surface buoyancy forcing, especially in the context of changes in the Arctic. We find that, whereas on decadal timescale the subpolar region (especially east and south of Greenland) is the primarily driver of AMOC weakening due to positive buoyancy fluxes, on multidecadal timescales (longer than 20 years) it is the Arctic region that largely controls the AMOC slow-down. On timescales close to one century surface buoyancy fluxes over the Arctic ocean are nearly twice as effective for weakening the AMOC than those in the subpolar North Atlantic. We also find that the anomalous surface buoyancy fluxes in the Arctic can efficiently weaken poleward heat transport in the North Atlantic on a basin scale (i.e., between 25oN and 50oN). We conclude that such remote control of the AMOC intensity and heat transport by the Arctic ocean is a robust feature of climate change on multi-decadal timescales.

Fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the North Pacific to the Arctic: Field measurements and fugacity model simulation.

PubMed

Ke, Hongwei; Chen, Mian; Liu, Mengyang; Chen, Meng; Duan, Mengshan; Huang, Peng; Hong, Jiajun; Lin, Yan; Cheng, Shayen; Wang, Xuran; Huang, Mengxue; Cai, Minggang

2017-10-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have accumulated ubiquitously inArctic environments, where re-volatilization of certain organic pollutants as a result of climate change has been observed. To investigate the fate of semivolatile organic compounds in the Arctic, dissolved PAHs in the surface seawaters from the temperate Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean, as well as a water column in the Arctic Ocean, were collected during the 4th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition in summer 2010. The total concentrations of seven dissolved PAHs in surface water ranged from 1.0 to 5.1 ng L -1 , decreasing with increasing latitude. The vertical profile of PAHs in the Arctic Ocean was generally characteristic of surface enrichment and depth depletion, which emphasized the role of vertical water stratification and particle settling processes. A level III fugacity model was developed in the Bering Sea under steady state assumption. Model results quantitatively simulated the transfer processes and fate of PAHs in the air and water compartments, and highlighted a summer air-to-sea flux of PAHs in the Bering Sea, which meant that the ocean served as a sink for PAHs, at least in summer. Acenaphthylene and acenaphthene reached equilibrium in air-water diffusive exchange, and any perturbation, such as a rise in temperature, might lead to disequilibrium and remobilize these compounds from their Arctic reservoirs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implications for an Enhanced Biological Pump in the Sea-Ice Reduction Region of the Western Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishino, S.; Shimada, K.; Itoh, M.; Yamamoto-Kawai, M.; Chiba, S.

2009-12-01

Since the late 1990s, catastrophic sea-ice reduction during summer has been observed in the western Arctic Ocean. Regions of decreasing sea ice might be associated with increased biological production compared to ice-covered ocean areas due to light intensification in the water column. The R/V Mirai field experiments in summer 2004 revealed that the algal biomass (chlorophyll a) in the open water region of the western Canada Basin increased from that observed in summer 1994, when the sea ice covered that area. Under the euphotic zone of the increased algal biomass area, evidence of diatom detritus decomposition was found, while such evidence was not observed in 1994, suggesting an enhancement of biological pump (see figure). The increase of algal biomass was not found throughout the sea-ice reduction region; rather, it was observed western Canada Basin where nutrients are effectively supplied from shelf regions. Further west from the Canada Basin, Russian river water with relatively high nutrients may play an important role in the biogeochemical cycles. Monthly sea-ice concentrations (white = 100%, black = 0%) in September of (a) 1994 and (b) 2004 (National Ice Center), and (c) vertical profiles of silicate obtained from the field experiments of Arctic Ocean Section 94 in 1994 (○) and Mirai04 in 2004 (■). The positions where the profiles were obtained are depicted by dots in (a) and (b), respectively.

Toward an Arctic Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

Arctic Sea Ice Extent6 Reduced ice pack area translates to less reflected solar energy, which further accelerates the ongoing melting process . Light... process , creating a vicious cycle where melting ice causes the remaining ice to melt faster.7 Modelers previously agreed that the Arctic Ocean could be...freight ports stand to benefit by shipping through the Arctic region.10 For example, an ocean voyage from Yokohama, Japan, to Hamburg, Germany via the

Naval Law Review. Volume 60, 2010

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

SSN 571) submerged transpolar crossing in 1958.43 Since then, U.S. Navy forces have utilized Arctic Ocean waters for transits, training, and...50 Further, the Arctic Ocean is viable for submerged transits throughout the Northwest Passage and the Arctic region. The Arctic is a particularly...nuclear reactor to the Philippines that had significant impacts on that country but no impact within the United States.141 The court limited its

Deep Arctic Ocean warming during the last glacial cycle

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronin, T. M.; Dwyer, G.S.; Farmer, J.; Bauch, H.A.; Spielhagen, R.F.; Jakobsson, M.; Nilsson, J.; Briggs, W.M.; Stepanova, A.

2012-01-01

In the Arctic Ocean, the cold and relatively fresh water beneath the sea ice is separated from the underlying warmer and saltier Atlantic Layer by a halocline. Ongoing sea ice loss and warming in the Arctic Ocean have demonstrated the instability of the halocline, with implications for further sea ice loss. The stability of the halocline through past climate variations is unclear. Here we estimate intermediate water temperatures over the past 50,000 years from the Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca values of ostracods from 31 Arctic sediment cores. From about 50 to 11 kyr ago, the central Arctic Basin from 1,000 to 2,500 m was occupied by a water mass we call Glacial Arctic Intermediate Water. This water mass was 1–2 °C warmer than modern Arctic Intermediate Water, with temperatures peaking during or just before millennial-scale Heinrich cold events and the Younger Dryas cold interval. We use numerical modelling to show that the intermediate depth warming could result from the expected decrease in the flux of fresh water to the Arctic Ocean during glacial conditions, which would cause the halocline to deepen and push the warm Atlantic Layer into intermediate depths. Although not modelled, the reduced formation of cold, deep waters due to the exposure of the Arctic continental shelf could also contribute to the intermediate depth warming.

Estimation of Volume and Freshwater Flux from the Arctic Ocean using SMAP and NCEP CFSv2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulusu, S.

2017-12-01

Spatial and temporal monitoring of sea surface salinity (SSS) plays an important role globally and especially over the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic ice melt has led to an influx of freshwater into the Arctic environment, a process that can be observed in SSS. The recently launched NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission is primarily designed for the global monitoring of soil moisture using L- band (1.4GHz) frequency. SMAP also has the capability of measuring SSS and can thus extend the NASA's Aquarius salinity mission (ended June 7, 2015), salinity data record with improved temporal/spatial sampling. In this research an attempt is made to investigate the retrievability of SSS over the Arctic from SMAP satellite. The objectives of this study are to verify the use of SMAP sea surface salinity (and freshwater) variability in the Arctic Ocean and the extent to estimate freshwater, salt and volume flux from the Arctic Ocean. Along with SMAP data we will use NASA's Ice, Cloud,and land Elevation Satellites (ICESat and ICESat-2), and ESA's CryoSat-2, and NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites data to estimate ice melt in the Arctic. The preliminary results from SMAP compared well with the NCEP Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2) salinity data in this region capturing patterns fairly well over the Arctic.

Cloud-Scale Numerical Modeling of the Arctic Boundary Layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krueger, Steven K.

1998-01-01

The interactions between sea ice, open ocean, atmospheric radiation, and clouds over the Arctic Ocean exert a strong influence on global climate. Uncertainties in the formulation of interactive air-sea-ice processes in global climate models (GCMs) result in large differences between the Arctic, and global, climates simulated by different models. Arctic stratus clouds are not well-simulated by GCMs, yet exert a strong influence on the surface energy budget of the Arctic. Leads (channels of open water in sea ice) have significant impacts on the large-scale budgets during the Arctic winter, when they contribute about 50 percent of the surface fluxes over the Arctic Ocean, but cover only 1 to 2 percent of its area. Convective plumes generated by wide leads may penetrate the surface inversion and produce condensate that spreads up to 250 km downwind of the lead, and may significantly affect the longwave radiative fluxes at the surface and thereby the sea ice thickness. The effects of leads and boundary layer clouds must be accurately represented in climate models to allow possible feedbacks between them and the sea ice thickness. The FIRE III Arctic boundary layer clouds field program, in conjunction with the SHEBA ice camp and the ARM North Slope of Alaska and Adjacent Arctic Ocean site, will offer an unprecedented opportunity to greatly improve our ability to parameterize the important effects of leads and boundary layer clouds in GCMs.

Shallow methylmercury production in the marginal sea ice zone of the central Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Heimbürger, Lars-Eric; Sonke, Jeroen E; Cossa, Daniel; Point, David; Lagane, Christelle; Laffont, Laure; Galfond, Benjamin T; Nicolaus, Marcel; Rabe, Benjamin; van der Loeff, Michiel Rutgers

2015-05-20

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxic compound that threatens wildlife and human health across the Arctic region. Though much is known about the source and dynamics of its inorganic mercury (Hg) precursor, the exact origin of the high MeHg concentrations in Arctic biota remains uncertain. Arctic coastal sediments, coastal marine waters and surface snow are known sites for MeHg production. Observations on marine Hg dynamics, however, have been restricted to the Canadian Archipelago and the Beaufort Sea (<79 °N). Here we present the first central Arctic Ocean (79-90 °N) profiles for total mercury (tHg) and MeHg. We find elevated tHg and MeHg concentrations in the marginal sea ice zone (81-85 °N). Similar to other open ocean basins, Arctic MeHg concentration maxima also occur in the pycnocline waters, but at much shallower depths (150-200 m). The shallow MeHg maxima just below the productive surface layer possibly result in enhanced biological uptake at the base of the Arctic marine food web and may explain the elevated MeHg concentrations in Arctic biota. We suggest that Arctic warming, through thinning sea ice, extension of the seasonal sea ice zone, intensified surface ocean stratification and shifts in plankton ecodynamics, will likely lead to higher marine MeHg production.

Shallow methylmercury production in the marginal sea ice zone of the central Arctic Ocean

PubMed Central

Heimbürger, Lars-Eric; Sonke, Jeroen E.; Cossa, Daniel; Point, David; Lagane, Christelle; Laffont, Laure; Galfond, Benjamin T.; Nicolaus, Marcel; Rabe, Benjamin; van der Loeff, Michiel Rutgers

2015-01-01

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxic compound that threatens wildlife and human health across the Arctic region. Though much is known about the source and dynamics of its inorganic mercury (Hg) precursor, the exact origin of the high MeHg concentrations in Arctic biota remains uncertain. Arctic coastal sediments, coastal marine waters and surface snow are known sites for MeHg production. Observations on marine Hg dynamics, however, have been restricted to the Canadian Archipelago and the Beaufort Sea (<79°N). Here we present the first central Arctic Ocean (79–90°N) profiles for total mercury (tHg) and MeHg. We find elevated tHg and MeHg concentrations in the marginal sea ice zone (81–85°N). Similar to other open ocean basins, Arctic MeHg concentration maxima also occur in the pycnocline waters, but at much shallower depths (150–200 m). The shallow MeHg maxima just below the productive surface layer possibly result in enhanced biological uptake at the base of the Arctic marine food web and may explain the elevated MeHg concentrations in Arctic biota. We suggest that Arctic warming, through thinning sea ice, extension of the seasonal sea ice zone, intensified surface ocean stratification and shifts in plankton ecodynamics, will likely lead to higher marine MeHg production. PMID:25993348

Pathways of Atlantic Waters in the Nordic seas: locally eddy-permitting ocean simulation in a global setup

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wekerle, C.; Wang, Q.; Danilov, S.; Jung, T.; Schourup-Kristensen, V.

2016-02-01

Atlantic Water (AW) passes through the Nordic Seas and enters the Arctic Ocean through the shallow Barents Sea and the deep Fram Strait. Since the 1990's, observations indicate a series of anomalously warm pulses of Atlantic Water that entered the Arctic Ocean. In fact, poleward oceanic heat transport may even increase in the future, which might have implications for the heat uptake in the Arctic Ocean as well as for the sea ice cover. The ability of models to faithfully simulate the pathway of the AW and accompanying dynamics is thus of high climate relevance. In this study, we explore the potential of a global multi-resolution sea ice-ocean model with a locally eddy-permitting resolution (around 4.5 km) in the Nordic seas region and Arctic Ocean in improving the representation of Atlantic Water inflow, and more broadly, the dynamics of the circulation in the Northern North Atlantic and Arctic. The simulation covers the time period 1969-2009. We find that locally increased resolution improves the localization and thickness of the Atlantic Water layer in the Nordic seas, compared with a 20 km resolution reference simulation. In particular, the inflow of Atlantic Waters through the Greenland Scotland Ridge and the narrow branches of the Norwegian Atlantic Current can be realistically represented. Lateral spreading due to simulated eddies essentially reduces the bias in the surface temperature. In addition, a qualitatively good agreement of the simulated eddy kinetic energy field with observations can be achieved. This study indicates that a substantial improvement in representing local ocean dynamics can be reached through the local refinement, which requires a rather moderate computational effort. The successful model assessment allows us to further investigate the variability and mechanisms behind Atlantic Water transport into the Arctic Ocean.

A 600-ka Arctic sea-ice record from Mendeleev Ridge based on ostracodes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronin, Thomas M.; Polyak, L.V.; Reed, D.; Kandiano, E. S.; Marzen, R. E.; Council, E. A.

2013-01-01

Arctic paleoceanography and sea-ice history were reconstructed from epipelagic and benthic ostracodes from a sediment core (HLY0503-06JPC, 800 m water depth) located on the Mendeleev Ridge, Western Arctic Ocean. The calcareous microfaunal record (ostracodes and foraminifers) covers several glacial/interglacial cycles back to estimated Marine Isotope Stage 13 (MIS 13, ∼500 ka) with an average sedimentation rate of ∼0.5 cm/ka for most of the stratigraphy (MIS 5–13). Results based on ostracode assemblages and an unusual planktic foraminiferal assemblage in MIS 11 dominated by a temperate-water species Turborotalita egelida show that extreme interglacial warmth, high surface ocean productivity, and possibly open ocean convection characterized MIS 11 and MIS 13 (∼400 and 500 ka, respectively). A major shift in western Arctic Ocean environments toward perennial sea ice occurred after MIS 11 based on the distribution of an ice-dwelling ostracode Acetabulastoma arcticum. Spectral analyses of the ostracode assemblages indicate sea ice and mid-depth ocean circulation in western Arctic Ocean varied primarily at precessional (∼22 ka) and obliquity (∼40 ka) frequencies.

The oceanic biological pump modulates the atmospheric transport of persistent organic pollutants to the Arctic.

PubMed

Galbán-Malagón, Cristóbal; Berrojalbiz, Naiara; Ojeda, María-José; Dachs, Jordi

2012-05-29

Semivolatile persistent organic pollutants have the potential to reach remote environments, such as the Arctic Ocean, through atmospheric transport and deposition. Here we show that this transport of polychlorinated biphenyls to the Arctic Ocean is strongly retarded by the oceanic biological pump. A simultaneous sampling of atmospheric, seawater and plankton samples was performed in July 2007 in the Greenland Current and Atlantic sector of the Arctic Ocean. The atmospheric concentrations declined during atmospheric transport over the Greenland Current with estimated half-lives of 1-4 days. These short half-lives can be explained by the high air-to-water net diffusive flux, which is similar in magnitude to the estimated settling fluxes in the water column. Therefore, the decrease of atmospheric concentrations is due to sequestration of atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyls by enhanced air-water diffusive fluxes driven by phytoplankton uptake and organic carbon settling fluxes (biological pump).

Evidence for ice-ocean albedo feedback in the Arctic Ocean shifting to a seasonal ice zone.

PubMed

Kashiwase, Haruhiko; Ohshima, Kay I; Nihashi, Sohey; Eicken, Hajo

2017-08-15

Ice-albedo feedback due to the albedo contrast between water and ice is a major factor in seasonal sea ice retreat, and has received increasing attention with the Arctic Ocean shifting to a seasonal ice cover. However, quantitative evaluation of such feedbacks is still insufficient. Here we provide quantitative evidence that heat input through the open water fraction is the primary driver of seasonal and interannual variations in Arctic sea ice retreat. Analyses of satellite data (1979-2014) and a simplified ice-upper ocean coupled model reveal that divergent ice motion in the early melt season triggers large-scale feedback which subsequently amplifies summer sea ice anomalies. The magnitude of divergence controlling the feedback has doubled since 2000 due to a more mobile ice cover, which can partly explain the recent drastic ice reduction in the Arctic Ocean.

An updated 26-year (1991-2017) sea level record from the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kildegaard Rose, Stine; Baltazar Andersen, Ole; Passaro, Marcello; Benveniste, Jerome

2017-04-01

In recent years, there has been a large focus of the Arctic due the rapid changes of the region. The sea level of the Arctic Ocean is an important climate indicator. The Arctic sea ice is decreasing and has since 1997 experienced a steepening in the decrease. The Arctic sea level determination is challenging due to the seasonal to permanent sea ice cover, the lack of regional coverage of satellites, the satellite instruments ability to measure ice, insufficient geophysical models, residual orbit errors, challenging retracking of satellite altimeter data. We present the DTU/TUM 26-year sea level record based on satellite altimetry data in the Arctic Ocean from the ERS1 (1991) to CryoSat-2 (present) satellites. The sea level record is compared with several tide gauges and other available partial sea level records contributing to the ESA CCI Sea level initiative. We use updated geophysical corrections and a combination of altimeter data: REAPER (ERS1), ALES+ retracker (ERS2, Envisat), combined Rads and DTUs in-house retracker LARS (CryoSat-2). The ALES+ is an upgraded version of the Adaptive Leading Edge Subwaveform Retracker that has been developed to improve data quality and quantity in the coastal ocean, without degrading the results in the open ocean. ALES+ aims at retracking peaky waveforms typical of lead reflections without modifying the fitting model used in the open ocean.

Predicting the Arctic Ocean Environment in the 21st century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aksenov, Yevgeny; Popova, Ekaterina; Yool, Andrew; Nurser, George

2015-04-01

Recent environmental changes in the Arctic have clearly demonstrated that climate change is faster and more vigorously in the Polar Regions than anywhere else. Significantly, change in the Arctic Ocean (AO) environment presents a variety of impacts, from ecological to social-economic and political. Mitigation of this change and adaptation to it requires detailed and robust environmental predictions. Here we present a detailed projection of ocean circulation and sea ice from the present until 2099, based on an eddy-permitting high-resolution global simulation of the NEMO ¼ degree ocean model. The model is forced at the surface with HadGEM2-ES atmosphere model output from the UK Met. Office IPCC Assessment Report 5 (AR5) Representative Concentration Pathways 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. The HadGEM2-ES simulations span 1860-2099 and are one of an ensemble of runs performed for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) and IPCC AR5. Between 2000-2009 and 2090-2099 the AO experiences a significant warming, with sea surface temperature increasing on average by about 4° C, particularly in the Barents and Kara Seas, and in the Greenland Sea and Hudson Bay. By the end of the simulation, Arctic sea ice has an average annual thickness of less than 10 cm in the central AO, and less than 0.5 m in the East-Siberian Sea and Canadian Archipelago, and disappears entirely during the Arctic summer. In summer, opening of large areas of the Arctic Ocean to the wind and surface waves leads to the Arctic pack ice cover evolving into the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ). In winter, sea ice persists until the 2030s; then it sharply declines and disappears from the Central Arctic Ocean by the end of the 21st century, with MIZ provinces remaining in winter along the Siberian, Alaskan coasts and in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Analysis of the AO circulation reveals evidence of (i) the reversal of the Arctic boundary currents in the Canadian Basin, from a weak cyclonic current in 2040-2049 to a strong anti-cyclonic current in 2090-2099, and (ii) increased anti-cyclonic surface ocean circulation in the eastern part of the AO, while the surface circulation in the western Arctic becomes more cyclonic. We relate the shift in the circulation to changes in the winds and reduction of sea ice cover, which modify momentum transfer from atmosphere to the ocean. Our simulation suggests a potentially complex picture of future AO change, and highlights the importance of high resolution modelling in forecasting it.

Projected Impact of Climate Change on the Water and Salt Budgets of the Arctic Ocean by a Global Climate Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, James R.; Russell, Gary L.

1996-01-01

The annual flux of freshwater into the Arctic Ocean by the atmosphere and rivers is balanced by the export of sea ice and oceanic freshwater. Two 150-year simulations of a global climate model are used to examine how this balance might change if atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) increase. Relative to the control, the last 50-year period of the GHG experiment indicates that the total inflow of water from the atmosphere and rivers increases by 10% primarily due to an increase in river discharge, the annual sea-ice export decreases by about half, the oceanic liquid water export increases, salinity decreases, sea-ice cover decreases, and the total mass and sea-surface height of the Arctic Ocean increase. The closed, compact, and multi-phased nature of the hydrologic cycle in the Arctic Ocean makes it an ideal test of water budgets that could be included in model intercomparisons.

How Will Aerosol-Cloud Interactions Change in an Ice-Free Arctic Summer?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilgen, Anina; Katty Huang, Wan Ting; Ickes, Luisa; Lohmann, Ulrike

2016-04-01

Future temperatures in the Arctic are expected to increase more than the global mean temperature, which will lead to a pronounced retreat in Arctic sea ice. Before mid-century, most sea ice will likely have vanished in late Arctic summers. This will allow ships to cruise in the Arctic Ocean, e.g. to shorten their transport passage or to extract oil. Since both ships and open water emit aerosol particles and precursors, Arctic clouds and radiation may be affected via aerosol-cloud and cloud-radiation interactions. The change in radiation feeds back on temperature and sea ice retreat. In addition to aerosol particles, also the temperature and the open ocean as a humidity source should have a strong effect on clouds. The main goal of this study is to assess the impact of sea ice retreat on the Arctic climate with focus on aerosol emissions and cloud properties. To this purpose, we conducted ensemble runs with the global climate model ECHAM6-HAM2 under present-day and future (2050) conditions. ECHAM6-HAM2 was coupled with a mixed layer ocean model, which includes a sea ice model. To estimate Arctic aerosol emissions from ships, we used an elaborated ship emission inventory (Peters et al. 2011); changes in aerosol emissions from the ocean are calculated online. Preliminary results show that the sea salt aerosol and the dimethyl sulfide burdens over the Arctic Ocean significantly increase. While the ice water path decreases, the total water path increases. Due to the decrease in surface albedo, the cooling effect of the Arctic clouds becomes more important in 2050. Enhanced Arctic shipping has only a very small impact. The increase in the aersol burden due to shipping is less pronounced than the increase due to natural emissions even if the ship emissions are increased by a factor of ten. Hence, there is hardly an effect on clouds and radiation caused by shipping. References Peters et al. (2011), Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 5305-5320

75 FR 22119 - Marine Mammals; File No. 14245

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-27

..., and Arctic Oceans on 33 cetacean species, including endangered blue (Balaenoptera musculus), sei (B... Arctic Oceans to monitor cetaceans for scientific and management purposes. NMML would conduct ongoing...

Variability of the Arctic Basin Oceanographic Fields

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-02-01

the model a very sophisticated turbulence closure scheme. 9. Imitation of the CO2 doubling We parameterized the " greenhouse " effect by changing the...of the Arctic Ocean. A more realistic model of the Arctic Ocean circulation was obtained, and an estimation of the impact of the greenhouse effect on... greenhouse effect is in freshening of the upper Arctic Basin. Although some shortcomings of the model still exist (an unrealistic high coefficient of

Aragonite undersaturation in the Arctic Ocean: effects of ocean acidification and sea ice melt.

PubMed

Yamamoto-Kawai, Michiyo; McLaughlin, Fiona A; Carmack, Eddy C; Nishino, Shigeto; Shimada, Koji

2009-11-20

The increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and attendant increase in ocean acidification and sea ice melt act together to decrease the saturation state of calcium carbonate in the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean. In 2008, surface waters were undersaturated with respect to aragonite, a relatively soluble form of calcium carbonate found in plankton and invertebrates. Undersaturation was found to be a direct consequence of the recent extensive melting of sea ice in the Canada Basin. In addition, the retreat of the ice edge well past the shelf-break has produced conditions favorable to enhanced upwelling of subsurface, aragonite-undersaturated water onto the Arctic continental shelf. Undersaturation will affect both planktonic and benthic calcifying biota and therefore the composition of the Arctic ecosystem.

Arctic Ocean Freshwater Content and Its Decadal Memory of Sea-Level Pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Helen L.; Cornish, Sam B.; Kostov, Yavor; Beer, Emma; Lique, Camille

2018-05-01

Arctic freshwater content (FWC) has increased significantly over the last two decades, with potential future implications for the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation downstream. We investigate the relationship between Arctic FWC and atmospheric circulation in the control run of a coupled climate model. Multiple linear lagged regression is used to extract the response of total Arctic FWC to a hypothetical step increase in the principal components of sea-level pressure. The results demonstrate that the FWC adjusts on a decadal timescale, consistent with the idea that wind-driven ocean dynamics and eddies determine the response of Arctic Ocean circulation and properties to a change in surface forcing, as suggested by idealized models and theory. Convolving the response of FWC to a change in sea-level pressure with historical sea-level pressure variations reveals that the recent observed increase in Arctic FWC is related to natural variations in sea-level pressure.

Amplified Arctic warming by phytoplankton under greenhouse warming.

PubMed

Park, Jong-Yeon; Kug, Jong-Seong; Bader, Jürgen; Rolph, Rebecca; Kwon, Minho

2015-05-12

Phytoplankton have attracted increasing attention in climate science due to their impacts on climate systems. A new generation of climate models can now provide estimates of future climate change, considering the biological feedbacks through the development of the coupled physical-ecosystem model. Here we present the geophysical impact of phytoplankton, which is often overlooked in future climate projections. A suite of future warming experiments using a fully coupled ocean-atmosphere model that interacts with a marine ecosystem model reveals that the future phytoplankton change influenced by greenhouse warming can amplify Arctic surface warming considerably. The warming-induced sea ice melting and the corresponding increase in shortwave radiation penetrating into the ocean both result in a longer phytoplankton growing season in the Arctic. In turn, the increase in Arctic phytoplankton warms the ocean surface layer through direct biological heating, triggering additional positive feedbacks in the Arctic, and consequently intensifying the Arctic warming further. Our results establish the presence of marine phytoplankton as an important potential driver of the future Arctic climate changes.

Report for Oregon State University Reporting Period: June 2016 to June 2017

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hutchings, Jennifer

The goal of this project is to develop an eddy resolving ocean model (POP) with tides coupled to a sea ice model (CICE) within the Regional Arctic System Model (RASM) to investigate the importance of ocean tides and mesoscale eddies in arctic climate simulations and quantify biases associated with these processes and how their relative contribution may improve decadal to centennial arctic climate predictions. Ocean, sea ice and coupled arctic climate response to these small scale processes will be evaluated with regard to their influence on mass, momentum and property exchange between oceans, shelf-basin, ice-ocean, and ocean-atmosphere. The project willmore » facilitate the future routine inclusion of polar tides and eddies in Earth System Models when computing power allows. As such, the proposed research addresses the science in support of the BER’s Climate and Environmental Sciences Division Long Term Measure as it will improve the ocean and sea ice model components as well as the fully coupled RASM and Community Earth System Model (CESM) and it will make them more accurate and computationally efficient.« less

Development of pan-Arctic database for river chemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

McClelland, J.W.; Holmes, R.M.; Peterson, B.J.; Amon, R.; Brabets, T.; Cooper, L.; Gibson, J.; Gordeev, V.V.; Guay, C.; Milburn, D.; Staples, R.; Raymond, P.A.; Shiklomanov, I.; Striegl, Robert G.; Zhulidov, A.; Gurtovaya, T.; Zimov, S.

2008-01-01

More than 10% of all continental runoff flows into the Arctic Ocean. This runoff is a dominant feature of the Arctic Ocean with respect to water column structure and circulation. Yet understanding of the chemical characteristics of runoff from the pan-Arctic watershed is surprisingly limited. The Pan- Arctic River Transport of Nutrients, Organic Matter, and Suspended Sediments ( PARTNERS) project was initiated in 2002 to help remedy this deficit, and an extraordinary data set has emerged over the past few years as a result of the effort. This data set is publicly available through the Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service (CADIS) of the Arctic Observing Network (AON). Details about data access are provided below.

Proxy Constraints on a Warm, Fresh Late Cretaceous Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Super, J. R.; Li, H.; Pagani, M.; Chin, K.

2015-12-01

The warm Late Cretaceous is thought to have been characterized by open Arctic Ocean temperatures upwards of 15°C (Jenkyns et al., 2004). The high temperatures and low equator-to-pole temperature gradient have proven difficult to reproduce in paleoclimate models, with the role of the atmospheric hydrologic cycle in heat transport being particularly uncertain. Here, sediments, coprolites and fish teeth of Santonian-Campanian age from two high-latitude mixed terrestrial and marine sections on Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic (Chin et al., 2008) were analyzed using a suite of organic and inorganic proxies to evaluate the temperature and salinity of Arctic seawater. Surface temperature estimates were derived from TEX86 estimates of near-shore, shallow (~100 meters depth) marine sediments (Witkowski et al., 2011) and MBT-CBT estimates from terrestrial intervals and both suggest mean annual temperatures of ~20°C, consistent with previous estimates considering the more southerly location of Devon Island. The oxygen isotope composition of non-diagenetic phosphate from vertebrate coprolites and bony fish teeth were then measured, giving values ranging from +13‰ to +19‰. Assuming the TEX86 temperatures are valid and using the temperature calibration of Puceat 2010, the δ18O values of coprolites imply Arctic Ocean seawater δ18O values between -4‰ and -10‰, implying very fresh conditions. Lastly, the δD of precipitation will be estimated from the hydrogen isotope composition of higher plant leaf waxes (C-25, C-27, C-29 and C-31 n-alkanes) from both terrestrial and marine intervals. Data are used to model the salinity of seawater and the meteoric relationship between δD and δ18O, thereby helping to evaluate the northern high-latitude meteoric water line of the Late Cretaceous.

Mooring-based monitoring at the mouth of Barrow Canyon and Hope Valley in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikuchi, T.; Itoh, M.; Nishino, S.

2016-02-01

Changes of the Arctic Ocean environment are well known as one of the most remarkable evidences of global warming, attracting social and public attentions as well as scientists'. However, to illustrate on-going changes and predict future condition of the Arctic marine environment, we still do not have enough knowledge of Arctic sea ice and marine environment. In particular, lack of observation data in winter, e.g., under sea ice, still remains a key issue for precise understanding of seasonal cycle on oceanographic condition in the Arctic Ocean. Mooring-based observation is one of the most useful methods to collect year-long data in the Arctic Ocean. We have been conducting long-term monitoring using mooring system in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. Volume, heat, and freshwater fluxes through Barrow Canyon where is a major conduit of Pacific-origin water-masses into the Canada Basin have been observed since 2000. We show from an analysis of the mooring results that volume flux through Barrow Canyon was about 60 % of Bering Strait volume flux. Averaged heat flux ranges from 0.9 to 3.07 TW, which could melt 88,000 to 300,000 km2 of 1m thick ice in the Canada Basin, which likely contributed to sea ice retreat in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. In winter, we found inter-annual variability in salinity related to coastal polynya activity in the Chukchi Sea and strong upwelling events due to easterly winds. We also initiated year-long mooring observation in the Hope Valley of the southern Chukchi Sea since 2012. Interestingly, winter oceanographic conditions in the Hope Valley are greatly different between in 2012-2013 and in 2013-2014. We speculate that differences of sea ice freeze-up and coastal polynya activity in the southern Chukchi Sea cause significant difference of winter oceanographic condition. It suggests that recent sea ice reduction in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean presumably influences marine environment not only in summer but also in winter.

Changes in Ocean Circulation with an Ice-Free Arctic: Reconstructing Early Holocene Arctic Ocean Circulation Using Geochemical Signals from Individual Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral) Shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livsey, C.; Spero, H. J.; Kozdon, R.

2016-12-01

The impacts of sea ice decrease and consequent hydrologic changes in the Arctic Ocean will be experienced globally as ocean and atmospheric temperatures continue to rise, though it is not evident to what extent. Understanding the structure of the Arctic water column during the early/mid Holocene sea ice minimum ( 6-10 kya), a post-glacial analogue of a seasonally ice-free Arctic, will help us to predict what the changes we can expect as the Earth warms over the next century. Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral; Nps) is a species of planktonic foraminifera that dominates assemblages in the polar oceans. This species grows its chambers (ontogenetic calcite) in the surface waters and subsequently descends through the water column to below the mixed layer where it quickly adds a thick crust of calcite (Kohfeld et al., 1996). Therefore, geochemical signals from both the surface waters and sub-mixed layer depths are captured within single Nps shells. We were able to target <5 μm - sized domains for δ18O using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), therefore capturing signals from both the ontogenetic and crust calcite in single Nps shells. This data was combined with laser ablation- inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) Mg/Ca profiles of trace metals through the two layers of calcite of the same shells, to determine the thermal structure of the water column. Combining δ18O, temperature, and salinity gradients from locations across the Arctic basin allow us to reconstruct the hydrography of the early Holocene Arctic sea ice minimum. These results will be compared with modern Arctic water column characteristics in order to develop a conceptual model of Arctic Ocean oceanographic change due to global warming. Kohfeld, K.E., Fairbanks, R.G., Smith, S.L., Walsh, I.D., 1996. Neogloboquadrina pachyderma(sinistral coiling) as paleoceanographic tracers in polar oceans: Evidence from northeast water polynya plankton tows, sediment traps, and surface sediments. Paleoceanography 11, 679-699.

Arctic transitions in the Land - Atmosphere System (ATLAS): Background, objectives, results, and future directions

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGuire, A.D.; Sturm, M.; Chapin, F. S.

2003-01-01

This paper briefly reviews the background, objectives, and results of the Arctic Transitions in the Land-Atmosphere System (ATLAS) Project to date and provides thoughts on future directions. The key goal of the ATLAS Project is to improve understanding of controls over spatial and temporal variability of terrestrial processes in the Arctic that have potential consequences for the climate system, i.e., processes that affect the exchange of water and energy with the atmosphere, the exchange of radiatively active gases with the atmosphere, and the delivery of freshwater to the Arctic Ocean. Three important conclusions have emerged from research associated with the ATLAS Project. First, associated with the observation that the Alaskan Arctic has warmed significantly in the last 30 years, permafrost is warming, shrubs are expanding, and there has been a temporary release of carbon dioxide from tundra soils. Second, the winter is a more important period of biological activity than previously appreciated. Biotic processes, including shrub expansion and decomposition, affect snow structure and accumulation and affect the annual carbon budget of tundra ecosystems. Third, observed vegetation changes can have a significant positive feedback to regional warming. These vegetation effects are, however, less strong than those exerted by land-ocean heating contrasts and the topographic constraints on air mass movements. The papers of this special section provide additional insights related to these conclusions and to the overall goal of ATLAS.

Changing Arctic Ocean freshwater pathways.

PubMed

Morison, James; Kwok, Ron; Peralta-Ferriz, Cecilia; Alkire, Matt; Rigor, Ignatius; Andersen, Roger; Steele, Mike

2012-01-04

Freshening in the Canada basin of the Arctic Ocean began in the 1990s and continued to at least the end of 2008. By then, the Arctic Ocean might have gained four times as much fresh water as comprised the Great Salinity Anomaly of the 1970s, raising the spectre of slowing global ocean circulation. Freshening has been attributed to increased sea ice melting and contributions from runoff, but a leading explanation has been a strengthening of the Beaufort High--a characteristic peak in sea level atmospheric pressure--which tends to accelerate an anticyclonic (clockwise) wind pattern causing convergence of fresh surface water. Limited observations have made this explanation difficult to verify, and observations of increasing freshwater content under a weakened Beaufort High suggest that other factors must be affecting freshwater content. Here we use observations to show that during a time of record reductions in ice extent from 2005 to 2008, the dominant freshwater content changes were an increase in the Canada basin balanced by a decrease in the Eurasian basin. Observations are drawn from satellite data (sea surface height and ocean-bottom pressure) and in situ data. The freshwater changes were due to a cyclonic (anticlockwise) shift in the ocean pathway of Eurasian runoff forced by strengthening of the west-to-east Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation characterized by an increased Arctic Oscillation index. Our results confirm that runoff is an important influence on the Arctic Ocean and establish that the spatial and temporal manifestations of the runoff pathways are modulated by the Arctic Oscillation, rather than the strength of the wind-driven Beaufort Gyre circulation.

Ice-tethered measurement platforms in the Arctic Ocean: a contribution by the FRAM infrastructure program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoppmann, Mario; Nicolaus, Marcel; Rabe, Benjamin; Wenzhöfer, Frank; Katlein, Christian; Scholz, Daniel

2016-04-01

The Arctic Ocean has been in the focus of many studies during recent years, investigating the state, the causes and the implications of the observed rapid transition towards a thinner and younger sea-ice cover. However, consistent observational datasets of sea ice, ocean and atmosphere are still sparse due to the limited accessibility and harsh environmental conditions. One important tool to fill this gap has become more and more feasible during recent years: autonomous, ice-tethered measurement platforms (buoys). These drifting instruments independently transmit their data via satellites, and enable observations over larger areas and over longer time periods than manned expeditions, even throughout the winter. One aim of the newly established FRAM (FRontiers in Arctic marine Monitoring) infrastructure program at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute is to realize and maintain an interdisciplinary network of buoys in the Arctic Ocean, contributing to an integrated, Arctic-wide observatory. The additional buoy infrastructure, ship-time, and developments provided by FRAM are critical elements in the ongoing international effort to fill the large data gaps in a rapidly changing Arctic Ocean. Our focus is the particularly underrepresented Eurasian Basin. Types of instruments range from snow depth beacons and ice mass balance buoys for monitoring ice growth and snow accumulation, over radiation and weather stations for energy budget estimates, to ice-tethered profiling systems for upper ocean monitoring. Further, development of new bio-optical and biogeochemical buoys is expected to enhance our understanding of bio-physical processes associated with Arctic sea ice. The first set of FRAM buoys was deployed in September 2015 from RV Polarstern. All datasets are publicly available on dedicated web portals. Near real time data are reported into international initiatives, such as the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) and the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP). The additional data acquired by FRAM buoys facilitate the validation of model results and remote sensing products, play an important role in understanding the linkages between the atmosphere, sea ice and upper ocean, and help assess the physical, biological and biogeochemical states of the future Arctic Ocean. Here we present our recent work and future plans, but are also aiming for additional collaborations, especially on technical developments, scientific questions and deployment logistics.

Arctic climatechange and its impacts on the ecology of the North Atlantic.

PubMed

Greene, Charles H; Pershing, Andrew J; Cronin, Thomas M; Ceci, Nicole

2008-11-01

Arctic climate change from the Paleocene epoch to the present is reconstructed with the objective of assessing its recent and future impacts on the ecology of the North Atlantic. A recurring theme in Earth's paleoclimate record is the importance of the Arctic atmosphere, ocean, and cryosphere in regulating global climate on a variety of spatial and temporal scales. A second recurring theme in this record is the importance of freshwater export from the Arctic in regulating global- to basin-scale ocean circulation patterns and climate. Since the 1970s, historically unprecedented changes have been observed in the Arctic as climate warming has increased precipitation, river discharge, and glacial as well as sea-ice melting. In addition, modal shifts in the atmosphere have altered Arctic Ocean circulation patterns and the export of freshwater into the North Atlantic. The combination of these processes has resulted in variable patterns of freshwater export from the Arctic Ocean and the emergence of salinity anomalies that have periodically freshened waters in the North Atlantic. Since the early 1990s, changes in Arctic Ocean circulation patterns and freshwater export have been associated with two types of ecological responses in the North Atlantic. The first of these responses has been an ongoing series of biogeographic range expansions by boreal plankton, including renewal of the trans-Arctic exchanges of Pacific species with the Atlantic. The second response was a dramatic regime shift in the shelf ecosystems of the Northwest Atlantic that occurred during the early 1990s. This regime shift resulted from freshening and stratification of the shelf waters, which in turn could be linked to changes in the abundances and seasonal cycles of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and higher trophic-level consumer populations. It is predicted that the recently observed ecological responses to Arctic climate change in the North Atlantic will continue into the near future if current trends in sea ice, freshwater export, and surface ocean salinity continue. It is more difficult to predict ecological responses to abrupt climate change in the more distant future as tipping points in the Earth's climate system are exceeded.

Factors driving mercury variability in the Arctic atmosphere and ocean over the past 30 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, Jenny A.; Jacob, Daniel J.; Soerensen, Anne L.; Amos, Helen M.; Corbitt, Elizabeth S.; Streets, David G.; Wang, Qiaoqiao; Yantosca, Robert M.; Sunderland, Elsie M.

2013-12-01

observations at Arctic sites (Alert and Zeppelin) show large interannual variability (IAV) in atmospheric mercury (Hg), implying a strong sensitivity of Hg to environmental factors and potentially to climate change. We use the GEOS-Chem global biogeochemical Hg model to interpret these observations and identify the principal drivers of spring and summer IAV in the Arctic atmosphere and surface ocean from 1979-2008. The model has moderate skill in simulating the observed atmospheric IAV at the two sites (r 0.4) and successfully reproduces a long-term shift at Alert in the timing of the spring minimum from May to April (r = 0.7). Principal component analysis indicates that much of the IAV in the model can be explained by a single climate mode with high temperatures, low sea ice fraction, low cloudiness, and shallow boundary layer. This mode drives decreased bromine-driven deposition in spring and increased ocean evasion in summer. In the Arctic surface ocean, we find that the IAV for modeled total Hg is dominated by the meltwater flux of Hg previously deposited to sea ice, which is largest in years with high solar radiation (clear skies) and cold spring air temperature. Climate change in the Arctic is projected to result in increased cloudiness and strong warming in spring, which may thus lead to decreased Hg inputs to the Arctic Ocean. The effect of climate change on Hg discharges from Arctic rivers remains a major source of uncertainty.

Formation of a CliC/CLIVAR Northern Oceans Regional Panel to advance the understanding of the role of the Arctic in global climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solomon, A.

2017-12-01

The Arctic climate is rapidly transitioning into a new regime with lower sea ice extent and increasingly younger and thinner sea ice pack. The emergent properties of this new regime are yet to be determined since altered feedback processes between ice, ocean, and atmosphere will further impact upper ocean heat content, atmospheric circulation, atmospheric and oceanic stratification, the interactions between subsurface/intermediate warm waters and surface cold and fresh layer, cloud cover, ice growth, among other properties. This emergent new climate regime needs to be understood in terms of the two-way feedback between the Arctic and lower-latitudes (both in the ocean and atmosphere), as well as the local coupling between ocean-sea ice-atmosphere. The net result of these feedbacks will determine the magnitude of future Arctic amplification and potential impacts on mid-latitude weather extremes, among other impacts. A new international panel, the CliC/CLIVAR Northern Oceans Regional Panel, has been established to coordinate efforts that will enhance our ability to monitor the coupled system, understand the driving mechanisms of the system change from a coupled process perspective, and predict the evolution of the emerging "New Arctic" climate. This talk will discuss the scientific motivation for this new panel, the near-term objectives, and plans for deliverables.

The International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP) - An International Polar Year Every Year

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanna, M.; Rigor, I.; Ortmeyer, M.; Haas, C.

2004-12-01

A network of automatic data buoys to monitor synoptic-scale fields of sea level pressure (SLP), surface air temperature (SAT), and ice motion throughout the Arctic Ocean was recommended by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 1974. Based on the Academy's recommendation, the Arctic Ocean Buoy Program was established by the Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), University of Washington, in 1978 to support the Global Weather Experiment. Operations began in early 1979, and the program continued through 1990 under funding from various agencies. In 1991, the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP) succeeded the Arctic Ocean Buoy Program, but the basic objective remains - to maintain a network of drifting buoys on the Arctic Ocean to provide meteorological and oceanographic data for real-time operational requirements and research purposes including support to the World Climate Research Programme and the World Weather Watch Programme. The IABP currently has 37 buoys deployed on the Arctic Ocean. Most of the buoys measure SLP and SAT, but many buoys are enhanced to measure other geophysical variables such as sea ice thickness, ocean temperature and salinity. This observational array is maintained by the 20 Participants from 10 different countries, who support the program through contributions of buoys, deployment logistics, and other services. The observations from the IABP are posted on the Global Telecommunications System for operational use, are archived at the World Data Center for Glaciology at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (http://nsidc.org), and can also be obtained from the IABP web server for research (http://iabp.apl.washington.edu). The observations from the IABP have been essential for: 1.) Monitoring Arctic and global climate change; 2.) Forecasting weather and sea ice conditions; 3.) Forcing, assimilation and validation of global weather and climate models; 4.) Validation of satellite data; etc. As of 2003, over 450 papers have been written using the observations collected by the IABP. The observations from IABP have been one of the cornerstones for environmental forecasting and studies of climate and climate change, i.e. many of the changes in Arctic climate were first observed or explained using data from the IABP. The IABP is also evolving to better support the operational and research requirements of the community. For example, some of the Participants of the IABP have been deploying buoys which not only measure SLP and SAT, but also ocean currents, temperatures and salinity. Other buoys have been enhanced to measure the ice mass balance (IMB) using thermistor strings and pingers aimed at the top and bottom of the sea ice. Some of these ocean and IMB buoys are deployed in close proximity to each other in order to provide a myriad of concurrent observations at a few points across the Arctic Ocean. From these data we can also estimate time variations in other geophysical variables such as oceanic heat storage and heat flux. These stations provide critical atmospheric, ice, and upper ocean hydrographic measurements that cannot be obtained by other means. The Arctic and global climate system is changing. These changes threaten our native cultures and ecosystems, but may also provide economic and social opportunities. In order to understand and respond to these changes, we need to sustain our current observational systems, and for the Arctic, the IABP provides the longest continuing record of observations.

Arctic pathways of Pacific Water: Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison experiments.

PubMed

Aksenov, Yevgeny; Karcher, Michael; Proshutinsky, Andrey; Gerdes, Rüdiger; de Cuevas, Beverly; Golubeva, Elena; Kauker, Frank; Nguyen, An T; Platov, Gennady A; Wadley, Martin; Watanabe, Eiji; Coward, Andrew C; Nurser, A J George

2016-01-01

Pacific Water (PW) enters the Arctic Ocean through Bering Strait and brings in heat, fresh water, and nutrients from the northern Bering Sea. The circulation of PW in the central Arctic Ocean is only partially understood due to the lack of observations. In this paper, pathways of PW are investigated using simulations with six state-of-the art regional and global Ocean General Circulation Models (OGCMs). In the simulations, PW is tracked by a passive tracer, released in Bering Strait. Simulated PW spreads from the Bering Strait region in three major branches. One of them starts in the Barrow Canyon, bringing PW along the continental slope of Alaska into the Canadian Straits and then into Baffin Bay. The second begins in the vicinity of the Herald Canyon and transports PW along the continental slope of the East Siberian Sea into the Transpolar Drift, and then through Fram Strait and the Greenland Sea. The third branch begins near the Herald Shoal and the central Chukchi shelf and brings PW into the Beaufort Gyre. In the models, the wind, acting via Ekman pumping, drives the seasonal and interannual variability of PW in the Canadian Basin of the Arctic Ocean. The wind affects the simulated PW pathways by changing the vertical shear of the relative vorticity of the ocean flow in the Canada Basin.

Subsurface phytoplankton layers in the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tremblay, J. E.

2016-02-01

Recent observations underscored the near-ubiquitous presence of subsurface chlorophyll maxima (SCM) and their potential importance for total primary production (PP) and pelagic food webs in perennially stratified waters of the Arctic Ocean. The contribution of SCM layers to annual PP is particularly important in oligotrophic areas, where modest nutrient supply to the upper euphotic zone results in weak or short-lived phytoplankton blooms near the surface. The large amount of nutrients present in the Pacific halocline relative to comparable depths in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic may also foster particularly productive SCM along the path of Pacific water. The association between strongly stratified conditions and the SCM in today's Arctic Ocean has broad relevance in providing a glimpse into the future of other oceans whose vertical stratification progressively rises with water temperature and freshwater content. In this regard, there is much to learn on the photosynthetic and nutritive ecology of SCM layers, whose biogeochemical significance depends on the extent to which they rely on allochthonous nitrogen (new production), their contribution to carbon biomass and their ability to influence air-sea CO2 exchange. Here we report on several years of eco-physiological investigations of SCM across the Arctic Ocean, with an aim to provide a basis of comparison with the ecology of SCM in other ocean areas.

Problems of Tectonics and Tectonic Evolution of the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vernikovskiy, V. A.; Metelkin, D. V.; Matushkin, N. Y.; Vernikovskaya, A. E.; Chernova, A. I.; Mikhaltsov, N. E.

2017-12-01

The Arctic Ocean within Russia remains poorly investigated area, in particular to geological structures and the Arctic Ocean floor. Many researchers believe that the basements of the terranes, composing the Arctic shelf and continental slopes, are of the Precambrian age. It was assumed that the Arctic terranes formed the ancient paleocontinent of Arctida that broke up during rifting, whereas the separated plates and terranes accreted to the periphery of the Arctic Ocean at a later stage. However, geological, geochronological and paleomagnetic evidence to test this assumption has been insufficient. Recently, geological and geophysical studies have significantly increased, in particular to the structures of Eastern Arctic. For example, the New Siberian Islands Archipelago is one of key structures for understanding geology and evolution of the Arctic region. Additionally, several submerged structures containing fragments of continental crust, including the Lomonosov Ridge and the Mendeleev Rise, are identified within the Arctic Ocean and adjacent to the New Siberian Islands Archipelago. Here we present new geochronological and paleomagnetic data to refine the evolution of the Arctida paleocontinent. Our model implies existence of the two Arctidas during Late Precambrian - Late Paleozoic. The earlier Arctida-I was located near equator and connected with the continental margins of Laurentia, Baltica and Siberia within the supercontinent of Rodinia. The initiation of Arctida-I rifting is associated with breakup of Rodinia. As a result, small plates, including Svalbard, Kara, New Siberia Island and other terranes, were formed. We have reconstructed the main stages of further remobilization and global drift of these plates before Pangea assemblage. We assume that the later Arctida-II was located at the Pangean periphery in the temperate latitudes, and was also connected to the Laurentia, Baltica, and Siberia cratons. The breakup of the Arctida-II is suggested to have occurred during the opening of the Arctic Ocean in Mesozoic.

Circum-arctic plate accretion - Isolating part of a pacific plate to form the nucleus of the Arctic Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Churkin, M.; Trexler, J.H.

1980-01-01

A mosaic of large lithospheric plates rims the Arctic Ocean Basin, and foldbelts between these plates contain numerous allochthonous microplates. A new model for continental drift and microplate accretion proposes that prior to the late Mesozoic the Kula plate extended from the Pacific into the Arctic. By a process of circumpolar drift and microplate accretion, fragments of the Pacific basin, including parts of the Kula plate, were cut off and isolated in the Arctic Ocean, the Yukon-Koyukuk basin in Alaska, and the Bering Sea. ?? 1980.

One hundred years of Arctic ice cover variations as simulated by a one-dimensional, ice-ocean model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakkinen, S.; Mellor, G. L.

1990-09-01

A one-dimensional ice-ocean model consisting of a second moment, turbulent closure, mixed layer model and a three-layer snow-ice model has been applied to the simulation of Arctic ice mass and mixed layer properties. The results for the climatological seasonal cycle are discussed first and include the salt and heat balance in the upper ocean. The coupled model is then applied to the period 1880-1985, using the surface air temperature fluctuations from Hansen et al. (1983) and from Wigley et al. (1981). The analysis of the simulated large variations of the Arctic ice mass during this period (with similar changes in the mixed layer salinity) shows that the variability in the summer melt determines to a high degree the variability in the average ice thickness. The annual oceanic heat flux from the deep ocean and the maximum freezing rate and associated nearly constant minimum surface salinity flux did not vary significantly interannually. This also implies that the oceanic influence on the Arctic ice mass is minimal for the range of atmospheric variability tested.

Amino acid epimerization implies rapid sedimentation rates in Arctic Ocean cores

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sejrup, H.P.; Miller, G.H.; Brigham-Grette, J.; Lovlie, R.; Hopkins, D.

1984-01-01

The palaeooceanography of the Arctic Ocean is less well known than any other ocean basin, due to difficulties in obtaining cores and in providing a secure chronological framework for those cores that have been raised. Most recent investigators have suggested that low sedimentation rates (0.05-0.1 cm kyr-1) have characterized the deep basins over the past 5 Myr (refs 1,2) despite the glacial-marine character of the sediment and proximity to major centres of shelf glaciation. These calculations have been primarily based on the down-core pattern in the inclination of magnetic minerals, supported by uranium-series, 14C and micropalaeontological evidence. Here we analyse amino acid diagnesis in foraminifera from two gravity cores raised from the floor of the Arctic Ocean, our results suggest that these cores span <200 kyr., conflicting with the earlier estimate of 3 Myr based on palaeomagnetic data. The chronology of other Arctic Ocean cores and previous palaeoenvironmental interpretations need re-evaluation. ?? 1984 Nature Publishing Group.

Facets of Arctic energy accumulation based on observations and reanalyses 2000-2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Michael; Haimberger, Leopold; Pietschnig, Marianne; Storto, Andrea

2016-10-01

Various observation- and reanalysis-based estimates of sea ice mass and ocean heat content trends imply that the energy imbalance of the Arctic climate system was similar [1.0 (0.9,1.2) Wm-2] to the global ocean average during the 2000-2015 period. Most of this extra heat warmed the ocean, and a comparatively small fraction went into sea ice melt. Poleward energy transports and radiation contributed to this energy increase at varying strengths. On a seasonal scale, stronger radiative energy input during summer associated with the ice-albedo feedback enhances seasonal oceanic heat uptake and sea ice melt. In return, lower sea ice extent and higher sea surface temperatures lead to enhanced heat release from the ocean during fall. This weakens meridional temperature gradients, consequently reducing atmospheric energy transports into the polar cap. The seasonal cycle of the Arctic energy budget is thus amplified, whereas the Arctic's long-term energy imbalance is close to the global mean.

Facets of Arctic energy accumulation based on observations and reanalyses 2000-2015.

PubMed

Mayer, Michael; Haimberger, Leopold; Pietschnig, Marianne; Storto, Andrea

2016-10-16

Various observation- and reanalysis-based estimates of sea ice mass and ocean heat content trends imply that the energy imbalance of the Arctic climate system was similar [1.0 (0.9,1.2) Wm -2 ] to the global ocean average during the 2000-2015 period. Most of this extra heat warmed the ocean, and a comparatively small fraction went into sea ice melt. Poleward energy transports and radiation contributed to this energy increase at varying strengths. On a seasonal scale, stronger radiative energy input during summer associated with the ice-albedo feedback enhances seasonal oceanic heat uptake and sea ice melt. In return, lower sea ice extent and higher sea surface temperatures lead to enhanced heat release from the ocean during fall. This weakens meridional temperature gradients, consequently reducing atmospheric energy transports into the polar cap. The seasonal cycle of the Arctic energy budget is thus amplified, whereas the Arctic's long-term energy imbalance is close to the global mean.

Late to middle Pleistocene Arctic glacial history implied from a sedimentary record from the Northwind Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; Dong, L.; Shi, X.; Zhu, A.

2017-12-01

Abstract: Sediment core ARC6-C21 collected from the Northwind Ridge, western Arctic Ocean, covers the late to middle Quaternary (Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 1-11), as estimated by correlation to earlier proposed Arctic Ocean stratigraphies and AMS14C dating of the youngest sediments. Detailed examination of the elemental composition of sediment along with grain size in core ARC6-C21 provides important new information about sedimentary environments and provenance. We use increased contents of coarse debris as an indicator of glacier collapse events at the margins of the western Arctic Ocean, and identify the provenance of these events from geochemical composition. Notably, peaks of MgO and CaO, including large dropstones, presumably track the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) discharge events to the Arctic Ocean. Major LIS inputs occurred during the stratigraphic intervals estimated as MIS 3, intra-MIS 5 and 7 events, MIS 8, and MIS 10. Inputs from the East Siberian Ice Sheet (ESIS) and/or Eurasia Ice Sheet (EIS)are inferred from peaks of SiO2, K2O and Na2O associated with coarse sediment. Major ESIS and/or EIS sedimentary events occurred in the intervals estimated as MIS 2, MIS 4, MIS 6, MIS 8 and MIS 10. Keywords: Sediment core, Pleistocene, western Arctic Ocean, geochemistry, grain size, sediment provenance, glaciations

A synthesis of light absorption properties of the Arctic Ocean: application to semianalytical estimates of dissolved organic carbon concentrations from space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuoka, A.; Babin, M.; Doxaran, D.; Hooker, S. B.; Mitchell, B. G.; Bélanger, S.; Bricaud, A.

2014-06-01

In addition to scattering coefficients, the light absorption coefficients of particulate and dissolved materials are the main factors determining the light propagation of the visible part of the spectrum and are, thus, important for developing ocean color algorithms. While these absorption properties have recently been documented by a few studies for the Arctic Ocean (e.g., Matsuoka et al., 2007, 2011; Ben Mustapha et al., 2012), the data sets used in the literature were sparse and individually insufficient to draw a general view of the basin-wide spatial and temporal variations in absorption. To achieve such a task, we built a large absorption database of the Arctic Ocean by pooling the majority of published data sets and merging new data sets. Our results show that the total nonwater absorption coefficients measured in the eastern Arctic Ocean (EAO; Siberian side) are significantly higher than in the western Arctic Ocean (WAO; North American side). This higher absorption is explained by higher concentration of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in watersheds on the Siberian side, which contains a large amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) compared to waters off North America. In contrast, the relationship between the phytoplankton absorption (aϕ(λ)) and chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration in the EAO was not significantly different from that in the WAO. Because our semianalytical CDOM absorption algorithm is based on chl a-specific aϕ(λ) values (Matsuoka et al., 2013), this result indirectly suggests that CDOM absorption can be appropriately derived not only for the WAO but also for the EAO using ocean color data. Based on statistics, derived CDOM absorption values were reasonable compared to in situ measurements. By combining this algorithm with empirical DOC versus CDOM relationships, a semianalytical algorithm for estimating DOC concentrations for river-influenced coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean is presented and applied to satellite ocean color data.

Magnitude and pattern of Arctic warming governed by the seasonality of radiative forcing.

PubMed

Bintanja, R; Krikken, F

2016-12-02

Observed and projected climate warming is strongest in the Arctic regions, peaking in autumn/winter. Attempts to explain this feature have focused primarily on identifying the associated climate feedbacks, particularly the ice-albedo and lapse-rate feedbacks. Here we use a state-of-the-art global climate model in idealized seasonal forcing simulations to show that Arctic warming (especially in winter) and sea ice decline are particularly sensitive to radiative forcing in spring, during which the energy is effectively 'absorbed' by the ocean (through sea ice melt and ocean warming, amplified by the ice-albedo feedback) and consequently released to the lower atmosphere in autumn and winter, mainly along the sea ice periphery. In contrast, winter radiative forcing causes a more uniform response centered over the Arctic Ocean. This finding suggests that intermodel differences in simulated Arctic (winter) warming can to a considerable degree be attributed to model uncertainties in Arctic radiative fluxes, which peak in summer.

Patterns and controlling factors of species diversity in the Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yasuhara, Moriaki; Hunt, Gene; van Dijken, Gert; Arrigo, Kevin R.; Cronin, Thomas M.; Wollenburg, Jutta E.

2012-01-01

Aim  The Arctic Ocean is one of the last near-pristine regions on Earth, and, although human activities are expected to impact on Arctic ecosystems, we know very little about baseline patterns of Arctic Ocean biodiversity. This paper aims to describe Arctic Ocean-wide patterns of benthic biodiversity and to explore factors related to the large-scale species diversity patterns.Location  Arctic Ocean.Methods  We used large ostracode and foraminiferal datasets to describe the biodiversity patterns and applied comprehensive ecological modelling to test the degree to which these patterns are potentially governed by environmental factors, such as temperature, productivity, seasonality, ice cover and others. To test environmental control of the observed diversity patterns, subsets of samples for which all environmental parameters were available were analysed with multiple regression and model averaging.Results  Well-known negative latitudinal species diversity gradients (LSDGs) were found in metazoan Ostracoda, but the LSDGs were unimodal with an intermediate maximum with respect to latitude in protozoan foraminifera. Depth species diversity gradients were unimodal, with peaks in diversity shallower than those in other oceans. Our modelling results showed that several factors are significant predictors of diversity, but the significant predictors were different among shallow marine ostracodes, deep-sea ostracodes and deep-sea foraminifera.Main conclusions  On the basis of these Arctic Ocean-wide comprehensive datasets, we document large-scale diversity patterns with respect to latitude and depth. Our modelling results suggest that the underlying mechanisms causing these species diversity patterns are unexpectedly complex. The environmental parameters of temperature, surface productivity, seasonality of productivity, salinity and ice cover can all play a role in shaping large-scale diversity patterns, but their relative importance may depend on the ecological preferences of taxa and the oceanographic context of regions. These results suggest that a multiplicity of variables appear to be related to community structure in this system.

Review of science issues, deployment strategy, and status for the ARM north slope of Alaska-Adjacent Arctic Ocean climate research site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stamnes, K.; Ellingson, R.G.; Curry, J.A.

1999-01-01

Recent climate modeling results point to the Arctic as a region that is particularly sensitive to global climate change. The Arctic warming predicted by the models to result from the expected doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide is two to three times the predicted mean global warming, and considerably greater than the warming predicted for the Antarctic. The North Slope of Alaska-Adjacent Arctic Ocean (NSA-AAO) Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program is designed to collect data on temperature-ice-albedo and water vapor-cloud-radiation feedbacks, which are believed to be important to the predicted enhanced warming inmore » the Arctic. The most important scientific issues of Arctic, as well as global, significance to be addressed at the NSA-AAO CART site are discussed, and a brief overview of the current approach toward, and status of, site development is provided. ARM radiometric and remote sensing instrumentation is already deployed and taking data in the perennial Arctic ice pack as part of the SHEBA (Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic ocean) experiment. In parallel with ARM`s participation in SHEBA, the NSA-AAO facility near Barrow was formally dedicated on 1 July 1997 and began routine data collection early in 1998. This schedule permits the US Department of Energy`s ARM Program, NASA`s Arctic Cloud program, and the SHEBA program (funded primarily by the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research) to be mutually supportive. In addition, location of the NSA-AAO Barrow facility on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration land immediately adjacent to its Climate Monitoring and Diagnostic Laboratory Barrow Observatory includes NOAA in this major interagency Arctic collaboration.« less

An Intensified Arctic Water Cycle? Trend Analysis of the Arctic System Freshwater Cycle: Observations and Expectations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rawlins, M. A.; Adam, J. C.; Vorosmarty, C. J.; Serreze, M. C.; Hinzman, L. D.; Holland, M.; Shiklomanov, A.

2007-12-01

It is expected that a warming climate will be attended by an intensification of the global hydrological cycle. While there are signs of positive trends in several hydrological quantities emerging at the global scale, the scope, character, and quantitative significance of these changes are not well established. In particular, long-term increases in river discharge across Arctic Eurasia are assumed to represent such an intensification and have received considerable attention. Yet, no change in long-term annual precipitation across the region can be related with the discharge trend. Given linkages and feedbacks between the arctic and global climate systems, a more complete understanding of observed changes across northern high latitudes is needed. We present a working definition of an accelerated or intensified hydrological cycle and a synthesis of long-term (nominally 50 years) trends in observed freshwater stocks and fluxes across the arctic land-atmosphere-ocean system. Trend and significance measures from observed data are described alongside expectations of intensification based on GCM simulations of contemporary and future climate. Our domain of interest includes the terrestrial arctic drainage (including all of Alaska and drainage to Hudson Bay), the Arctic Ocean, and the atmosphere over the land and ocean domains. For the terrestrial Arctic, time series of spatial averages which are derived from station data and atmospheric reanalysis are available. Reconstructed data sets are used for quantities such as Arctic Ocean ice and liquid freshwater transports. Study goals include a comprehensive survey of past changes in freshwater across the pan-arctic and a set of benchmarks for expected changes based on an ensemble of GCM simulations, and identification of potential mechanistic linkages which may be examined with contemporary remote sensing data sets.

Trajectory of the arctic as an integrated system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinzman, Larry; Deal, Clara; McGuire, Anthony David; Mernild, Sebastian H.; Polyakov, Igor V.; Walsh, John E.

2013-01-01

Although much remains to be learned about the Arctic and its component processes, many of the most urgent scientific, engineering, and social questions can only be approached through a broader system perspective. Here, we address interactions between components of the Arctic System and assess feedbacks and the extent to which feedbacks (1) are now underway in the Arctic; and (2) will shape the future trajectory of the Arctic system. We examine interdependent connections among atmospheric processes, oceanic processes, sea-ice dynamics, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, land surface stocks of carbon and water, glaciers and ice caps, and the Greenland ice sheet. Our emphasis on the interactions between components, both historical and anticipated, is targeted on the feedbacks, pathways, and processes that link these different components of the Arctic system. We present evidence that the physical components of the Arctic climate system are currently in extreme states, and that there is no indication that the system will deviate from this anomalous trajectory in the foreseeable future. The feedback for which the evidence of ongoing changes is most compelling is the surface albedo-temperature feedback, which is amplifying temperature changes over land (primarily in spring) and ocean (primarily in autumn-winter). Other feedbacks likely to emerge are those in which key processes include surface fluxes of trace gases, changes in the distribution of vegetation, changes in surface soil moisture, changes in atmospheric water vapor arising from higher temperatures and greater areas of open ocean, impacts of Arctic freshwater fluxes on the meridional overturning circulation of the ocean, and changes in Arctic clouds resulting from changes in water vapor content.

Trajectory of the Arctic as an integrated system.

PubMed

Hinzman, Larry D; Deal, Clara J; McGuire, A David; Mernild, Sebastian H; Polyakov, Igor V; Walsh, John E

2013-12-01

Although much remains to be learned about the Arctic and its component processes, many of the most urgent scientific, engineering, and social questions can only be approached through a broader system perspective. Here, we address interactions between components of the Arctic system and assess feedbacks and the extent to which feedbacks (1) are now underway in the Arctic and (2) will shape the future trajectory of the Arctic system. We examine interdependent connections among atmospheric processes, oceanic processes, sea-ice dynamics, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, land surface stocks of carbon and water, glaciers and ice caps, and the Greenland ice sheet. Our emphasis on the interactions between components, both historical and anticipated, is targeted on the feedbacks, pathways, and processes that link these different components of the Arctic system. We present evidence that the physical components of the Arctic climate system are currently in extreme states, and that there is no indication that the system will deviate from this anomalous trajectory in the foreseeable future. The feedback for which the evidence of ongoing changes is most compelling is the surface albedo-temperature feedback, which is amplifying temperature changes over land (primarily in spring) and ocean (primarily in autumn-winter). Other feedbacks likely to emerge are those in which key processes include surface fluxes of trace gases, changes in the distribution of vegetation, changes in surface soil moisture, changes in atmospheric water vapor arising from higher temperatures and greater areas of open ocean, impacts of Arctic freshwater fluxes on the meridional overturning circulation of the ocean, and changes in Arctic clouds resulting from changes in water vapor content.

Arctic Ocean Circulation Patterns Revealed by GRACE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peralta-Ferriz, Cecilia; Morison, James H.; Wallace, John M.; Bonin, Jennifer A.; Zhang, Jinlun

2013-04-01

EOF analysis of non-seasonal, month-to-month variations in GRACE derived Arctic Ocean bottom pressure (OBP) yield three dominant modes. The first mode is a wintertime basin wide variation in mass associated with high atmospheric pressure (SLP) over Scandinavia. The second mode is a shift of mass from the central Arctic Ocean to the Siberian shelves due to low pressure over the basins, associated with the strength of the Arctic Oscillation. The third mode is a shift in mass between the Eastern and Western Siberian shelves, related to strength of the Beaufort High mainly in summer, and to eastward alongshore winds on the Barents Sea in winter. The PIOMAS and ECCO2 modeled OBP are consistent with the form of these modes and provide context in terms of variations in sea surface height. The models are used to investigate the ocean dynamics associated with each mode of OBP variability.

Active cycling of organic carbon in the central Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wheeler, Patricia A.; Gosselin, Michel; Sherr, Evelyn; Thibaultc, Delphine; Kirchman, David L.; Benner, Ronald; Whitledge, Terry E.

1996-04-01

THE notion of a barren central Arctic Ocean has been accepted since English's pioneering work1 on drifting ice-islands. The year-round presence of ice, a short photosynthetic season and low temperatures were thought to severely limit biological production1,2, although the paucity of data was often noted. Because primary production appeared to be low1,2, subsequent studies assumed that most organic carbon was either derived from river inputs or imported from adjacent continental-shelf regions3,4. Here we present shipboard measurements of biological produc-tion, biomass and organic carbon standing-stocks made during a cruise through the ice covering the central Arctic Ocean. Our results indicate that the central Arctic region is not a biological desert. Although it is less productive than oligotrophic ocean regions not covered by ice, it supports an active biological community which contributes to the cycling of organic carbon through dissolved and particulate pools.

Mean Dynamic Topography of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrell, Sinead Louise; Mcadoo, David C.; Laxon, Seymour W.; Zwally, H. Jay; Yi, Donghui; Ridout, Andy; Giles, Katherine

2012-01-01

ICESat and Envisat altimetry data provide measurements of the instantaneous sea surface height (SSH) across the Arctic Ocean, using lead and open water elevation within the sea ice pack. First, these data were used to derive two independent mean sea surface (MSS) models by stacking and averaging along-track SSH profiles gathered between 2003 and 2009. The ICESat and Envisat MSS data were combined to construct the high-resolution ICEn MSS. Second, we estimate the 5.5-year mean dynamic topography (MDT) of the Arctic Ocean by differencing the ICEn MSS with the new GOCO02S geoid model, derived from GRACE and GOCE gravity. Using these satellite-only data we map the major features of Arctic Ocean dynamical height that are consistent with in situ observations, including the topographical highs and lows of the Beaufort and Greenland Gyres, respectively. Smaller-scale MDT structures remain largely unresolved due to uncertainties in the geoid at short wavelengths.

Comparative analysis of marine paleogene sections and biota from West Siberia and the Arctic Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhmet'ev, M. A.; Zaporozhets, N. I.; Iakovleva, A. I.; Aleksandrova, G. N.; Beniamovsky, V. N.; Oreshkina, T. V.; Gnibidenko, Z. N.; Dolya, Zh. A.

2010-12-01

The analysis of the main biospheric events that took place in West Siberia and the Arctic region during the Early Paleogene revealed the paleogeographic and paleobiogeographic unity of marine sedimentation basins and close biogeographic relations between their separate parts. Most biotic and abiotic events of the first half of the Paleogene in the Arctic region and West Siberia were synchronous, unidirectional, and interrelated. Shelf settings, sedimentation breaks, and microfaunal assemblages characteristic of these basins during the Paleogene are compared. The comparative analysis primarily concerned events of the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) and beds with Azolla (aquatic fern). The formation of the Eocene Azolla Beds in the Arctic region and West Siberia was asynchronous, although it proceeded in line with a common scenario related to the development of a system of estuarine-type currents in a sea basin partly isolated from the World Ocean.

Extensive under-ice turbulence microstructure measurements in the central Arctic Ocean in 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabe, Benjamin; Janout, Markus; Graupner, Rainer; Hoelemann, Jens; Hampe, Hendrik; Hoppmann, Mario; Horn, Myriel; Juhls, Bennet; Korhonen, Meri; Nikolopoulos, Anna; Pisarev, Sergey; Randelhoff, Achim; Savy, John-Philippe; Villacieros, Nicolas

2016-04-01

The Arctic Ocean is a strongly stratified low-energy environment, where tides are weak and the upper ocean is protected by an ice cover during much of the year. Interior mixing processes are dominated by double diffusion. The upper Arctic Ocean features a cold surface mixed layer, which, separated by a sharp halocline, protects the sea ice from the warmer underlying Atlantic- and Pacific-derived water masses. These water masses carry nutrients that are important for the Arctic ecosystem. Hence vertical fluxes of heat, salt, and nutrients are crucial components in understanding the Arctic ecosystem. Yet, direct flux measurements are difficult to obtain and hence sparse. In 2015, two multidisciplinary R/V Polarstern expeditions to the Arctic Ocean resulted in a series of under-ice turbulence microstructure measurements. These cover different locations across the Eurasian and Makarov Basins, during the melt season in spring and early summer as well as during freeze-up in late summer. Sampling was carried out from ice floes with repeated profiles resulting in 4-24 hour-long time series. 2015 featured anomalously warm atmospheric conditions during summer followed by unusually low temperatures in September. Our measurements show elevated dissipation rates at the base of the mixed layer throughout all stations, with significantly higher levels above the Eurasian continental slope when compared with the Arctic Basin. Additional peaks were found between the mixed layer and the halocline, in particular at stations where Pacific Summer water was present. This contribution provides first flux estimates and presents first conclusions regarding the impact of atmospheric and sea ice conditions on vertical mixing in 2015.

Arctic-HYCOS: a Large Sample observing system for estimating freshwater fluxes in the drainage basin of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pietroniro, Al; Korhonen, Johanna; Looser, Ulrich; Hardardóttir, Jórunn; Johnsrud, Morten; Vuglinsky, Valery; Gustafsson, David; Lins, Harry F.; Conaway, Jeffrey S.; Lammers, Richard; Stewart, Bruce; Abrate, Tommaso; Pilon, Paul; Sighomnou, Daniel; Arheimer, Berit

2015-04-01

The Arctic region is an important regulating component of the global climate system, and is also experiencing a considerable change during recent decades. More than 10% of world's river-runoff flows to the Arctic Ocean and there is evidence of changes in its fresh-water balance. However, about 30% of the Arctic basin is still ungauged, with differing monitoring practices and data availability from the countries in the region. A consistent system for monitoring and sharing of hydrological information throughout the Arctic region is thus of highest interest for further studies and monitoring of the freshwater flux to the Arctic Ocean. The purpose of the Arctic-HYCOS project is to allow for collection and sharing of hydrological data. Preliminary 616 stations were identified with long-term daily discharge data available, and around 250 of these already provide online available data in near real time. This large sample will be used in the following scientific analysis: 1) to evaluate freshwater flux to the Arctic Ocean and Seas, 2) to monitor changes and enhance understanding of the hydrological regime and 3) to estimate flows in ungauged regions and develop models for enhanced hydrological prediction in the Arctic region. The project is intended as a component of the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) WHYCOS (World Hydrological Cycle Observing System) initiative, covering the area of the expansive transnational Arctic basin with participation from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden and United States of America. The overall objective is to regularly collect, manage and share high quality data from a defined basic network of hydrological stations in the Arctic basin. The project focus on collecting data on discharge and possibly sediment transport and temperature. Data should be provisional in near-real time if available, whereas time-series of historical data should be provided once quality assurance has been completed. The initial stages of the project will focus on collecting data on discharge and revise station selection criteria. For monitoring freshwater flow to oceans, stations close to the mouths of rivers and immediately inland for back-up purposes will be preferred. For studies of change emphasis is placed on hydrological regime stations located in headwaters small sub-catchments, including pristine basins. Stations outside the Arctic Ocean basin, such as at the mouth of the Yukon River, Baltic Sea and Hudson Bay, can also be considered to allow a better understanding of hydrological processes occurring in the general region. Countries shall facilitate, to the extent possible, access to their data currently published online, and also access to those not yet regularly published on the web. At a later stage data exchange standards such as WaterML2.0 will be implemented. The project will also perform pan-Arctic hydrological modelling (geo-statistical, deterministic and probabilistic methods) for the assessment and integration of observational and modelled data to improve estimates of ungauged discharge and the overall estimates of freshwater flux to the Arctic Ocean, as well as understanding of hydrological processes.

Pan-Arctic distributions of continental runoff in the Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Fichot, Cédric G; Kaiser, Karl; Hooker, Stanford B; Amon, Rainer M W; Babin, Marcel; Bélanger, Simon; Walker, Sally A; Benner, Ronald

2013-01-01

Continental runoff is a major source of freshwater, nutrients and terrigenous material to the Arctic Ocean. As such, it influences water column stratification, light attenuation, surface heating, gas exchange, biological productivity and carbon sequestration. Increasing river discharge and thawing permafrost suggest that the impacts of continental runoff on these processes are changing. Here, a new optical proxy was developed and implemented with remote sensing to determine the first pan-Arctic distribution of terrigenous dissolved organic matter (tDOM) and continental runoff in the surface Arctic Ocean. Retrospective analyses revealed connections between the routing of North American runoff and the recent freshening of the Canada Basin, and indicated a correspondence between climate-driven changes in river discharge and tDOM inventories in the Kara Sea. By facilitating the real-time, synoptic monitoring of tDOM and freshwater runoff in surface polar waters, this novel approach will help understand the manifestations of climate change in this remote region.

Arctic Climate and Atmospheric Planetary Waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cavalieri, D. J.; Haekkinen, S.

2000-01-01

Analysis of a fifty-year record (1946-1995) of monthly-averaged sea level pressure data provides a link between the phases of planetary-scale sea level pressure waves and Arctic Ocean and ice variability. Results of this analysis show: (1) a breakdown of the dominant wave I pattern in the late 1960's, (2) shifts in the mean phase of waves 1 and 2 since this breakdown, (3) an eastward shift in the phases of both waves 1 and 2 during the years of simulated cyclonic Arctic Ocean circulation relative to their phases during the years of anticyclonic circulation, (4) a strong decadal variability of wave phase associated with simulated Arctic Ocean circulation changes. Finally, the Arctic atmospheric circulation patterns that emerge when waves 1 and 2 are in their extreme eastern and western positions suggest an alternative approach to determine significant forcing patterns of sea ice and high-latitude variability.

Expanded record of Quaternary oceanographic change: Amerasian Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ishman, S.E.; Polyak, L.V.; Poore, R.Z.

1996-01-01

Four sediment cores collected from the Northwind and Mendeleyev ridges, Arctic Ocean, from 1089 m to 1909 m water depth, provide an oceanographic record extending back into the Matuyama reversed polarity chron. Benthic foraminiferal analyses show four prominent assemblage zones: Bolivina arctica, Cassidulina teretis, Bulimina aculeata, and Oridorsalis tener from the upper Matuyama reversed polarity chronozone through the Brunhes normal polarity chronozone. These assemblage zones represent depth-dependent benthic foraminiferal biofacies changes associated with oceanographic events that occurred in the Amerasian basin at ??? 780 and 300 ka, and indicate oceanographic influence from the North Atlantic. Recognition of these benthic assemblage zones in Arctic cores from the Alpha Ridge indicates that the benthic foraminiferal zonations in intermediate to deep water (>1000 m) Arctic cores may be more useful than preexisting lithostratigraphic zonations and should provide important information pertaining to the Quaternary paleoceanographic evolution of the Arctic Ocean.

Loss of sea ice in the Arctic.

PubMed

Perovich, Donald K; Richter-Menge, Jacqueline A

2009-01-01

The Arctic sea ice cover is in decline. The areal extent of the ice cover has been decreasing for the past few decades at an accelerating rate. Evidence also points to a decrease in sea ice thickness and a reduction in the amount of thicker perennial sea ice. A general global warming trend has made the ice cover more vulnerable to natural fluctuations in atmospheric and oceanic forcing. The observed reduction in Arctic sea ice is a consequence of both thermodynamic and dynamic processes, including such factors as preconditioning of the ice cover, overall warming trends, changes in cloud coverage, shifts in atmospheric circulation patterns, increased export of older ice out of the Arctic, advection of ocean heat from the Pacific and North Atlantic, enhanced solar heating of the ocean, and the ice-albedo feedback. The diminishing Arctic sea ice is creating social, political, economic, and ecological challenges.

Sea-ice information co-management: Planning for sustainable multiple uses of ice-covered seas in a rapidly changing Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eicken, H.; Lovecraft, A. L.

2012-12-01

A thinner, less extensive and more mobile summer sea-ice cover is a major element and driver of Arctic Ocean change. Declining summer sea ice presents Arctic stakeholders with substantial challenges and opportunities from the perspective of sustainable ocean use and derivation of sea-ice or ecosystem services. Sea-ice use by people and wildlife as well as its role as a major environmental hazard focuses the interests and concerns of indigenous hunters and Arctic coastal communities, resource managers and the maritime industry. In particular, rapid sea-ice change and intensifying offshore industrial activities have raised fundamental questions as to how best to plan for and manage multiple and increasingly overlapping ocean and sea ice uses. The western North American Arctic - a region that has seen some of the greatest changes in ice and ocean conditions in the past three decades anywhere in the North - is the focus of our study. Specifically, we examine the important role that relevant and actionable sea-ice information can play in allowing stakeholders to evaluate risks and reconcile overlapping and potentially competing interests. Our work in coastal Alaska suggests that important prerequisites to address such challenges are common values, complementary bodies of expertise (e.g., local or indigenous knowledge, engineering expertise, environmental science) and a forum for the implementation and evaluation of a sea-ice data and information framework. Alongside the International Polar Year 2007-08 and an associated boost in Arctic Ocean observation programs and platforms, there has been a movement towards new governance bodies that have these qualities and can play a central role in guiding the design and optimization of Arctic observing systems. To help further the development of such forums an evaluation of the density and spatial distribution of institutions, i.e., rule sets that govern ocean use, as well as the use of scenario planning and analysis can serve as important tools to inform activities and resolve conflicts. This includes the concept of co-management at the local and federal level that has proven important in ensuring sustainable use and preservation of marine living resources. We argue that sea-ice and ocean information co-management, with representation by key stakeholders from the local to the pan-Arctic level, is a necessary and urgently needed precondition to sustainable use of Arctic seas at times of rapid change.

Arctic Ocean sea ice cover during the penultimate glacial and the last interglacial.

PubMed

Stein, Ruediger; Fahl, Kirsten; Gierz, Paul; Niessen, Frank; Lohmann, Gerrit

2017-08-29

Coinciding with global warming, Arctic sea ice has rapidly decreased during the last four decades and climate scenarios suggest that sea ice may completely disappear during summer within the next about 50-100 years. Here we produce Arctic sea ice biomarker proxy records for the penultimate glacial (Marine Isotope Stage 6) and the subsequent last interglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 5e). The latter is a time interval when the high latitudes were significantly warmer than today. We document that even under such warmer climate conditions, sea ice existed in the central Arctic Ocean during summer, whereas sea ice was significantly reduced along the Barents Sea continental margin influenced by Atlantic Water inflow. Our proxy reconstruction of the last interglacial sea ice cover is supported by climate simulations, although some proxy data/model inconsistencies still exist. During late Marine Isotope Stage 6, polynya-type conditions occurred off the major ice sheets along the northern Barents and East Siberian continental margins, contradicting a giant Marine Isotope Stage 6 ice shelf that covered the entire Arctic Ocean.Coinciding with global warming, Arctic sea ice has rapidly decreased during the last four decades. Here, using biomarker records, the authors show that permanent sea ice was still present in the central Arctic Ocean during the last interglacial, when high latitudes were warmer than present.

Analysis of the Arctic system for freshwater cycle intensification: Observations and expectations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rawlins, M.A.; Steele, M.; Holland, M.M.; Adam, J.C.; Cherry, J.E.; Francis, J.A.; Groisman, P.Y.; Hinzman, L.D.; Huntington, T.G.; Kane, D.L.; Kimball, J.S.; Kwok, R.; Lammers, R.B.; Lee, C.M.; Lettenmaier, D.P.; McDonald, K.C.; Podest, E.; Pundsack, J.W.; Rudels, B.; Serreze, Mark C.; Shiklomanov, A.; Skagseth, O.; Troy, T.J.; Vorosmarty, C.J.; Wensnahan, M.; Wood, E.F.; Woodgate, R.; Yang, D.; Zhang, K.; Zhang, T.

2010-01-01

Hydrologic cycle intensification is an expected manifestation of a warming climate. Although positive trends in several global average quantities have been reported, no previous studies have documented broad intensification across elements of the Arctic freshwater cycle (FWC). In this study, the authors examine the character and quantitative significance of changes in annual precipitation, evapotranspiration, and river discharge across the terrestrial pan-Arctic over the past several decades from observations and a suite of coupled general circulation models (GCMs). Trends in freshwater flux and storage derived from observations across the Arctic Ocean and surrounding seas are also described. With few exceptions, precipitation, evapotranspiration, and river discharge fluxes from observations and the GCMs exhibit positive trends. Significant positive trends above the 90% confidence level, however, are not present for all of the observations. Greater confidence in the GCM trends arises through lower interannual variability relative to trend magnitude. Put another way, intrinsic variability in the observations tends to limit confidence in trend robustness. Ocean fluxes are less certain, primarily because of the lack of long-term observations. Where available, salinity and volume flux data suggest some decrease in saltwater inflow to the Barents Sea (i.e., a decrease in freshwater outflow) in recent decades. A decline in freshwater storage across the central Arctic Ocean and suggestions that large-scale circulation plays a dominant role in freshwater trends raise questions as to whether Arctic Ocean freshwater flows are intensifying. Although oceanic fluxes of freshwater are highly variable and consistent trends are difficult to verify, the other components of the Arctic FWC do show consistent positive trends over recent decades. The broad-scale increases provide evidence that the Arctic FWC is experiencing intensification. Efforts that aim to develop an adequate observation system are needed to reduce uncertainties and to detect and document ongoing changes in all system components for further evidence of Arctic FWC intensification.

Arctic pathways of Pacific Water: Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison experiments

PubMed Central

Karcher, Michael; Proshutinsky, Andrey; Gerdes, Rüdiger; de Cuevas, Beverly; Golubeva, Elena; Kauker, Frank; Nguyen, An T.; Platov, Gennady A.; Wadley, Martin; Watanabe, Eiji; Coward, Andrew C.; Nurser, A. J. George

2016-01-01

Abstract Pacific Water (PW) enters the Arctic Ocean through Bering Strait and brings in heat, fresh water, and nutrients from the northern Bering Sea. The circulation of PW in the central Arctic Ocean is only partially understood due to the lack of observations. In this paper, pathways of PW are investigated using simulations with six state‐of‐the art regional and global Ocean General Circulation Models (OGCMs). In the simulations, PW is tracked by a passive tracer, released in Bering Strait. Simulated PW spreads from the Bering Strait region in three major branches. One of them starts in the Barrow Canyon, bringing PW along the continental slope of Alaska into the Canadian Straits and then into Baffin Bay. The second begins in the vicinity of the Herald Canyon and transports PW along the continental slope of the East Siberian Sea into the Transpolar Drift, and then through Fram Strait and the Greenland Sea. The third branch begins near the Herald Shoal and the central Chukchi shelf and brings PW into the Beaufort Gyre. In the models, the wind, acting via Ekman pumping, drives the seasonal and interannual variability of PW in the Canadian Basin of the Arctic Ocean. The wind affects the simulated PW pathways by changing the vertical shear of the relative vorticity of the ocean flow in the Canada Basin. PMID:27818853

Relationship between sea ice freeboard and draft in the Arctic Basin, and implications for ice thickness monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wadhams, P.; Tucker, W. B., III; Krabill, W. B.; Swift, R. N.; Comiso, J. C.; Davis, N. R.

1992-01-01

This study confirms the finding of Comiso et al. (1991) that the probability density function (pdf) of the ice freeboard in the Arctic Ocean can be converted to a pdf of ice draft by applying a simple coordinate factor. The coordinate factor, R, which is the ratio of mean draft to mean freeboard pdf is related to the mean material (ice plus snow) density, rho(m), and the near-surface water density rho(w) by the relationship R = rho(m)/(rho(w) - rho(m)). The measured value of R was applied to each of six 50-km sections north of Greenland of a joint airborne laser and submarine sonar profile obtained along nearly coincident tracks from the Arctic Basin north of Greenland and was found to be consistent over all sections tested, despite differences in the ice regime. This indicates that a single value of R might be used for measurements done in this season of the year. The mean value R from all six sections was found to be 7.89.

Oceanographic Aspects of Recent Changes in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morison, J. H.

2002-12-01

In the Arctic recent decadal-scale changes have marked the atmosphere, ocean, and land. Connections between the oceanographic changes and large-scale atmospheric circulation changes are emerging. Surface atmospheric pressure has shown a declining trend over the Arctic. In the 1990s, the Arctic Ocean circulation took on a more cyclonic character, and the front separating Atlantic-derived waters of the Eurasian Basin and the Pacific-derived waters of the Canadian Basin shifted counterclockwise. The temperature of Atlantic water in the Arctic Ocean reached record levels. The cold halocline, which isolates the surface from the warm Atlantic water, grew thinner disappearing entirely from the Amundsen Basin at one point [Steele and Boyd, 1998]. Arctic sea ice extent has decreased 3% per decade since the 1970s [Parkinson et al., 1999]. Sea ice thickness over much of the Arctic decreased 43% between 1958-1976 and 1993-1997 [Rothrock et al., 1999]. Arctic ecosystems have responded to these changes. Sea ice studies in the late 1990s indicate that the sea ice algal species composition changed from decades before, with the species recently being characterized by more brackish and freshwater forms. Barents Sea fisheries have shifted north following reductions in ice extent. Pacific salmon species have been found entering rivers in the Arctic. There is evidence that this complex of pan-Arctic changes is connected with the rising trend in the Arctic Oscillation (AO) or Northern Hemisphere atmospheric polar vortex in the 1990s. Theoretical evidence that a positive trend in the AO index might be indicative of greenhouse warming raises the possibility that the recent complex of changes is an Arctic characteristic of global climate change. Also, the changes in ice cover manifest a connection between the complex of change and global climate through ice-albedo feedback, by which reductions in ice cover reduce the amount of sunlight reflected from the earth's surface. Another important climate feedback is that the changes in ocean circulation and ice production have increased the amount of relatively fresh surface water exported to the sub-Arctic Seas, increasing stratification there, and arguably reducing the strength of the global thermohaline circulation. Since the mid-1990s the strength of the Polar Vortex (AO) has relaxed partially toward earlier levels. Recent observations show that Arctic Ocean water mass structure has relaxed somewhat towards climatology near the surface but is still changing at depth. The cold halocline has recovered in some areas. This reinforces the notion that the changes in the Arctic are tied to the atmospheric circulation of the whole northern hemisphere. The events of the last 10-15 years suggest ways the Arctic environment may be an indicator and agent of climate change and highlight the importance of a systematic program to observe the changing Arctic. References Parkinson C. L., D. J. Cavalieri, P. Gloersen, H. J. Zwally, and J. C. Comiso, 1999, Arctic sea ice extents, areas, and trends, 1978-1996, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 20,387-20,856. Rothrock, D. A., Y. Yu, and G. A. Maykut, 1999, Thinning of the Arctic sea-ice cover, Geophys. Res. Lett., 26(23), 3469-3472. Steele, M., and T. Boyd, 1998, Retreat of the cold halocline layer in the Arctic Ocean, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 10,419-10,435.

New tectonic concept of the Arctic region evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrov, O. V.; Morozov, A.; Grikurov, G.; Shokalsky, S.; Kashubin, S.; Sobolev, N. V.; Petrov, E.

2012-12-01

The international project "Atlas of Geological Maps of Circumpolar Arctic at 1:5 million scale" was launched in 2003. It was initiated by geological surveys of Circum-Arctic states with active support from the UNESCO Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW). This work engages a number of scientists from national academies of sciences and universities. As of today, international working groups have accomplished the compilation of geological, magnetic and gravity maps at 1:5 million scale. Upon completion of those basic maps, it became possible to undertake the compilation of the Tectonic Map of the Arctic - TeMAr. The final draft of this map is being demonstrated at GeoExpo here in Brisbane. Analysis of the new tectonic map clearly shows the Neoproterozoic - Paleozoic - late Mesozoic Paleoasian oceanic structures. Among those structures are the Neoproterozoic Timan Orogen, the Baikalian fold basement in the Pre-Yenisey zone and the collisional systems of Uralides and Kimmerides whose age becomes successively younger northward from Late Carboniferous - Early Permian to Triassic - Jurassic. Seismic and isotope-geochemistry data recently obtained on Lomonosov Ridge and Mendeleev Rise suggest the possibility that Neoproterozoic-Mesozoic orogenic structures of the High Arctic may incorporate isolated blocks of Early Precambrian continental crust. The north-directed decrease of age refers not only to orogenies caused by gradual closing of the Asian paleo-ocean but also to post-orogenic rift-related processes superposed on continental crust and reflected in the first place in the formation of LIPs. This is well exemplified by transition from the Early Triassic Siberian trap province to Triassic West Siberian province and then to Late Jurassic - Cretaceous, locally Cenozoic basaltic province of the High Arctic. The center of the Canadian Basin so far remains enigmatic: it was probably formed by seafloor spreading that could follow intensive Jurassic-Early Cretaceous continental rifting and volcanic activity. Reactivation of rifting in the Central Arctic at the beginning of Cenozoic led to the onset of spreading 56 million years ago along the emerging Gakkel Ridge and to the subsequent formation of the Eurasian Basin. Approximately 33 million years ago, the newly formed Eurasian oceanic basin connected with the Norwegian-Greenland Basin of the North Atlantic. Combined interpretation of seismostratigraphic data and drilling results suggests that during the Paleogene shallow-water sedimentation in the Central Arctic occurred, which indicates the high-standing sea level. Only in the Early Miocene (about 20 million years ago) the sea bottom sank sharply reaching its present-day depth and causing transition to deep-water deposition. This essential tectonic event is recorded throughout the Central Arctic elevations by a regional unconformity in seismostratigraphic sections. The Cenozoic expansion of the North Atlantic into the Central Arctic occurred across the structural assemblages whose formation was controlled by the preceding evolution of the Asian paleo-ocean.

Arctic Ocean Sedimentary Cover Structure, Based on 2D MCS Seismic Data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kireev, A.; Kaminsky, V.; Poselov, V.; Poselova, L.; Kaminsky, D.

2016-12-01

In 2016 the Russian Federation has submitted its partial revised Submission for establishment of the OLCS (outer limit of the continental shelf) in the Arctic Ocean. In order to prepare the Submission, in 2005 - 2014 the Russian organizations carried out a wide range of geological and geophysical studies, so that today over 23000 km of MCS lines and 4000 km of deep seismic sounding are accomplished. For correct time/depth conversion of seismic sections obtained with a short streamer in difficult ice conditions wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic sonobuoy soundings were used. All of these seismic data were used to refine the stratigraphy model, to identify sedimentary complexes and to estimate the total thickness of the sedimentary cover. Seismic stratigraphy model was successively determined for the Cenozoic and pre-Cenozoic parts of the sedimentary section and was based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and seismic data documented by boreholes. Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover is based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and AWI91090 section calibrated by ACEX-2004 boreholes on the Lomonosov Ridge for Amerasia basin and by correlation of onlap contacts onto oceanic crust with defined magnetic anomalies for Eurasia basin. Pre-Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover is based on tracing major unconformities from boreholes on the Chukchi shelf (Crackerjack, Klondike, Popcorn) to the North-Chuckchi Trough and further to the Mendeleev Rise as well as to the Vilkitsky Trough and the adjacent Podvodnikov Basin. Six main unconformities were traced: regional unconformity (RU), Eocene unconformity (EoU) (for Eurasia basin only), post-Campanian unconformity (pCU), Brookian (BU - base of the Lower Brookian unit), Lower Cretaceous (LCU) and Jurassic (JU - top of the Upper Ellesmerian unit). The final step in our research was to generalize all seismic surveys (top of acoustic basement correlation data) and bathymetry data in the sedimentary cover thickness map of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent Eurasian shelf, on which the structural prolongation of the shallow shelf into deep-water is obviously seen.

Simulation of multistatic and backscattering cross sections for airborne radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biggs, Albert W.

1986-07-01

In order to determine susceptibilities of airborne radar to electronic countermeasures and electronic counter-countermeasures simulations of multistatic and backscattering cross sections were developed as digital modules in the form of algorithms. Cross section algorithms are described for prolate (cigar shape) and oblate (disk shape) spheroids. Backscattering cross section algorithms are also described for different categories of terrain. Backscattering cross section computer programs were written for terrain categorized as vegetation, sea ice, glacial ice, geological (rocks, sand, hills, etc.), oceans, man-made structures, and water bodies. PROGRAM SIGTERRA is a file for backscattering cross section modules of terrain (TERRA) such as vegetation (AGCROP), oceans (OCEAN), Arctic sea ice (SEAICE), glacial snow (GLASNO), geological structures (GEOL), man-made structures (MAMMAD), or water bodies (WATER). AGCROP describes agricultural crops, trees or forests, prairies or grassland, and shrubs or bush cover. OCEAN has the SLAR or SAR looking downwind, upwind, and crosswind at the ocean surface. SEAICE looks at winter ice and old or polar ice. GLASNO is divided into a glacial ice and snow or snowfields. MANMAD includes buildings, houses, roads, railroad tracks, airfields and hangars, telephone and power lines, barges, trucks, trains, and automobiles. WATER has lakes, rivers, canals, and swamps. PROGRAM SIGAIR is a similar file for airborne targets such as prolate and oblate spheroids.

A Giant Arctic Freshwater Pond at the end of the Early Eocene; Implications for Ocean Heat Transport and Carbon Cycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinkhuis, H.; Schouten, S.; Collinson, M. E.; Sluijs, A.; Sinninghe-Damste, J. S.; Dickens, G. R.; Huber, M.; Cronin, T. M.; Bujak, J. P.; Stein, R.; Eldrett, J. S.; Harding, I. C.; Sangiorgi, F.

2005-12-01

In the last decades remains of the free-floating, fresh water fern Azolla have been found in unusually high abundances in basal middle Eocene (~48.5 Ma) marine sediments deposited in all Nordic seas. While generally taken to signal some `freshwater input', their source and significance were not determined. Through palynological and organic geochemical analyses of unique cores obtained from unprecedented Arctic Ocean drilling (IODP 302 - ACEX) we show that the brackish surface conditions that prevailed in the Arctic Ocean through the late Paleocene and early Eocene culminated in the deposition of laminated organic rich deposits yielding huge amounts of remains of Azolla. This, plus e.g., low diversity dinoflagellate assemblages, and concomitant low BIT values, indicates in-situ Azolla growth, and that the surface of the Arctic Ocean episodically resembled a giant fresh water pond over an interval altogether lasting ~800,000 years. The Arctic Basin thus constituted the main source of the freshwater pulses found elsewhere, reaching as far south as the southern North Sea.TEX86-derived surface temperatures were 13-14°C before and after the Azolla interval and only 10°C during the event, which may be related to obstruction of pole ward ocean heat transport and/or increased carbon burial.

Acquiring Marine Data in the Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchinson, Deborah R.; Jackson, H. Ruth; Shimeld, John W.; Chapman, C. Borden; Childs, Jonathan R.; Funck, Thomas; Rowland, Robert W.

2009-06-01

Despite the record minimum ice extent in the Arctic Ocean for the past 2 years, collecting geophysical data with towed sensors in ice-covered regions continues to pose enormous challenges. Significant parts of the Canada Basin in the western Arctic Ocean have remained largely unmapped because thick multiyear ice has limited access even by research vessels strengthened against ice [Jackson et al., 1990]. Because of the resulting paucity of data, the western Arctic Ocean is one of the few areas of ocean in the world where major controversies still exist with respect to its origin and tectonic evolution [Grantz et al., 1990; Lawver and Scotese, 1990; Lane, 1997; Miller et al., 2006]. This article describes the logistical challenges and initial data sets from geophysical seismic reflection, seismic refraction, and hydrographic surveys in the Canada Basin conducted by scientists with U.S. and Canadian government agencies (Figure 1a) to fulfill the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to determine sediment thickness, geological origin, and basin evolution in this unexplored part of the world. Some of these data were collected using a single ship, but the heaviest ice conditions necessitated using two icebreakers, similar to other recent Arctic surveys [e.g., Jokat, 2003].

Late Eocene to present isotopic (Sr-Nd-Pb) and geochemical evolution of sediments from the Lomonosov Ridge, Arctic Ocean: Implications for continental sources and linkage with the North Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevenson, Ross; Poirier, André; Véron, Alain; Carignan, Jean; Hillaire-Marcel, Claude

2015-09-01

New geochemical and isotopic (Sr, Nd, Pb) data are presented for a composite sedimentary record encompassing the past 50 Ma of history of sedimentation on the Lomonosov Ridge in the Arctic Ocean. The sampled sediments encompass the transition of the Arctic basin from an enclosed anoxic basin to an open and ventilated oxidized ocean basin. The transition from anoxic basin to open ventilated ocean is accompanied by at least three geochemical and isotopic shifts and an increase in elements (e.g., K/Al) controlled by detrital minerals highlighting significant changes in sediment types and sources. The isotopic compositions of the sediments prior to ventilation are more variable but indicate a predominance of older crustal contributions consistent with sources from the Canadian Shield. Following ventilation, the isotopic compositions are more stable and indicate an increased contribution from younger material consistent with Eurasian and Pan-African crustal sources. The waxing and waning of these sources in conjunction with the passage of water through Fram Strait underlines the importance of the exchange of water mass between the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans.

Using an Environmental Intelligence Framework to Evaluate the Impacts of Ocean Acidification in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathis, J. T.; Baskin, M.; Cross, J.

2016-12-01

The highly productive coastal seas of the Arctic Ocean are located in areas that are projected to experience strong global change, including rapid transitions in temperature and ocean acidification-driven changes in pH and other chemical parameters. Many of the marine organisms that may be most intensely affected by ocean acidification (OA) and other environmental stressors contribute substantially to the commercial fisheries of the Bering Sea and traditional subsistence food supplies across the Arctic. This could represent a looming challenge in many communities as the average prevalence of household food insecurity and very low food security in Alaska are already 12 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively. Here, we evaluate the patterns of dependence on marine resources within Alaska's Arctic that could be negatively impacted by OA and current community characteristics to assess the potential risk to the fishery sector from OA. We used a risk assessment framework to analyze an earth-system global model of ocean chemistry, fisheries harvest data, and demographic information. The analysis showed that regions around Alaska vary in their vulnerability to OA, but that each one will have to deal with possible impacts. Therefore, OA merits consideration in policy planning, as it may represent another challenge to Alaskan communities, some of which are already under acute socio-economic strains. With this in mind, we will present a number of adaptation strategies for communities living throughout Alaska's Arctic that could be applicable to other Arctic regions.

Can we constrain postglacial sedimentation in the western Arctic Ocean by ramped pyrolysis 14C? A case study from the Chukchi-Alaskan margin.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, K.; Yamamoto, M.; Rosenheim, B. E.; Omori, T.; Polyak, L.; Nam, S. I.

2017-12-01

The Arctic Ocean underwent dramatic climate changes in the past. Variations in sea-ice extent and ocean current system in the Arctic cause changes in surface albedo and deep water formation, which have global climatic implications. However, Arctic paleoceanographic studies are lagging behind the other oceans due largely to chronostratigraphic difficulties. One of the reasons for this is a scant presence of material suitable for 14C dating in large areas of the Arctic seafloor. To enable improved age constraints for sediments impoverished in datable material, we apply ramped pyrolysis 14C method (Ramped PyrOx 14C, Rosenheim et al., 2008) to sedimentary records from the Chukchi-Alaska margin recovering Holocene to late-glacial deposits. Samples were divided into five fraction products by gradual heating sedimentary organic carbon from ambient laboratory temperature to 1000°C. The thermographs show a trimodal pattern of organic matter decomposition over temperature, and we consider that CO2 generated at the lowest temperature range was derived from autochthonous organic carbon contemporaneous with sediment deposition, similar to studies in the Antarctic margin and elsewhere. For verification of results, some of the samples treated for ramped pyrolysis 14C were taken from intervals dated earlier by AMS 14C using bivalve mollusks. Ultimately, our results allow a new appraisal of deglacial to Holocene deposition at the Chukchi-Alaska margin with potential to be applied to other regions of the Arctic Ocean.

Does the Arctic Amplification peak this decade?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Torge; Haine, Thomas W. N.

2017-04-01

Temperatures rise faster in the Arctic than on global average, a phenomenon known as Arctic Amplification. While this is well established from observations and model simulations, projections of future climate (here: RCP8.5) with models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) also indicate that the Arctic Amplification has a maximum. We show this by means of an Arctic Amplification factor (AAF), which we define as the ratio of Arctic mean to global mean surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies. The SAT anomalies are referenced to the period 1960-1980 and smoothed by a 30-year running mean. For October, the multi-model ensemble-mean AAF reaches a maximum in 2017. The maximum moves however to later years as Arctic winter progresses: for the autumn mean SAT (September to November) the maximum AAF is found in 2028 and for winter (December to February) in 2060. Arctic Amplification is driven, amongst others, by the ice-albedo feedback (IAF) as part of the more general surface albedo feedback (involving clouds, snow cover, vegetation changes) and temperature effects (Planck and lapse-rate feedbacks). We note that sea ice retreat and the associated warming of the summer Arctic Ocean are not only an integral part of the IAF but are also involved in the other drivers. In the CMIP5 simulations, the timing of the AAF maximum coincides with the period of fastest ice retreat for the respective month. Presence of at least some sea ice is crucial for the IAF to be effective because of the contrast in surface albedo between ice and open water and the need to turn ocean warming into ice melt. Once large areas of the Arctic Ocean are ice-free, the IAF should be less effective. We thus hypothesize that the ice retreat significantly affects AAF variability and forces a decline of its magnitude after at least half of the Arctic Ocean is ice-free and the ice cover becomes basically seasonal.

Geochemistry and Flux of Terrigenous Dissolved Organic Matter to the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spencer, R. G.; Mann, P. J.; Hernes, P. J.; Tank, S. E.; Striegl, R. G.; Dyda, R. Y.; Peterson, B. J.; McClelland, J. W.; Holmes, R. M.

2011-12-01

Rivers draining into the Arctic Ocean exhibit high concentrations of terrigenous dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and recent studies indicate that DOC export is changing due to climatic warming and alteration in permafrost condition. The fate of exported DOC in the Arctic Ocean is of key importance for understanding the regional carbon cycle and remains a point of discussion in the literature. As part of the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (Arctic-GRO) project, samples were collected for DOC, chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and lignin phenols from the Ob', Yenisey, Lena, Kolyma, Mackenzie and Yukon rivers in 2009 - 2010. DOC and lignin concentrations were elevated during the spring freshet and measurements related to DOC composition indicated an increasing contribution from terrestrial vascular plant sources at this time of year (e.g. lignin carbon-normalized yield, CDOM spectral slope, SUVA254, humic-like fluorescence). CDOM absorption was found to correlate strongly with both DOC (r2=0.83) and lignin concentration (r2=0.92) across the major arctic rivers. Utilizing these relationships we modeled loads for DOC and lignin export from high-resolution CDOM measurements (daily across the freshet) to derive improved flux estimates, particularly from the dynamic spring discharge maxima period when the majority of DOC and lignin export occurs. The new load estimates for DOC and lignin are higher than previous evaluations, emphasizing that if these are more representative of current arctic riverine export, terrigenous DOC is transiting through the Arctic Ocean at a faster rate than previously thought. It is apparent that higher resolution sampling of arctic rivers is exceptionally valuable with respect to deriving accurate fluxes and we highlight the potential of CDOM in this role for future studies and the applicability of in-situ CDOM sensors.

Modelling the impacts of a dipole-like climatic state over the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasha Karami, Mehdi; de Vernal, Anne; Hu, Xianmin; Myers, Paul G.

2015-04-01

The Arctic dipole anomaly (ADA) features a pattern with opposite sea-level pressure anomalies over the Canadian Archipelago and the Barents Sea. Changes in the predominance of Arctic atmospheric circulation modes and the shift towards a dipole mode in the past decade played a role in the summer sea ice loss and sea ice-freshwater export from the Arctic to the North Atlantic. Reconstruction of sea ice cover variations during Holocene also suggests opposite anomalies in the Barents Sea versus either the western Arctic or the Fram Strait area similar to the ADA pattern. It is vital to study such physical processes that cause dramatic changes in the Arctic sea ice recalling the link between the ADA and the current climate change. Here we focus on the question of how a persistent ADA-like state affects the Arctic sea ice distribution and its outflow to the Atlantic Ocean. For this purpose, an eddy-permitting regional configuration of the NEMO coupled ocean/sea-ice model is used. The regional domain covers the Arctic Ocean and the Northern-Hemisphere Atlantic, with a horizontal resolution of 1/4 degree at the equator (ANHA4). For the present-day simulations, boundary conditions are obtained by taking the average over the years with a positive ADA and those with a negative ADA. In the Holocene scenario, global climate model data are used to force our regional model. To exclude the role of Bering Strait and the heat flux from the Pacific Ocean, we repeat the experiments with a closed Bering Strait since a nearly closed Bering configuration was possible for the Early Holocene. The model results are compared with the paleoclimate data from Arctic and subarctic seas.

Atmospheric moisture transport: the bridge between ocean evaporation and Arctic ice melting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gimeno, L.; Vázquez, M.; Nieto, R.; Trigo, R. M.

2015-09-01

Changes in the atmospheric moisture transport have been proposed as a vehicle for interpreting some of the most significant changes in the Arctic region. The increasing moisture over the Arctic during the last decades is not strongly associated with the evaporation that takes place within the Arctic area itself, despite the fact that the sea ice cover is decreasing. Such an increment is consistent and is more dependent on the transport of moisture from the extratropical regions to the Arctic that has increased in recent decades and is expected to increase within a warming climate. This increase could be due either to changes in circulation patterns which have altered the moisture sources, or to changes in the intensity of the moisture sources because of enhanced evaporation, or a combination of these two mechanisms. In this short communication we focus on the more objective assessment of the strong link between ocean evaporation trends and Arctic Sea ice melting. We will critically analyse several recent results suggesting links between moisture transport and the extent of sea ice in the Arctic, this being one of the most distinct indicators of continuous climate change both in the Arctic and on a global scale. To do this we will use a sophisticated Lagrangian approach to develop a more robust framework on some of these previous disconnecting results, using new information and insights. Results reached in this study stress the connection between two climate change indicators, namely an increase in evaporation over source regions (mainly the Mediterranean Sea, the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean in the paths of the global western boundary currents and their extensions) and Arctic ice melting precursors.

Modelling MIZ dynamics in a global model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rynders, Stefanie; Aksenov, Yevgeny; Feltham, Daniel; Nurser, George; Naveira Garabato, Alberto

2016-04-01

Exposure of large, previously ice-covered areas of the Arctic Ocean to the wind and surface ocean waves results in the Arctic pack ice cover becoming more fragmented and mobile, with large regions of ice cover evolving into the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ). The need for better climate predictions, along with growing economic activity in the Polar Oceans, necessitates climate and forecasting models that can simulate fragmented sea ice with a greater fidelity. Current models are not fully fit for the purpose, since they neither model surface ocean waves in the MIZ, nor account for the effect of floe fragmentation on drag, nor include sea ice rheology that represents both the now thinner pack ice and MIZ ice dynamics. All these processes affect the momentum transfer to the ocean. We present initial results from a global ocean model NEMO (Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean) coupled to the Los Alamos sea ice model CICE. The model setup implements a novel rheological formulation for sea ice dynamics, accounting for ice floe collisions, thus offering a seamless framework for pack ice and MIZ simulations. The effect of surface waves on ice motion is included through wave pressure and the turbulent kinetic energy of ice floes. In the multidecadal model integrations we examine MIZ and basin scale sea ice and oceanic responses to the changes in ice dynamics. We analyse model sensitivities and attribute them to key sea ice and ocean dynamical mechanisms. The results suggest that the effect of the new ice rheology is confined to the MIZ. However with the current increase in summer MIZ area, which is projected to continue and may become the dominant type of sea ice in the Arctic, we argue that the effects of the combined sea ice rheology will be noticeable in large areas of the Arctic Ocean, affecting sea ice and ocean. With this study we assert that to make more accurate sea ice predictions in the changing Arctic, models need to include MIZ dynamics and physics.

A New High Resolution Tidal Model in the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cancet, M.; Andersen, O.; Lyard, F.; Schulz, A.; Cotton, D.; Benveniste, J.

2016-08-01

The Arctic Ocean is a challenging region for tidal modelling. The accuracy of the global tidal models decreases by several centimeters in the Polar Regions, which has a large impact on the quality of the satellite altimeter sea surface heights and the altimetry-derived products.NOVELTIS and DTU Space have developed a regional, high-resolution tidal atlas in the Arctic Ocean, in the framework of an extension of the CryoSat Plus for Ocean (CP4O) ESA STSE (Support to Science Element) project. In particular, this atlas benefits from the assimilation of the most complete satellite altimetry dataset ever used in this region, including Envisat data up to 82°N and CryoSat-2 data between 82°N and 88°N. The combination of these satellite altimetry missions gives the best possible coverage of altimetry-derived tidal constituents. The available tide gauge data were also used for data assimilation and validation.This paper presents the implementation methodology and the performance of this new regional tidal model in the Arctic Ocean, compared to the existing global tidal models.

Arctic Sea Ice Basal Melt Onset Variability and Associated Ocean Surface Heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merrick, R. A.; Hutchings, J. K.

2015-12-01

The interannual and regional variability in Arctic sea ice melt has previously been characterized only in terms of surface melting. A focus on the variability in the onset of basal melt is additionally required to understand Arctic melt patterns. Monitoring basal melt provides a glimpse into the importance of ocean heating to sea ice melt. This warming is predominantly through seawater exposure due to lead opening and the associated solar warming at the ocean's surface. We present the temporal variability in basal melt onset observed by ice mass balance buoys throughout the Arctic Ocean since 2003, providing a different perspective than the satellite microwave data used to measure the onset of surface melt. We found that melt onset varies greatly, even for buoys deployed within 100km of each other. Therefore large volumes of data are necessary to accurately estimate the variability of basal melt onset. Once the variability of basal melt onset has been identified, we can investigate how this range has been changing as a response to atmospheric and oceanic warming, changes in ice morphology as well as the intensification of the ice albedo feedback.

Can Arctic Sea Ice Decline Weaken the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedorov, A. V.; Sevellec, F.; Liu, W.

2017-12-01

The ongoing decline of Arctic sea ice exposes the ocean to anomalous surface heat and freshwater fluxes, resulting in positive buoyancy anomalies that can affect ocean circulation. In this study (detailed in Sevellec, Fedorov, Liu 2017, Nature Climate Change) we apply an optimal flux perturbation framework and comprehensive climate model simulations (using CESM) to estimate the sensitivity of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) to such buoyancy forcing over the Arctic and globally, and more generally AMOC sensitivity to sea ice decline. We find that on decadal timescales flux anomalies over the subpolar North Atlantic have the largest impact on the AMOC; however, on multi-decadal timescales (longer than 20 years), anomalies in the Arctic become more important. These positive buoyancy anomalies from the Arctic spread to the North Atlantic, weakening the AMOC and its poleward heat transport after several decades. Therefore, the Arctic sea ice decline may explain the suggested slow-down of the AMOC and the "Warming Hole" persisting in the subpolar North Atlantic. Further, we discuss how the proposed connection, i.e. Arctic sea ice contraction would lead to an AMOC slow-down, varies across different earth system models. Overall, this study demonstrates that Arctic sea ice decline can play an active role in ocean and climate change.

Leads in Arctic pack ice enable early phytoplankton blooms below snow-covered sea ice

PubMed Central

Assmy, Philipp; Fernández-Méndez, Mar; Duarte, Pedro; Meyer, Amelie; Randelhoff, Achim; Mundy, Christopher J.; Olsen, Lasse M.; Kauko, Hanna M.; Bailey, Allison; Chierici, Melissa; Cohen, Lana; Doulgeris, Anthony P.; Ehn, Jens K.; Fransson, Agneta; Gerland, Sebastian; Hop, Haakon; Hudson, Stephen R.; Hughes, Nick; Itkin, Polona; Johnsen, Geir; King, Jennifer A.; Koch, Boris P.; Koenig, Zoe; Kwasniewski, Slawomir; Laney, Samuel R.; Nicolaus, Marcel; Pavlov, Alexey K.; Polashenski, Christopher M.; Provost, Christine; Rösel, Anja; Sandbu, Marthe; Spreen, Gunnar; Smedsrud, Lars H.; Sundfjord, Arild; Taskjelle, Torbjørn; Tatarek, Agnieszka; Wiktor, Jozef; Wagner, Penelope M.; Wold, Anette; Steen, Harald; Granskog, Mats A.

2017-01-01

The Arctic icescape is rapidly transforming from a thicker multiyear ice cover to a thinner and largely seasonal first-year ice cover with significant consequences for Arctic primary production. One critical challenge is to understand how productivity will change within the next decades. Recent studies have reported extensive phytoplankton blooms beneath ponded sea ice during summer, indicating that satellite-based Arctic annual primary production estimates may be significantly underestimated. Here we present a unique time-series of a phytoplankton spring bloom observed beneath snow-covered Arctic pack ice. The bloom, dominated by the haptophyte algae Phaeocystis pouchetii, caused near depletion of the surface nitrate inventory and a decline in dissolved inorganic carbon by 16 ± 6 g C m−2. Ocean circulation characteristics in the area indicated that the bloom developed in situ despite the snow-covered sea ice. Leads in the dynamic ice cover provided added sunlight necessary to initiate and sustain the bloom. Phytoplankton blooms beneath snow-covered ice might become more common and widespread in the future Arctic Ocean with frequent lead formation due to thinner and more dynamic sea ice despite projected increases in high-Arctic snowfall. This could alter productivity, marine food webs and carbon sequestration in the Arctic Ocean. PMID:28102329

Research Applications of Data from Arctic Ocean Drifting Platforms: The Arctic Buoy Program and the Environmental Working Group CD's.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moritz, R. E.; Rigor, I.

2006-12-01

ABSTRACT: The Arctic Buoy Program was initiated in 1978 to measure surface air pressure, surface temperature and sea-ice motion in the Arctic Ocean, on the space and time scales of synoptic weather systems, and to make the data available for research, forecasting and operations. The program, subsequently renamed the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP), has endured and expanded over the past 28 years. A hallmark of the IABP is the production, dissemination and archival of research-quality datasets and analyses. These datasets have been used by the authors of over 500 papers on meteorolgy, sea-ice physics, oceanography, air-sea interactions, climate, remote sensing and other topics. Elements of the IABP are described briefly, including measurements, analysis, data dissemination and data archival. Selected highlights of the research applications are reviewed, including ice dynamics, ocean-ice modeling, low-frequency variability of Arctic air-sea-ice circulation, and recent changes in the age, thickness and extent of Arctic Sea-ice. The extended temporal coverage of the data disseminated on the Environmental Working Group CD's is important for interpreting results in the context of climate.

Constraints on the Pleistocene chronology of sediments from the Lomonosov Ridge

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Regan, M.; King, J.; Backman, J.; Jakobsson, M.; Palike, H.; Moran, K.; Heil, C.; Sakamoto, T.; Cronin, T. M.; Jordan, R.W.

2008-01-01

Despite its importance in the global climate system, age-calibrated marine geologic records reflecting the evolultion of glacial cycles through the Pleistocene are largely absent from the central Arctic Ocean. This is especially true for sediments older than 200 ka. Three sites cored during the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program's Expedition 302, the Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX), provide a 27 m continuous sedimentary section from the Lomonosov Ridge in the central Arctic Ocean. Two key biostratigraphic datums and constraints from the magnetic inclination data are used to anchor the chronology of these sediments back to the base of the Cobb Mountain subchron (1215 ka). Beyond 1215 ka, two best fitting geomagnetic models are used to investigate the nature of cyclostratigraphic change. Within this chronology we show that bulk and mineral magnetic properties of the sediments vary on predicted Milankovitch frequencies. These cyclic variations record "glacial" and "interglacial" modes of sediment deposition on the Lomonosov Ridge as evident in studies of ice-rafted debris and stable isotopic and faunal assemblages for the last two glacial cycles and were used to tune the age model. Potential errors, which largely arise from uncertainties in the nature of downhole paleomagnetic variability, and the choice of a tuning target are handled by defining an error envelope that is based on the best fitting cyclostratigraphic and geomagnetic solutions. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.

A Meteoric Water Budget for the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alkire, Matthew B.; Morison, James; Schweiger, Axel; Zhang, Jinlun; Steele, Michael; Peralta-Ferriz, Cecilia; Dickinson, Suzanne

2017-12-01

A budget of meteoric water (MW = river runoff, net precipitation minus evaporation, and glacial meltwater) over four regions of the Arctic Ocean is constructed using a simple box model, regional precipitation-evaporation estimates from reanalysis data sets, and estimates of import and export fluxes derived from the literature with a focus on the 2003-2008 period. The budget indicates an approximate/slightly positive balance between MW imports and exports (i.e., no change in storage); thus, the observed total freshwater increase observed during this time period likely resulted primarily from changes in non-MW freshwater components (i.e., increases in sea ice melt or Pacific water and/or a decrease in ice export). Further, our analysis indicates that the MW increase observed in the Canada Basin resulted from a spatial redistribution of MW over the Arctic Ocean. Mean residence times for MW were estimated for the Western Arctic (5-7 years), Eastern Arctic (3-4 years), and Lincoln Sea (1-2 years). The MW content over the Siberian shelves was estimated (˜14,000 km3) based on a residence time of 3.5 years. The MW content over the entire Arctic Ocean was estimated to be ≥44,000 km3. The MW export through Fram Strait consisted mostly of water from the Eastern Arctic (3,237 ± 1,370 km3 yr-1) whereas the export through the Canadian Archipelago was nearly equally derived from both the Western Arctic (1,182 ± 534 km3 yr-1) and Lincoln Sea (972 ± 391 km3 yr-1).

Moderate-resolution sea surface temperature data for the Arctic Ocean Ecoregions

EPA Science Inventory

Sea surface temperature (SST) is an important environmental characteristic in determining the suitability and sustainability of habitats for marine organisms. Of particular interest is the fate of the Arctic Ocean, which provides critical habitat to commercially important fish (M...

A quantitative assessment of Arctic shipping in 2010–2014

PubMed Central

Eguíluz, Victor M.; Fernández-Gracia, Juan; Irigoien, Xabier; Duarte, Carlos M.

2016-01-01

Rapid loss of sea ice is opening up the Arctic Ocean to shipping, a practice that is forecasted to increase rapidly by 2050 when many models predict that the Arctic Ocean will largely be free of ice toward the end of summer. These forecasts carry considerable uncertainty because Arctic shipping was previously considered too sparse to allow for adequate validation. Here, we provide quantitative evidence that the extent of Arctic shipping in the period 2011–2014 is already significant and that it is concentrated (i) in the Norwegian and Barents Seas, and (ii) predominantly accessed via the Northeast and Northwest Passages. Thick ice along the forecasted direct trans-Arctic route was still present in 2014, preventing transit. Although Arctic shipping remains constrained by the extent of ice coverage, during every September, this coverage is at a minimum, allowing the highest levels of shipping activity. Access to Arctic resources, particularly fisheries, is the most important driver of Arctic shipping thus far. PMID:27477878

Spatial and temporal scales of sea ice protists and phytoplankton distribution from the gateway Fram Strait into the Central Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peeken, I.; Hardge, K.; Krumpen, T.; Metfies, K.; Nöthig, E. M.; Rabe, B.; von Appen, W. J.; Vernet, M.

2016-02-01

The Arctic Ocean is currently one of the key regions where the effect of climate change is most pronounced. Sea ice is an important interface in this region by representing a unique habitat for many organisms. Massive reduction of sea ice thickness and extent, which have been recorded over the last twenty years, is anticipated to cause large cascading changes in the entire Arctic ecosystem. Most sea ice is formed on the Eurasian shelves and transported via the Transpolardrift to the western Fram Strait and out of the Arctic Ocean with the cold East Greenland Current (EGC). Warm Atlantic water enters the Arctic Ocean with the West Spitsbergen Current (WSC) via eastern Fram Strait. Here, we focus on the spatial spreading of protists from the Atlantic water masses, and their occurrences over the deep basins of the Central Arctic and the relationship amongst them in water and sea ice. Communities were analyzed by using pigments, flow cytometer and ARISA fingerprints during several cruises with the RV Polarstern to the Fram Strait, the Greenland Sea and the Central Arctic Ocean. By comparing these data sets we are able to demonstrate that the origin of the studied sea ice floes is more important for the biodiversity found in the sea ice communities then the respective underlying water mass. In contrast, biodiversity in the water column is mainly governed by the occurring water masses and the presence or absence of sea ice. However, overall the development of standing stocks in both biomes was governed by the availability of nutrients. To get a temporal perspective of the recent results, the study will be embedded in a long-term data set of phytoplankton biomass obtained during several cruises over the last twenty years.

Future change in ocean productivity: Is the Arctic the new Atlantic?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yool, A.; Popova, E. E.; Coward, A. C.

2015-12-01

One of the most characteristic features in ocean productivity is the North Atlantic spring bloom. Responding to seasonal increases in irradiance and stratification, surface phytopopulations rise significantly, a pattern that visibly tracks poleward into summer. While blooms also occur in the Arctic Ocean, they are constrained by the sea-ice and strong vertical stratification that characterize this region. However, Arctic sea-ice is currently declining, and forecasts suggest this may lead to completely ice-free summers by the mid-21st century. Such change may open the Arctic up to Atlantic-style spring blooms, and do so at the same time as Atlantic productivity is threatened by climate change-driven ocean stratification. Here we use low and high-resolution instances of a coupled ocean-biogeochemistry model, NEMO-MEDUSA, to investigate productivity. Drivers of present-day patterns are identified, and changes in these across a climate change scenario (IPCC RCP 8.5) are analyzed. We find a globally significant decline in North Atlantic productivity (> -20%) by 2100, and a correspondingly significant rise in the Arctic (> +50%). However, rather than the future Arctic coming to resemble the current Atlantic, both regions are instead transitioning to a common, low nutrient regime. The North Pacific provides a counterexample where nutrients remain high and productivity increases with elevated temperature. These responses to climate change in the Atlantic and Arctic are common between model resolutions, suggesting an independence from resolution for key impacts. However, some responses, such as those in the North Pacific, differ between the simulations, suggesting the reverse and supporting the drive to more fine-scale resolutions. This article was corrected on 5 JAN 2016. See the end of the full text for details.

Driving Roles of Tropospheric and Stratospheric Thermal Anomalies in Intensification and Persistence of the Arctic Superstorm in 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Wei; Zhang, Jing; Fu, Yunfei; Zhang, Xiangdong

2017-10-01

Intense synoptic-scale storms have been more frequently observed over the Arctic during recent years. Specifically, a superstorm hit the Arctic Ocean in August 2012 and preceded a new record low Arctic sea ice extent. In this study, the major physical processes responsible for the storm's intensification and persistence are explored through a series of numerical modeling experiments with the Weather Research and Forecasting model. It is found that thermal anomalies in troposphere as well as lower stratosphere jointly lead to the development of this superstorm. Thermal contrast between the unusually warm Siberia and the relatively cold Arctic Ocean results in strong troposphere baroclinicity and upper level jet, which contribute to the storm intensification initially. On the other hand, Tropopause Polar Vortex (TPV) associated with the thermal anomaly in lower stratosphere further intensifies the upper level jet and accordingly contributes to a drastic intensification of the storm. Stacking with the enhanced surface low, TPV intensifies further, which sustains the storm to linger over the Arctic Ocean for an extended period.

A distributed atmosphere-sea ice-ocean observatory in the central Arctic Ocean: concept and first results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoppmann, Mario; Nicolaus, Marcel; Rabe, Benjamin; Wenzhöfer, Frank; Katlein, Christian; Scholz, Daniel; Valcic, Lovro

2017-04-01

To understand the current evolution of the Arctic Ocean towards a less extensive, thinner and younger sea ice cover is one of the biggest challenges in climate research. Especially the lack of simultaneous in-situ observations of sea ice, ocean and atmospheric properties leads to significant knowledge gaps in their complex interactions, and how the associated processes impact the polar marine ecosystem. Here we present a concept for the implementation of a long-term strategy to monitor the most essential climate- and ecosystem parameters in the central Arctic Ocean, year round and synchronously. The basis of this strategy is the development and enhancement of a number of innovative autonomous observational platforms, such as rugged weather stations, ice mass balance buoys, ice-tethered bio-optical buoys and upper ocean profilers. The deployment of those complementing platforms in a distributed network enables the simultaneous collection of physical and biogeochemical in-situ data on basin scales and year round, including the largely undersampled winter periods. A key advantage over other observatory systems is that the data is sent via satellite in near-real time, contributing to numerical weather predictions through the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) and to the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP). The first instruments were installed on ice floes in the Eurasian Basin in spring 2015 and 2016, yielding exceptional records of essential climate- and ecosystem-relevant parameters in one of the most inaccessible regions of this planet. Over the next 4 years, and including the observational periods of the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP, 2017-2019) and the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of the Arctic Climate (MOSAiC, 2020), the distributed observatory will be maintained by deployment of additional instruments in the central Arctic each year, benefitting from international logistical efforts.

Eocene climate and Arctic paleobathymetry: A tectonic sensitivity study using GISS ModelE-R

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, C. D.; Legrande, A. N.; Tripati, A. K.

2009-12-01

The early Paleogene (65-45 million years ago, Ma) was a ‘greenhouse’ interval with global temperatures warmer than any other time in the last 65 Ma. This period was characterized by high levels of CO2, warm high-latitudes, warm surface-and-deep oceans, and an intensified hydrological cycle. Sediments from the Arctic suggest that the Eocene surface Arctic Ocean was warm, brackish, and episodically enabled the freshwater fern Azolla to bloom. The precise mechanisms responsible for the development of these conditions remain uncertain. We present equilibrium climate conditions derived from a fully-coupled, water-isotope enabled, general circulation model (GISS ModelE-R) configured for the early Eocene. We also present model-data comparison plots for key climatic variables (SST and δ18O) and analyses of the leading modes of variability in the tropical Pacific and North Atlantic regions. Our tectonic sensitivity study indicates that Northern Hemisphere climate would have been very sensitive to the degree of oceanic exchange through the seaways connecting the Arctic to the Atlantic and Tethys. By restricting these seaways, we simulate freshening of the surface Arctic Ocean to ~6 psu and warming of sea-surface temperatures by 2°C in the North Atlantic and 5-10°C in the Labrador Sea. Our results may help explain the occurrence of low-salinity tolerant taxa in the Arctic Ocean during the Eocene and provide a mechanism for enhanced warmth in the north western Atlantic. We also suggest that the formation of a volcanic land-bridge between Greenland and Europe could have caused increased ocean convection and warming of intermediate waters in the Atlantic. If true, this result is consistent with the theory that bathymetry changes may have caused thermal destabilisation of methane clathrates in the Atlantic.

Influences of Ocean Thermohaline Stratification on Arctic Sea Ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toole, J. M.; Timmermans, M.-L.; Perovich, D. K.; Krishfield, R. A.; Proshutinsky, A.; Richter-Menge, J. A.

2009-04-01

The Arctic Ocean's surface mixed layer constitutes the dynamical and thermodynamical link between the sea ice and the underlying waters. Wind stress, acting directly on the surface mixed layer or via wind-forced ice motion, produce surface currents that can in turn drive deep ocean flow. Mixed layer temperature is intimately related to basal sea ice growth and melting. Heat fluxes into or out of the surface mixed layer can occur at both its upper and lower interfaces: the former via air-sea exchange at leads and conduction through the ice, the latter via turbulent mixing and entrainment at the layer base. Variations in Arctic Ocean mixed layer properties are documented based on more than 16,000 temperature and salinity profiles acquired by Ice-Tethered Profilers since summer 2004 and analyzed in conjunction with sea ice observations from Ice Mass Balance Buoys and atmospheric heat flux estimates. Guidance interpreting the observations is provided by a one-dimensional ocean mixed layer model. The study focuses attention on the very strong density stratification about the mixed layer base in the Arctic that, in regions of sea ice melting, is increasing with time. The intense stratification greatly impedes mixed layer deepening by vertical convection and shear mixing, and thus limits the flux of deep ocean heat to the surface that could influence sea ice growth/decay. Consistent with previous work, this study demonstrates that the Arctic sea ice is most sensitive to changes in ocean mixed layer heat resulting from fluxes across its upper (air-sea and/or ice-water) interface.

Seasonal and Interannual Variations of Sea Ice Mass Balance From the Central Arctic to the Greenland Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Ruibo; Cheng, Bin; Heil, Petra; Vihma, Timo; Wang, Jia; Ji, Qing; Zhang, Zhanhai

2018-04-01

The seasonal evolution of sea ice mass balance between the Central Arctic and Fram Strait, as well as the underlying driving forces, remain largely unknown because of a lack of observations. In this study, two and three buoys were deployed in the Central Arctic during the summers of 2010 and 2012, respectively. It was established that basal ice growth commenced between mid-October and early December. Annual basal ice growth, ranging from 0.21 to 1.14 m, was determined mainly by initial ice thickness, air temperature, and oceanic heat flux during winter. An analytic thermodynamic model indicated that climate warming reduces the winter growth rate of thin ice more than for thick ice because of the weak thermal inertia of the former. Oceanic heat flux during the freezing season was 2-4 W m-2, which accounted for 18-31% of the basal ice energy balance. We identified two mechanisms that modified the oceanic heat flux, i.e., solar energy absorbed by the upper ocean during summer, and interaction with warm waters south of Fram Strait; the latter resulted in basal ice melt, even in winter. In summer 2010, ice loss in the Central Arctic was considerable, which led to increased oceanic heat flux into winter and delayed ice growth. The Transpolar Drift Stream was relatively weak in summer 2013. This reduced sea ice advection out of the Arctic Ocean, and it restrained ice melt because of the cool atmospheric conditions, weakened albedo feedback, and relatively small oceanic heat flux in the north.

Evolution of biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus during 45~50 Ma revealed by sequential extraction analysis of IODP Expedition 302 cores from the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, S.; Yamaguchi, K. E.; Takahashi, K.

2012-12-01

The modern Arctic Ocean plays crucial roles in controlling global climate system with the driving force of global thermohaline circulation through the formation of dense deep water and high albedo due to the presence of perennial sea-ice. However, the Arctic sea-ice has not always existed in the past. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 302 Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX) has clarified that global warming (water temperature: ca. 14~16○C) during 48~49 Ma Azolla Event induced the loss of sea-ice and desalination of surface ocean, and that sea-ice formed again some million years later (45 Ma). In the Arctic Ocean, warming and cooling events repeated over and over (e.g., Brinkhuis et al., 2006; Moran et al., 2006; März et al., 2010). Large variations in the extent of thermohaline circulation through time often caused stagnation of seawater and appearance of anaerobic environment where hydrogen sulfide was produced by bacterial sulfate reduction. Ogawa et al. (2009) confirmed occurrence of framboidal pyrite in the ACEX sediments, and suggested that the Arctic Ocean at the time was anoxic, analogous to the modern Black Sea, mainly based on sulfur isotope analysis. To further clarify the variations in the nutrient status of the Arctic Ocean, we focus on the geochemical cycle of phosphorus. We performed sequential extraction analysis of sedimentary phosphorus in the ACEX sediments, using the method that we improvped based on the original SEDEX method by Ruttenberg (1992) and Schenau et al. (2000). In our method, phosphorus fractions are divided into five forms; (1) absorbed P, (2) Feoxide-P, (4) carbonate fluorapatite (CFAP) + CaCO3-P + hydroxylapatite (HAP), (4) detrital P, and (5) organic P. Schenau et al. (2000) divided the (3) fraction into non-biological CFAP and biological HAP and CaCO3-P. When the Arctic Ocean was closed and in its warming period, the water mass was most likely stratified and an anaerobic condition would have prevailed where bacterial sulfate reduction was active. In this case, most of the phosphorus in sediment was stored as organic P, which was originally derived as sinking particles of detrital plankton from the surface ocean. Increased rainfalls during such a warming period would have enhanced continental weathering and delivery of phosphorus to the surface ocean, and biological activity using increased amounts of phosphorus supply would also have increased. Feoxide-P is considered to be less important as a sink for phosphorus because of the likely formation of pyrite through the reductive dissolution of Fe oxide. CFAP could be a sink for phosphorus, because the formation of CFAP tends to increase with increasing age and depth.

SWIFT Observations in the Arctic Sea State DRI

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

to understand the role of waves and sea state in the Arctic Ocean, such that forecast models are improved and a robust climatology is defined...OBJECTIVES The objectives are to: develop a sea state climatology for the Arctic Ocean, improve wave forecasting in the presence of sea ice, improve...experiment, coordination of remote sensing products, and analysis of climatology . A detailed cruise plan has been written, including a table of the remote

Managing and Growing the SCICEX Data Collection

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

2003) speak to the impact of SCICEX data: During the 1990s, SCICEX scientists were some of the first to notice marked changes in the Arctic Ocean...such as thinning of the present-day arctic ice canopy and changes in water temperature. The importance of the collection has increased with time and...of magnitude. SCICEX data contributed to the International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO), and led to first-order changes in the

The joint Russia-US-Sweden studies in the near-shore zone of the East-Siberian Arctic seas: (1999-2008)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sergienko, V. I.; Shakhova, N.; Dudarev, O.; Gustafsson, O.; Anderson, L.; Semiletov, I.

2009-04-01

The Arctic Ocean is surrounded by permafrost, which is being degraded at an increasing rate under conditions of warming which are most pronounced in Siberia and Alaska . A major constraint on our ability to understand linkages between the Arctic Ocean and the global climate system is the scarcity of observational data in the Siberian Arctic marginal seas where major fresh water input and terrestrial CNP fluxes exist. The East-Siberian Sea has never been investigated by modern techniques despite the progress that has been made in new technologies useful for measuring ocean characteristics of interest. In this multi-year international project which joins scientists from 3 nations (Russia-USA-Sweden), and in cooperation with scientists from other countries (UK, Netherlands) we focus on poorly explored areas located west from the U.S.-Russia boundary, Warming causes thawing of the permafrost underlying a substantial fraction of the Arctic; this process could accelerate coastal erosion, river discharge and carbon losses from soils. Siberian freshwater discharge to the Arctic Ocean is expected to increase with increasing temperatures, potentially resulting in greater river export of old terrigenous organic carbon to the ocean. Rivers integrate variability in the components of the hydrometeorological regime, including soil condition, permafrost seasonal thaw, and thermokarst development, all the variables that determine atmospheric and ground water supply for the rivers and chemical weathering in their watershed. Thus studying carbon cycling in the East Siberian Arctic marginal seas has a high scientific priority in order to establish the carbon budget and evaluate the role of the Arctic region in global carbon cycling, especially in the coastal zone where the redistribution of carbon between terrestrial and marine environments occurs and the characteristics of carbon exchange with atmosphere are unknown. In this report we overview the main field activities and present some results obtained during the last decade (1999-2008).

Radiative Impacts of Further Arctic Sea Ice Melt: Using past Observations to Inform Future Climate Impacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pistone, K.; Eisenman, I.; Ramanathan, V.

2017-01-01

The Arctic region has seen dramatic changes over the past several decades, from polar amplification of global temperature rise to ecosystem changes to the decline of the sea ice. While there has been much speculation as to when the world will see an ice-free Arctic, the radiative impacts of an eventual disappearance of the Arctic sea ice are likely to be significant regardless of the timing. Using CERES radiation and microwave satellite sea ice data, Pistone et al (2014) estimated the radiative forcing due to albedo changes associated with the Arctic sea ice retreat over the 30 years of the satellite data record. In this study, we found that the Arctic Ocean saw a decrease in all-sky albedo of 4% (from 52% to 48%), for an estimated increase in solar heating of 6.4 W/m(exp 2) between 1979 and 2011, or 0.21 W/m(exp 2) when averaged over the globe. This value is substantial--approximately 25% as large as the forcing due to the change in CO2 during the same period. Here we update and expand upon this previous work and use the CERES broadband shortwave observations to explore the radiative impacts of a transition to completely ice-free Arctic Ocean. We estimate the annually-averaged Arctic Ocean planetary albedo under ice-free and cloud-free conditions to be 14% over the region, or approximately 25% lower in absolute terms than the Arctic Ocean cloud-free albedo in 1979. However, the question of all-sky conditions (i.e. including the effects of clouds) introduces a new level of complexity. We explore several cloud scenarios and the resultant impact on albedo. In each of these cases, the estimated forcing is not uniformly distributed throughout the year. We describe the relative contributions of ice loss by month as well as the spatial distributions of the resulting changes in absorbed solar energy. The seasonal timing and location—in addition to magnitude—of the altered solar absorption may have significant implications for atmospheric and ocean dynamics in the Arctic and at lower latitudes; this observationally-based estimate of the large-scale characteristics of an ice-free Arctic thus provides a valuable tool to complement and validate model-based assessments of future climate.

Amplified North Atlantic warming in the late Pliocene by changes in Arctic gateways

DOE PAGES

Otto-Bliesner, Bette L.; Jahn, Alexandra; Feng, Ran; ...

2016-12-26

Under previous reconstructions of late Pliocene boundary conditions, climate models have failed to reproduce the warm sea surface temperatures reconstructed in the North Atlantic. Using a reconstruction of mid-Piacenzian paleogeography that has the Bering Strait and Canadian Arctic Archipelago Straits closed, however, improves the simulation of the proxy-indicated warm sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic in the Community Climate System Model. We find that the closure of these small Arctic gateways strengthens the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, by inhibiting freshwater transport from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean and from the Arctic Ocean to the Labrador Sea, leading tomore » warmer sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic. In conclusion, this indicates that the state of the Arctic gateways may influence the sensitivity of the North Atlantic climate in complex ways, and better understanding of the state of these Arctic gateways for past time periods is needed.« less

Ice-Free Arctic Ocean?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Teacher, 2005

2005-01-01

The current warming trends in the Arctic may shove the Arctic system into a seasonally ice-free state not seen for more than one million years, according to a new report. The melting is accelerating, and researchers were unable to identify any natural processes that might slow the deicing of the Arctic. "What really makes the Arctic different…

ACEX: A First Look at Arctic Ocean Cenozoic History

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, K.; Backman, J.

2004-12-01

The first Integrated Ocean Drilling Program mission specificplatform expedition (ACEX - Arctic Coring Expedition) drilled and recovered core from five holes at four sites through Cenozoic sediments draping the crest of the Lomonosov Ridge in the central Arctic Ocean. Coring continued into the underlying Cretaceous sedimentary bedrock. Sites are located only a few nautical miles apart along a single seismic line (AWI-91090), showing an identical and coherent Cenozoic seismostratigraphy. Preliminary results from shipboard investigations of core-catcher-based bio- and lithostratigraphy, pore water analyses and core logger data describe a thick (~160 m) middle Miocene through Pleistocene sequence that shows large amplitude, cyclic variability in the density, magnetic susceptibility and acoustic velocity of the sediments. Sediments are largely carbonate free. Pleistocene sedimentation rates are close to 3 cm/ka, whereas Pliocene sediments are by-and-large missing. A sharp change in physical properties at ~200 m defines the transition into a 200+ m thick Paleogene sequence that is initially dominated by large numbers of dinoflagellate cysts. The early Miocene, Oligocene and late Eocene appear to be largely missing in a hiatus. However, a 32 m thick interval separates the overlying middle Miocene from the underlying middle Eocene and presumably preserves some of the early Neogene and late Paleogene sections. Dinoflagellate cysts, diatoms, ebridians and silicoflagellates are common to abundant in the middle Eocene section, which bottoms in a spectacular layer showing massive occurrences of glochidia and massulae (megaspores) of the freshwater hydropterid fern Azolla (duckweed) at the early/middle Eocene boundary (~306 m), suggesting strongly reduced surface water salinity or perhaps even a brief episode of fresh water conditions at the surface. Biosilica is not present prior to the late early Eocene (~320 m). The (sub-) tropical dinoflagellate species Apectodinium augustum occurs abundantly at around 380m in pyrite-rich mudstones, indicating that the Paleocene/Eocene boundary and the associated Carbon Isotope Excursion (CIE) interval were recovered, and that the Arctic Ocean experienced surface temperatures on the order of 20°C during the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Benthic foraminifers indicate that the early Eocene through latest Paleocene sediments were deposited in shallow-marine, neritic to inner neritic, environments. The mudstone of late Paleocene age rests unconformably on Campanian marine sands, sandstone and mudstone.

Interactions of arctic clouds, radiation, and sea ice in present-day and future climates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burt, Melissa Ann

The Arctic climate system involves complex interactions among the atmosphere, land surface, and the sea-ice-covered Arctic Ocean. Observed changes in the Arctic have emerged and projected climate trends are of significant concern. Surface warming over the last few decades is nearly double that of the entire Earth. Reduced sea-ice extent and volume, changes to ecosystems, and melting permafrost are some examples of noticeable changes in the region. This work is aimed at improving our understanding of how Arctic clouds interact with, and influence, the surface budget, how clouds influence the distribution of sea ice, and the role of downwelling longwave radiation (DLR) in climate change. In the first half of this study, we explore the roles of sea-ice thickness and downwelling longwave radiation in Arctic amplification. As the Arctic sea ice thins and ultimately disappears in a warming climate, its insulating power decreases. This causes the surface air temperature to approach the temperature of the relatively warm ocean water below the ice. The resulting increases in air temperature, water vapor and cloudiness lead to an increase in the surface downwelling longwave radiation, which enables a further thinning of the ice. This positive ice-insulation feedback operates mainly in the autumn and winter. A climate-change simulation with the Community Earth System Model shows that, averaged over the year, the increase in Arctic DLR is three times stronger than the increase in Arctic absorbed solar radiation at the surface. The warming of the surface air over the Arctic Ocean during fall and winter creates a strong thermal contrast with the colder surrounding continents. Sea-level pressure falls over the Arctic Ocean and the high-latitude circulation reorganizes into a shallow "winter monsoon." The resulting increase in surface wind speed promotes stronger surface evaporation and higher humidity over portions of the Arctic Ocean, thus reinforcing the ice-insulation feedback. In the second half of this study, we explore the effects of super-parameterization on the Arctic climate by evaluating a number of key atmospheric characteristics that strongly influence the regional and global climate. One aspect in particular that we examine is the occurrence of Arctic weather states. Observations show that during winter the Arctic exhibits two preferred and persistent states --- a radiatively clear and an opaquely cloudy state. These distinct regimes are influenced by the phase of the clouds and affect the surface radiative fluxes. We explore the radiative and microphysical effects of these Arctic clouds and the influence on these regimes in two present-day climate simulations. We compare simulations performed with the Community Earth System Model, and its super-parameterized counterpart (SP-CESM). We find that the SP-CESM is able to better reproduce both of the preferred winter states, compared to CESM, and has an overall more realistic representation of the Arctic climate.

Pan-Arctic distributions of continental runoff in the Arctic Ocean

PubMed Central

Fichot, Cédric G.; Kaiser, Karl; Hooker, Stanford B.; Amon, Rainer M. W.; Babin, Marcel; Bélanger, Simon; Walker, Sally A.; Benner, Ronald

2013-01-01

Continental runoff is a major source of freshwater, nutrients and terrigenous material to the Arctic Ocean. As such, it influences water column stratification, light attenuation, surface heating, gas exchange, biological productivity and carbon sequestration. Increasing river discharge and thawing permafrost suggest that the impacts of continental runoff on these processes are changing. Here, a new optical proxy was developed and implemented with remote sensing to determine the first pan-Arctic distribution of terrigenous dissolved organic matter (tDOM) and continental runoff in the surface Arctic Ocean. Retrospective analyses revealed connections between the routing of North American runoff and the recent freshening of the Canada Basin, and indicated a correspondence between climate-driven changes in river discharge and tDOM inventories in the Kara Sea. By facilitating the real-time, synoptic monitoring of tDOM and freshwater runoff in surface polar waters, this novel approach will help understand the manifestations of climate change in this remote region. PMID:23316278

A synthesis of light absorption properties of the Pan-Arctic Ocean: application to semi-analytical estimates of dissolved organic carbon concentrations from space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuoka, A.; Babin, M.; Doxaran, D.; Hooker, S. B.; Mitchell, B. G.; Bélanger, S.; Bricaud, A.

2013-11-01

The light absorption coefficients of particulate and dissolved materials are the main factors determining the light propagation of the visible part of the spectrum and are, thus, important for developing ocean color algorithms. While these absorption properties have recently been documented by a few studies for the Arctic Ocean (e.g., Matsuoka et al., 2007, 2011; Ben Mustapha et al., 2012), the datasets used in the literature were sparse and individually insufficient to draw a general view of the basin-wide spatial and temporal variations in absorption. To achieve such a task, we built a large absorption database at the pan-Arctic scale by pooling the majority of published datasets and merging new datasets. Our results showed that the total non-water absorption coefficients measured in the Eastern Arctic Ocean (EAO; Siberian side) are significantly higher than in the Western Arctic Ocean (WAO; North American side). This higher absorption is explained by higher concentration of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in watersheds on the Siberian side, which contains a large amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) compared to waters off North America. In contrast, the relationship between the phytoplankton absorption (aφ(λ)) and chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration in the EAO was not significantly different from that in the WAO. Because our semi-analytical CDOM absorption algorithm is based on chl a-specific aφ(λ) values (Matsuoka et al., 2013), this result indirectly suggests that CDOM absorption can be appropriately derived not only for the WAO but also for the EAO using ocean color data. Derived CDOM absorption values were reasonable compared to in situ measurements. By combining this algorithm with empirical DOC vs. CDOM relationships, a semi-analytical algorithm for estimating DOC concentrations for coastal waters at the Pan-Arctic scale is presented and applied to satellite ocean color data.

A Synthesis of Light Absorption Properties of the Arctic Ocean: Application to Semi-analytical Estimates of Dissolved Organic Carbon Concentrations from Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matsuoka, A.; Babin, M.; Doxaran, D.; Hooker, S. B.; Mitchell, B. G.; Belanger, S.; Bricaud, A.

2014-01-01

The light absorption coefficients of particulate and dissolved materials are the main factors determining the light propagation of the visible part of the spectrum and are, thus, important for developing ocean color algorithms. While these absorption properties have recently been documented by a few studies for the Arctic Ocean [e.g., Matsuoka et al., 2007, 2011; Ben Mustapha et al., 2012], the datasets used in the literature were sparse and individually insufficient to draw a general view of the basin-wide spatial and temporal variations in absorption. To achieve such a task, we built a large absorption database at the pan-Arctic scale by pooling the majority of published datasets and merging new datasets. Our results showed that the total non-water absorption coefficients measured in the Eastern Arctic Ocean (EAO; Siberian side) are significantly higher 74 than in the Western Arctic Ocean (WAO; North American side). This higher absorption is explained 75 by higher concentration of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in watersheds on the Siberian 76 side, which contains a large amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) compared to waters off 77 North America. In contrast, the relationship between the phytoplankton absorption (a()) and chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration in the EAO was not significantly different from that in the WAO. Because our semi-analytical CDOM absorption algorithm is based on chl a-specific a() values [Matsuoka et al., 2013], this result indirectly suggests that CDOM absorption can be appropriately erived not only for the WAO but also for the EAO using ocean color data. Derived CDOM absorption values were reasonable compared to in situ measurements. By combining this algorithm with empirical DOC versus CDOM relationships, a semi-analytical algorithm for estimating DOC concentrations for coastal waters at the Pan-Arctic scale is presented and applied to satellite ocean color data.

Rolling the dice on the ice; New modes for underway data acquisition in the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coakley, B.; Dove, D.

2012-12-01

Exploration of the Arctic Ocean has always depended on the sea ice. It has been a platform supporting drifting ice stations and an obstacle to be over come by force (icebreakers) or finesse (US Navy fast attack submarines). Reduced seasonal sea ice cover has made it possible to work more freely in the peripheral Arctic Ocean, opening relatively unknown regions to scientific exploration and study. In September 2011, the RV Marcus G. Langseth set sail from Dutch Harbor, Alaska bound through Bering Strait for the Arctic Ocean. This was the first Arctic Ocean trip for MGG data acquisition by a US academic research vessel since 1994, when the RV Maurice Ewing collected a 2-D MCS profile across the Bering Shelf, through the Strait and along the Beaufort Shelf, stopping near Barrow, Alaska. RV Langseth arrived on the mid-Chukchi shelf and streamed gear just south of the "Crackerjack" well, drilled by Shell Exploration in the late eighties. The ship sailed north, crossing the "Popcorn" well and then set a course to the NW, setting the baseline for the survey parallel to the Beaufort Shelf edge. Sailing through almost entirely ice-free waters, approximately 5300 km of multi-channel seismic reflection data were acquired on a NW-SE oriented grid, which straddled the transition from Chukchi Shelf to the Chukchi Borderland. It would not have been possible for Langseth, which is not ice reinforced, to acquire these data prior to 2007. The dramatic expansion of late Summer open water in the western Arctic Ocean made it possible to use this ship effectively across a broad swath of the shelf and the periphery of the deep central basin. While the survey region was almost entirely ice free during this cruise, which straddled the ice minimum for 2011, it was not possible to predict this a priori, despite expectations set by the previous five years of ice edge retreat. For this reason, the Canadian Ice Service was engaged to provide interpreted ice imagery, multiple times per day, substantially improving the ship's ability to operate confidently in this region, particularly at night. As confidence increases about the timing and extent of open water over the shelves and periphery of Arctic Ocean, it is possible to anticipate utilizing other UNOLS vessels and other resources (eg. JOIDES Resolution) in the Arctic. Employing these ships, with appropriate interpretive support, will open a new chapter in the exploration of this relatively unknown ocean basin.

Skillful prediction of northern climate provided by the ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Årthun, Marius; Eldevik, Tor; Viste, Ellen; Drange, Helge; Furevik, Tore; Johnson, Helen L.; Keenlyside, Noel S.

2017-06-01

It is commonly understood that a potential for skillful climate prediction resides in the ocean. It nevertheless remains unresolved to what extent variable ocean heat is imprinted on the atmosphere to realize its predictive potential over land. Here we assess from observations whether anomalous heat in the Gulf Stream's northern extension provides predictability of northwestern European and Arctic climate. We show that variations in ocean temperature in the high latitude North Atlantic and Nordic Seas are reflected in the climate of northwestern Europe and in winter Arctic sea ice extent. Statistical regression models show that a significant part of northern climate variability thus can be skillfully predicted up to a decade in advance based on the state of the ocean. Particularly, we predict that Norwegian air temperature will decrease over the coming years, although staying above the long-term (1981-2010) average. Winter Arctic sea ice extent will remain low but with a general increase towards 2020.

Poles apart: the "bipolar" pteropod species Limacina helicina is genetically distinct between the Arctic and Antarctic oceans.

PubMed

Hunt, Brian; Strugnell, Jan; Bednarsek, Nina; Linse, Katrin; Nelson, R John; Pakhomov, Evgeny; Seibel, Brad; Steinke, Dirk; Würzberg, Laura

2010-03-23

The shelled pteropod (sea butterfly) Limacina helicina is currently recognised as a species complex comprising two sub-species and at least five "forma". However, at the species level it is considered to be bipolar, occurring in both the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. Due to its aragonite shell and polar distribution L. helicina is particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification. As a key indicator of the acidification process, and a major component of polar ecosystems, L. helicina has become a focus for acidification research. New observations that taxonomic groups may respond quite differently to acidification prompted us to reassess the taxonomic status of this important species. We found a 33.56% (+/-0.09) difference in cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences between L. helicina collected from the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. This degree of separation is sufficient for ordinal level taxonomic separation in other organisms and provides strong evidence for the Arctic and Antarctic populations of L. helicina differing at least at the species level. Recent research has highlighted substantial physiological differences between the poles for another supposedly bipolar pteropod species, Clione limacina. Given the large genetic divergence between Arctic and Antarctic L. helicina populations shown here, similarly large physiological differences may exist between the poles for the L. helicina species group. Therefore, in addition to indicating that L. helicina is in fact not bipolar, our study demonstrates the need for acidification research to take into account the possibility that the L. helicina species group may not respond in the same way to ocean acidification in Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems.

Utilizing chromophoric dissolved organic matter measurements to derive export and reactivity of dissolved organic carbon exported to the Arctic Ocean: A case study of the Yukon River, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spencer, R.G.M.; Aiken, G.R.; Butler, K.D.; Dornblaser, M.M.; Striegl, Robert G.; Hernes, P.J.

2009-01-01

The quality and quantity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) exported by Arctic rivers is known to vary with hydrology and this exported material plays a fundamental role in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon at high latitudes. We highlight the potential of optical measurements to examine DOM quality across the hydrograph in Arctic rivers. Furthermore, we establish chromophoric DOM (CDOM) relationships to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and lignin phenols in the Yukon River and model DOC and lignin loads from CDOM measurements, the former in excellent agreement with long-term DOC monitoring data. Intensive sampling across the historically under-sampled spring flush period highlights the importance of this time for total export of DOC and particularly lignin. Calculated riverine DOC loads to the Arctic Ocean show an increase from previous estimates, especially when new higher discharge data are incorporated. Increased DOC loads indicate decreased residence times for terrigenous DOM in the Arctic Ocean with important implications for the reactivity and export of this material to the Atlantic Ocean. Citation: Spencer, R. G. M., G. R. Aiken, K. D. Butler, M. M. Dornblaser, R. G. Striegl, and P. J. Hernes (2009), Utilizing chromophoric dissolved organic matter measurements to derive export and reactivity of dissolved organic carbon exported to the Arctic Ocean: A case study of the Yukon River, Alaska, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L06401, doi:10.1029/ 2008GL036831. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Arctic Deep Water Ferromanganese-Oxide Deposits Reflect the Unique Characteristics of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hein, James R.; Konstantinova, Natalia; Mikesell, Mariah; Mizell, Kira; Fitzsimmons, Jessica N.; Lam, Phoebe J.; Jensen, Laramie T.; Xiang, Yang; Gartman, Amy; Cherkashov, Georgy; Hutchinson, Deborah R.; Till, Claire P.

2017-11-01

Little is known about marine mineral deposits in the Arctic Ocean, an ocean dominated by continental shelf and basins semi-closed to deep-water circulation. Here, we present data for ferromanganese crusts and nodules collected from the Amerasia Arctic Ocean in 2008, 2009, and 2012 (HLY0805, HLY0905, and HLY1202). We determined mineral and chemical compositions of the crusts and nodules and the onset of their formation. Water column samples from the GEOTRACES program were analyzed for dissolved and particulate scandium concentrations, an element uniquely enriched in these deposits. The Arctic crusts and nodules are characterized by unique mineral and chemical compositions with atypically high growth rates, detrital contents, Fe/Mn ratios, and low Si/Al ratios, compared to deposits found elsewhere. High detritus reflects erosion of submarine outcrops and North America and Siberia cratons, transport by rivers and glaciers to the sea, and distribution by sea ice, brines, and currents. Uniquely high Fe/Mn ratios are attributed to expansive continental shelves, where diagenetic cycling releases Fe to bottom waters, and density flows transport shelf bottom water to the open Arctic Ocean. Low Mn contents reflect the lack of a mid-water oxygen minimum zone that would act as a reservoir for dissolved Mn. The potential host phases and sources for elements with uniquely high contents are discussed with an emphasis on scandium. Scandium sorption onto Fe oxyhydroxides and Sc-rich detritus account for atypically high scandium contents. The opening of Fram Strait in the Miocene and ventilation of the deep basins initiated Fe-Mn crust growth ˜15 Myr ago.

North Atlantic Deep Water formation inhibits high Arctic contamination by continental perfluorooctane sulfonate discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xianming; Zhang, Yanxu; Dassuncao, Clifton; Lohmann, Rainer; Sunderland, Elsie M.

2017-08-01

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is an aliphatic fluorinated compound with eight carbon atoms that is extremely persistent in the environment and can adversely affect human and ecological health. The stability, low reactivity, and high water solubility of PFOS combined with the North American phaseout in production around the year 2000 make it a potentially useful new tracer for ocean circulation. Here we characterize processes affecting the lifetime and accumulation of PFOS in the North Atlantic Ocean and transport to sensitive Arctic regions by developing a 3-D simulation within the MITgcm. The model captures variability in measurements across biogeographical provinces (R2 = 0.90, p = 0.01). In 2015, the North Atlantic PFOS reservoir was equivalent to 60% of cumulative inputs from the North American and European continents (1400 Mg). Cumulative inputs to the Arctic accounted for 30% of continental discharges, while the remaining 10% was transported to the tropical Atlantic and other regions. PFOS concentrations declined rapidly after 2002 in the surface mixed layer (half-life: 1-2 years) but are still increasing below 1000 m depth. During peak production years (1980-2000), plumes of PFOS-enriched seawater were transported to the sub-Arctic in energetic surface ocean currents. However, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and deep ocean transport returned a substantial fraction of this northward transport (20%, 530 Mg) to southern latitudes and reduced cumulative inputs to the Arctic (730 Mg) by 70%. Weakened AMOC due to climate change is thus likely to increase the magnitude of persistent bioaccumulative pollutants entering the Arctic Ocean.

Arctic deep-water ferromanganese-oxide deposits reflect the unique characteristics of the Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hein, James; Konstantinova, Natalia; Mikesell, Mariah; Mizell, Kira; Fitzsimmons, Jessica N.; Lam, Phoebe; Jensen, Laramie T.; Xiang, Yang; Gartman, Amy; Cherkashov, Georgy; Hutchinson, Deborah; Till, Claire P.

2017-01-01

Little is known about marine mineral deposits in the Arctic Ocean, an ocean dominated by continental shelf and basins semi-closed to deep-water circulation. Here, we present data for ferromanganese crusts and nodules collected from the Amerasia Arctic Ocean in 2008, 2009, and 2012 (HLY0805, HLY0905, HLY1202). We determined mineral and chemical compositions of the crusts and nodules and the onset of their formation. Water column samples from the GEOTRACES program were analyzed for dissolved and particulate scandium concentrations, an element uniquely enriched in these deposits.The Arctic crusts and nodules are characterized by unique mineral and chemical compositions with atypically high growth rates, detrital contents, Fe/Mn ratios, and low Si/Al ratios, compared to deposits found elsewhere. High detritus reflects erosion of submarine outcrops and North America and Siberia cratons, transport by rivers and glaciers to the sea, and distribution by sea ice, brines, and currents. Uniquely high Fe/Mn ratios are attributed to expansive continental shelves, where diagenetic cycling releases Fe to bottom waters, and density flows transport shelf bottom water to the open Arctic Ocean. Low Mn contents reflect the lack of a mid-water oxygen minimum zone that would act as a reservoir for dissolved Mn. The potential host phases and sources for elements with uniquely high contents are discussed with an emphasis on scandium. Scandium sorption onto Fe oxyhydroxides and Sc-rich detritus account for atypically high scandium contents. The opening of Fram Strait in the Miocene and ventilation of the deep basins initiated Fe-Mn crust growth ∼15 Myr ago.

The impact of lower sea-ice extent on Arctic greenhouse-gas exchange

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parmentier, Frans-Jan W.; Christensen, Torben R.; Sørensen, Lise Lotte; Rysgaard, Søren; McGuire, A. David; Miller, Paul A.; Walker, Donald A.

2013-01-01

In September 2012, Arctic sea-ice extent plummeted to a new record low: two times lower than the 1979–2000 average. Often, record lows in sea-ice cover are hailed as an example of climate change impacts in the Arctic. Less apparent, however, are the implications of reduced sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean for marine–atmosphere CO2 exchange. Sea-ice decline has been connected to increasing air temperatures at high latitudes. Temperature is a key controlling factor in the terrestrial exchange of CO2 and methane, and therefore the greenhouse-gas balance of the Arctic. Despite the large potential for feedbacks, many studies do not connect the diminishing sea-ice extent with changes in the interaction of the marine and terrestrial Arctic with the atmosphere. In this Review, we assess how current understanding of the Arctic Ocean and high-latitude ecosystems can be used to predict the impact of a lower sea-ice cover on Arctic greenhouse-gas exchange.

Twentieth century bipolar seesaw of the Arctic and Antarctic surface air temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chylek, Petr; Folland, Chris K.; Lesins, Glen; Dubey, Manvendra K.

2010-04-01

Understanding the phase relationship between climate changes in the Arctic and Antarctic regions is essential for our understanding of the dynamics of the Earth's climate system. In this paper we show that the 20th century de-trended Arctic and Antarctic temperatures vary in anti-phase seesaw pattern - when the Arctic warms the Antarctica cools and visa versa. This is the first time that a bi-polar seesaw pattern has been identified in the 20th century Arctic and Antarctic temperature records. The Arctic (Antarctic) de-trended temperatures are highly correlated (anti-correlated) with the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO) index suggesting the Atlantic Ocean as a possible link between the climate variability of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Recent accelerated warming of the Arctic results from a positive reinforcement of the linear warming trend (due to an increasing concentration of greenhouse gases and other possible forcings) by the warming phase of the multidecadal climate variability (due to fluctuations of the Atlantic Ocean circulation).

Distribution of benthic foraminifers (>125 um) in the surface sediments of the Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Osterman, Lisa E.; Poore, Richard Z.; Foley, Kevin M.

1999-01-01

Census data on benthic foraminifers (>125 ?m) in surface sediment samples from 49 box cores are used to define four depth-controlled biofacies, which will aid in the paleoceanographic reconstruction of the Arctic Ocean. The shelf biofacies contains a mix of shallow-water calcareous and agglutinated species from the continental shelves of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas and reflects the variable sedimentologic and oceanic conditions of the Arctic shelves. The intermediate-depth calcareous biofacies, found between 500 and 1,100 meters water depth (mwd), contains abundant Cassidulina teretis , presumably indicating the influence of Atlantic-derived water at this depth. In water depths between 1,100 and 3,500 m, a deepwater calcareous biofacies contains abundant Oridorsalis umbonatus . Below 3,500 mwd, the deepwater mixed calcareous/agglutinated biofacies of the Canada, Makarov, and Eurasian Basins reflects a combination of low productivity, dissolution, and sediment transport. Two other benthic foraminiferal species show specific environmental preferences. Fontbotia wuellerstorfi has a depth distribution between 900 and 3,500 mwd, but maximum abundance occurs in the region of the Mendeleyev Ridge. The elevated abundance of F. wuellerstorfi may be related to increased food supply carried by a branch of Atlantic water that crosses the Lomonosov Ridge near the Russian Continental Shelf. Triloculina frigida is recognized to be a species preferring lower slope sediments commonly disturbed by turbidites and bottom currents. INTRODUCTION At present, our understanding of the Arctic Ocean lags behind our understanding of other oceans, and fundamental questions still exist about its role in and response to global climate change. The Arctic Ocean is particularly sensitive to climatic fluctuations because small changes in the amounts of sea-ice cover can alter global albedo and thermohaline circulation (Aagaard and Carmack, 1994). Numerous questions still exist regarding the nature and timing of paleoclimatic events in the Arctic Ocean. In order to attempt to answer some of these questions, baseline studies are imperative. This report discusses the distribution of benthic foraminifers in surface sediment samples from 49 box cores (figs. 1 and 2, table 1) collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). A modern data set of benthic foraminiferal distribution is necessary for interpreting the paleoclimatic and oceanographic history of the Arctic Ocean.

Application and Limitations of GPS Radio Occultation (GPS-RO) Data for Atmospheric Boundary Layer Height Detection over the Arctic.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganeshan, M.; Wu, D. L.

2014-12-01

Due to recent changes in the Arctic environment, it is important to monitor the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) properties over the Arctic Ocean, especially to explore the variability in ABL clouds (such as sensitivity and feedback to sea ice loss). For example, radiosonde and satellite observations of the Arctic ABL height (and low-cloud cover) have recently suggested a positive response to sea ice loss during October that may not occur during the melt season (June-September). Owing to its high vertical and spatiotemporal resolution, an independent ABL height detection algorithm using GPS Radio Occultation (GPS-RO) refractivity in the Arctic is explored. Similar GPS-RO algorithms developed previously typically define the level of the most negative moisture gradient as the ABL height. This definition is favorable for subtropical oceans where a stratocumulus-topped ABL is often capped by a layer of sharp moisture lapse rate (coincident with the temperature inversion). The Arctic Ocean is also characterized by stratocumulus cloud cover, however, the specific humidity does not frequently decrease in the ABL capping inversion. The use of GPS-RO refractivity for ABL height retrieval therefore becomes more complex. During winter months (December-February), when the total precipitable water in the troposphere is a minimum, a fairly straightforward algorithm for ABL height retrieval is developed. The applicability and limitations of this method for other seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall) is determined. The seasonal, interannual and spatial variability in the GPS-derived ABL height over the Arctic Ocean, as well as its relation to the underlying surface (ice vs. water), is investigated. The GPS-RO profiles are also explored for the evidence of low-level moisture transport in the cold Arctic environment.

The Rapidly Diminishing Arctic ice Cover and its Potential Impact on Navy Operational Considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muench, R. D.; Conlon, D.; Lamb, D.

2001-12-01

Observations made from U.S. Navy Fleet submarines during the 1990s have revealed a dramatic decrease in thickness, when compared to historical values, of the central Arctic Ocean pack ice cover. Estimates of this decrease have been as high as 40%. Remote sensing observations have shown a coincident decrease in the areal extent of the pack. The areal decrease has been especially apparent during winter. The overall loss of ice appears to have accelerated over the past decade, raising the possibility that the Northwest Passage and the Northern Sea Route may become seasonally navigable on a regular basis in the coming decade. The ice loss has been most evident in the peripheral seas and continental shelf areas. For example, during winter 2000-2001 the Bering Sea was effectively ice-free, with strong and immediate impacts on the surrounding indigenous populations. Lessening of the peripheral pack ice cover will presumably, lead to accelerated development of the resource-rich regions that surround the deep, central Arctic Ocean basin. This raises potential issues with respect to national security and commercial interests, and has implicit strategic concerns for the Navy. The timeline for a significantly navigable Arctic may extend decades into the future; however, operational requirements must be identified in the nearer term to ensure that the necessary capabilities exist when future Arctic missions do present themselves. A first step is to improve the understanding of the coupled atmosphere/ice/ocean system. Current environmental measurement and prediction, including Arctic weather and ice prediction, shallow water acoustic performance prediction, dynamic ocean environmental changes and data to support navigation is inadequate to support sustained naval operations in the Arctic. A new focus on data collection is required in order to measure, map, monitor and model Arctic weather, ice and oceanographic conditions.

Quantifying the Bering Strait Oceanic Fluxes and their Impacts on Sea-Ice and Water Properties in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas and Western Arctic Ocean for 2013-2014

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

Right) Sea Surface Temperature (SST) MODIS/Aqua level 1 image from 26th August 2004 (courtesy of Ocean Color Data Processing Archive, NASA/Goddard Space...of Arctic bathymetry aids scientists and map makers, Eos Trans., 81(9), 89, 93, 96. Weingartner, T. J., S. Danielson, Y. Sasaki, V. Pavlov , and M

Climate Change and Future World

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

the distribution of fish 8 species.37 Increasing ocean acidification is threatening coral reefs that play an important role in mitigating the...into space the power that has not been used. This enormous thermal machine, that is the climate system, is constituted by the atmosphere, oceans ...and extension of the Arctic ice and mountain glaciers in the northern hemisphere are reducing. According to the IPCC, the 5 Arctic Ocean could be

Threshold in North Atlantic-Arctic Ocean circulation controlled by the subsidence of the Greenland-Scotland Ridge

PubMed Central

Stärz, Michael; Jokat, Wilfried; Knorr, Gregor; Lohmann, Gerrit

2017-01-01

High latitude ocean gateway changes are thought to play a key role in Cenozoic climate evolution. However, the underlying ocean dynamics are poorly understood. Here we use a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean model to investigate the effect of ocean gateway formation that is associated with the subsidence of the Greenland–Scotland Ridge. We find a threshold in sill depth (∼50 m) that is linked to the influence of wind mixing. Sill depth changes within the wind mixed layer establish lagoonal and estuarine conditions with limited exchange across the sill resulting in brackish or even fresher Arctic conditions. Close to the threshold the ocean regime is highly sensitive to changes in atmospheric CO2 and the associated modulation in the hydrological cycle. For larger sill depths a bi-directional flow regime across the ridge develops, providing a baseline for the final step towards the establishment of a modern prototype North Atlantic-Arctic water exchange. PMID:28580952

Version 2.0 of the International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean: A new Database for Oceanographers and Mapmakers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakobsson, M.; Macnab, R.; Edwards, M.; Schenke, H.; Hatzky, J.

2007-12-01

The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO) was first released to the public after its introduction at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in 1999 (Jakobsson et al., 2000). This first release consisted of a Digital Bathymetric Model (DBM) on a Polar stereographic projection with grid cell spacing of 2.5 x 2.5 km derived from an accumulated database of all available bathymetric data at the time of compilation. The IBCAO bathymetric database included soundings collected during past and modern expeditions as well as digitized isobaths and depth soundings from published maps. Compared to previous bathymetric maps of the Arctic Ocean, the first released IBCAO compilation was based upon a significantly enhanced database, particularly in the high Arctic. For example, de-classified echo soundings acquired during US and British submarine cruises between 1958 and 1988 were included as well as soundings from icebreaker cruises conducted by Sweden and Germany at the end of the last century. Despite the newly available data in 1999, there were still large areas of the Arctic Ocean where publicly available data were completely absent. Some of these areas had been mapped by Russian agencies, and since these observations were not available to IBCAO, depth contours from the bathymetric contour map published by the Head Department of Navigation and Hydrography (HDNO) (Naryshkin, 1999) were digitized and incorporated in the database. The new IBCAO Version 2.0 comprises the largest update since the first release; moreover, the grid spacing has been decreased to 2 x 2 km. Numerous multibeam data sets that were collected by ice breakers, e.g. USCGC Healy, R/V James Clarke Ross, R/V Polarstern, IB Oden, now form part of the database, as do the swath bathymetric observations acquired during the 1999 SCICEX expedition. The portrayal of the Eastern Arctic Basin is vastly improved due to e.g. the Arctic Mid Ocean Ridge Expedition 2001 (AMORE) and Arctic Gakkel Vents 2007 (AGAVE) expedition while mapping missions aboard the USCGC Healy have revealed the "real" shape of the sea floor of the central Lomonosov Ridge and in areas off Northern Alaska in the Western Arctic. This paper presents an overview of the new data included in Version 2.0 as well as a brief discussion on the improvements and their possible implications for IBCAO users. Jakobsson, M., Cherkis, N., Woodward, J., Macnab, R. and Coakley, B., 2000. New grid of Arctic bathymetry aids scientists and mapmakers. EOS, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 81: 89, 93, 96. Naryshkin, G., 1999. Bottom relief of the Arctic Ocean. In: H.D.o.N.a. Oceanography and A.-R.R.I.f.G.a.M.R.o.t.W. Ocean (Editors). Russian Academy of Sciences, pp. Bathymetric contour map.

Structural-tectonic zoning of the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrov, Oleg; Sobolev, Nikolay; Morozov, Andrey; Shokalsky, Sergey; Kashubin, Sergey; Grikurov, Garrik; Tolmacheva, Tatiana; Rekant, Pavel; Petrov, Evgeny

2017-04-01

Structural-tectonic zoning of the Arctic is based on the processing of geological and geophysical data and bottom sampling materials produced within the project "Atlas of Geological Maps of the Circumpolar Arctic." Zoning of the Arctic territories has been conducted taking into account the Earth's crust types, age of consolidated basement, and features of geological structure of the sedimentary cover. Developed legend for the zoning scheme incorporates five main groups of elements: continental and oceanic crust, folded platform covers, accretion-collision systems, and provinces of continental cover basalts. An important feature of the structural-tectonic zoning scheme is designation of continental crust in the central regions of the Arctic Ocean, the existence of which is assumed on the basis of numerous geological data. It has been found that most of the Arctic region has continental crust with the exception of the Eurasian Basin and the central part of the Canada Basin, which are characterized by oceanic crust type. Thickness of continental crust from seismic data varies widely: from 30-32 km on the Mendeleev Rise to 18-20 km on the Lomonosov Ridge, decreasing to 8-10 km in rift structures of the Podvodnikov-Makarov Basin at the expense of reduction of the upper granite layer. New data confirm similar basement structure on the western and eastern continental margins of the Eurasian oceanic basin. South to north, areas of Neoproterozoic (Baikalian) and Paleozoic (Ellesmerian) folding are successively distinguished. Neoproterozoic foldbelt is observed in Central Taimyr (Byrranga Mountains). Continuation of this belt in the eastern part of the Arctic is Novosibirsk-Chukchi fold system. Ellesmerian orogen incorporates the northernmost areas of Taimyr and Severnaya Zemlya, wherefrom it can be traced to the Geofizikov Spur of the Lomonosov Ridge and further across the De Long Archipelago and North Chukchi Basin to the north of Alaska Peninsula and in the Beaufort Sea. From the north, Ellesmerides are limited by the Precambrian continental blocks - North Kara and Mendeleev Rise, the sedimentary cover within which is represented by undisturbed Paleozoic and Mesozoic deposits. Analysis of the geological and tectonic maps and the map of the Arctic basement structure indicates that the heterogeneous crustal structure of the Arctic Ocean and its continental framing were formed as a result of simultaneous development and interaction of three large paleo-oceans in the Neoproterozoic and Phanerozoic - Paleo-Asian, Proto-Atlantic and Paleo-Pacific oceans. A conceptual model that represents our understanding of structural relationships and crustal types of the main Arctic Basin structures is quite simple. The Arctic Basin is bounded by continental margins with continental crust: relatively elevated Barents-Kara - in the west, and generally submerged Amerasia margin - in the east. The latter represents a continental "bridge" formed by thinned and stretched continental crust. It connects two opposite continents - Laurentia and Eurasia, and is essentially a fragmented, tectonically mobile structure.

Manganese cycles in Arctic marine sediments - Climate signals or diagenesis?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

März, C.; Stratmann, A.; Eckert, S.; Schnetger, B.; Brumsack, H.-J.

2009-04-01

In comparison to sediments from other parts of the world ocean, the inorganic geochemistry of Arctic Ocean sediments is poorly investigated. However, marked light to dark brown layers are well-known features of Quaternary Arctic sediments, and have been related to variable Mn contents. Brown layers represent intervals relatively rich in Mn (often > 1 wt.%), while yellowish-greyish intervals contain less Mn. As these brown layers are widespread in pelagic Quaternary deposits of the Arctic Ocean, there are attempts to use them as stratigraphic, age-equivalent marker horizons that are genetically related to global climate changes (e.g. Jakobsson et al., 2000; Löwemark et al., 2008). In the Arctic Ocean, other conventional stratigraphic methods often fail, therefore the use of Mn-rich layers as a chemostratigraphic tool seems to be a promising approach. However, several inorganic-geochemical and modelling studies of Mn cycles in the Arctic as well as in other parts of the world ocean have shown that multiple Mn layers in marine sediments can be created by non-steady state diagenetic processes, i.e. secondary Mn redistribution in the sediment due to microbially mediated dissolution-reprecipitation reactions (e.g. Li et al., 1969; Gobeil et al., 1997; Burdige, 2006; Katsev et al., 2006). Such biogeochemical processes can lead to rapid migration or fixation of redox boundaries in the sediment, resulting in the formation or (partial) destruction of metal-rich layers several thousands of years after sediment deposition. As this clearly would alter primary paleoenvironmental signals recorded in the sediments, we see an urgent need to unravel the real stratigraphic potential of Arctic Mn cycles before they are readily established as standard tools. For this purpose, we are studying Mn cycles in Arctic Ocean sediments recovered during R/V Polarstern expedition ARK XXIII/3 on the Mendeleev Ridge (East Siberian Sea). First results of pore water and sediment composition (analysed by ICP-OES and WD-XRF) indicate that certain Mn-rich layers are currently dissolving, while others are forming. This internal Mn re-distribution, while being more pronounced in some locations than in others, also has an impact on related trace metal distributions (e.g. Co, Cu, Ni, Mo). As Mn diagenesis obviously occurs in most cores studied so far (pelagic depositional areas unaffected by turbidites), we conclude that caution has to be taken when applying Mn layers as stratigraphic tools. In addition to more sensitive analyses (acid digestions and HR-ICP-MS measurements), we will apply methods like sequential Mn extraction, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy to study these Mn-rich layers. These data will be put into a broader context by comparing them to parameters like magnetic susceptibility, grain size distribution, sediment colour or porosity. Hopefully, this will result in a better understanding of Mn biogeochemistry in the Arctic Ocean, including its application as paleoenvironmental proxy. Burdige, D.J. (2006) Geochemistry of marine sediments. Princeton University Press, 609 pp. Gobeil, C., Macdonald, R.W., Sundby, B. (1997) Diagenetic separation of cadmium and manganese in suboxic continental margin sediments. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 61, 4647-4654. Jakobsson, M., Løvlie, R., Al-Hanbali, H., Arnold, E.M., Backman, J., Mörth, M. (2000) Manganese and color cycles in Artic Ocean sediments constrain Pleistocene chronology. Geology 8, 23-26. Katsev, S., Sundby, B., Mucci, A. (2006) Modeling vertical excursions of the redox boundary in sediments: Application to deep basins of the Arctic Ocean. Limnol. Oceanogr. 51, 1581-1593. Li, Y.-H., Bischoff, J. Mathieu, G. (1969) Migration of manganese in Arctic Basin sediments. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 7, 265-270. Löwemark, L., Jakobsson, M., Mörth, M., Backman, J. (2008) Arctic Ocean manganese contents and sediment colour cycles. Polar. Res. 27, 105-113.

Early Student Support for the Study of Inertial Motions in the Arctic Ocean

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

Dosser, Hayley V., Sasan J. Ghaemsaidi, Thomas Peacock , and Luc Rainville, x. Internal Wave 5 Propagation and Stability in the Western Arctic...Ocean. In preparation for J. Phys. Oceanogr. Ghaemsaidi, Sasan J., Hayley V. Dosser, Luc Rainville, and Thomas Peacock , 2015. The impact of multiple

Measurements of the dissolved inorganic carbon system and associated biogeochemical parameters in the Canadian Arctic, 1974-2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giesbrecht, K. E.; Miller, L. A.; Davelaar, M.; Zimmermann, S.; Carmack, E.; Johnson, W. K.; Macdonald, R. W.; McLaughlin, F.; Mucci, A.; Williams, W. J.; Wong, C. S.; Yamamoto-Kawai, M.

2014-03-01

We have assembled and conducted primary quality control on previously publicly unavailable water column measurements of the dissolved inorganic carbon system and associated biogeochemical parameters (oxygen, nutrients, etc.) made on 26 cruises in the subarctic and Arctic regions dating back to 1974. The measurements are primarily from the western side of the Canadian Arctic, but also include data that cover an area ranging from the North Pacific to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The data were subjected to primary quality control (QC) to identify outliers and obvious errors. This data set incorporates over four thousand individual measurements of total inorganic carbon (TIC), alkalinity, and pH from the Canadian Arctic over a period of more than 30 years and provides an opportunity to increase our understanding of temporal changes in the inorganic carbon system in northern waters and the Arctic Ocean. The data set is available for download on the CDIAC (Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center) website: http://cdiac.ornl.gov/ftp/oceans/IOS_Arctic_Database/ (doi:10.3334/CDIAC/OTG.IOS_ARCT_CARBN).

Sustainable Arctic observing network for predicting weather extremes in mid-latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, J.; Sato, K.; Yamazaki, A.

2016-12-01

Routine atmospheric observations within and over the Arctic Ocean are very expensive and difficult to conduct because of factors such as logistics and the harsh environment. Nevertheless, the great benefit of such observations is their contribution to an improvement of skills of weather predictions over the Arctic and mid-latitudes. The Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) from mid-2017 to mid-2019 proposed by the World Weather Research Programme - Polar Prediction Project (WWRP-PPP) would be the best opportunity to address the issues. The combination of observations and data assimilation is an effective way to understand the predictability of weather extremes in mid-latitudes. This talk presents the current activities related to PPP based on international special radiosonde observing network in the Arctic, and challenges toward YOPP. Comparing with summer and winter cases, the additional observations over the Arctic during winter were more effective for improving the predicting skills of weather extremes because the impact of the observations would be carried toward the mid-latitudes by the stronger jet stream and its frequent meanderings. During summer, on the other hand, the impact of extra observations was localized over the Arctic region but still important for precise weather forecasts over the Arctic Ocean, contributing to safe navigation along the Northern Sea Route. To consolidate the sustainable Arctic radiosonde observing network, increasing the frequency of observations at Arctic coastal stations, instead of commissioning special observations from ships and ice camps, would be a feasible way. In fact, several existing stations facing the Arctic Ocean have already increased the frequency of observations during winter and/or summer.

Baseline Monitoring of the Western Arctic Ocean Estimates 20% of Canadian Basin Surface Waters Are Undersaturated with Respect to Aragonite

PubMed Central

Robbins, Lisa L.; Wynn, Jonathan G.; Lisle, John T.; Yates, Kimberly K.; Knorr, Paul O.; Byrne, Robert H.; Liu, Xuewu; Patsavas, Mark C.; Azetsu-Scott, Kumiko; Takahashi, Taro

2013-01-01

Marine surface waters are being acidified due to uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide, resulting in surface ocean areas of undersaturation with respect to carbonate minerals, including aragonite. In the Arctic Ocean, acidification is expected to occur at an accelerated rate with respect to the global oceans, but a paucity of baseline data has limited our understanding of the extent of Arctic undersaturation and of regional variations in rates and causes. The lack of data has also hindered refinement of models aimed at projecting future trends of ocean acidification. Here, based on more than 34,000 data records collected in 2010 and 2011, we establish a baseline of inorganic carbon data (pH, total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and aragonite saturation index) for the western Arctic Ocean. This data set documents aragonite undersaturation in ∼20% of the surface waters of the combined Canada and Makarov basins, an area characterized by recent acceleration of sea ice loss. Conservative tracer studies using stable oxygen isotopic data from 307 sites show that while the entire surface of this area receives abundant freshwater from meteoric sources, freshwater from sea ice melt is most closely linked to the areas of carbonate mineral undersaturation. These data link the Arctic Ocean’s largest area of aragonite undersaturation to sea ice melt and atmospheric CO2 absorption in areas of low buffering capacity. Some relatively supersaturated areas can be linked to localized biological activity. Collectively, these observations can be used to project trends of ocean acidification in higher latitude marine surface waters where inorganic carbon chemistry is largely influenced by sea ice meltwater. PMID:24040074

Baseline monitoring of the western Arctic Ocean estimates 20% of the Canadian Basin surface waters are undersaturated with respect to aragonite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, Lisa L.; Wynn, Jonathan G.; Lisle, John T.; Yates, Kimberly K.; Knorr, Paul O.; Byrne, Robert H.; Liu, Xuewu; Patsavas, Mark C.; Azetsu-Scott, Kumiko; Takahashi, Taro

2013-01-01

Marine surface waters are being acidified due to uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide, resulting in surface ocean areas of undersaturation with respect to carbonate minerals, including aragonite. In the Arctic Ocean, acidification is expected to occur at an accelerated rate with respect to the global oceans, but a paucity of baseline data has limited our understanding of the extent of Arctic undersaturation and of regional variations in rates and causes. The lack of data has also hindered refinement of models aimed at projecting future trends of ocean acidification. Here, based on more than 34,000 data records collected in 2010 and 2011, we establish a baseline of inorganic carbon data (pH, total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and aragonite saturation index) for the western Arctic Ocean. This data set documents aragonite undersaturation in ~20% of the surface waters of the combined Canada and Makarov basins, an area characterized by recent acceleration of sea ice loss. Conservative tracer studies using stable oxygen isotopic data from 307 sites show that while the entire surface of this area receives abundant freshwater from meteoric sources, freshwater from sea ice melt is most closely linked to the areas of carbonate mineral undersaturation. These data link the Arctic Ocean’s largest area of aragonite undersaturation to sea ice melt and atmospheric CO2 absorption in areas of low buffering capacity. Some relatively supersaturated areas can be linked to localized biological activity. Collectively, these observations can be used to project trends of ocean acidification in higher latitude marine surface waters where inorganic carbon chemistry is largely influenced by sea ice meltwater.

Distribution and structure of pranktonic Archaea in the Arctic Ocean using 2008 - 2010 R/V Mirai cruise samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amano (Sato), C.; Akiyama, S.; Uchida, M.; Utsumi, M.

2011-12-01

Recent molecular biological techniques indicate that there is widely spreading marine planktonic Archaea in the world's ocean under euphotic zone, and those microbial metabolisms are now recognized the drive forces of the world ocean geochemical cycling. In addition, after the discovery of large amount of marine Archaea, it is pointed out to an accurate calculation of the ocean carbon cycling that the grasp of the Archaea quantitive distribution and their methabolism are indispensable. Remarkably, part of marine Archaea (Crenarchaeota) certainly has carbon fixing ability, thus there is currently great interest in the marine Archaea for getting to understand the carbon cycling. In this study, we evaluated the Archaeal spatial distribution and their biomass in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean, where is the Archaeal quantitative data was less and strongly needed to reveal the marine bacterial carbon cycling due to resent changing the Arctic region such as extensive melting ice. The Arctic Ocean cruise by R/V MIRAI was done from August to October in 2008 - 2010 in the Chukchi Sea, Canada Basin and East Siberian Sea. In these cruises, vertical seawater samples were collected with 12 L Niskin bottles with CTD system at total 30 stations to investigate the distributions of bacterial population density. The Catalyzed Reporter Deposition Fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) technique targeting Crenarchaeal, Euryarchaeal and Eubacterial rRNA was used for identifying and enumerating marine microbial cells under florescent microscope. These cells were counted and measured the size, and calculated the biomass. From the results, in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean, it was determined that the fraction of Archaea was abundant under euphotic zone like as other oceans, and the vertical distribution of planktonic Archaea were obviously different by each sea area. Especially in East Siberian Sea, the fraction of Crenarchaeota was relatively high near bottom reaching 40% of total detected bacteria. And it was found that Crenarchaeota was less dominant in the fresh surface layer contrasted to Euryarchaeota. This Archaeal distribution characteristic founded out in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean would be come from obvious water mass structure and environmental factors. This result should connect to understand whole Arhcaeal quantitative knowledge in the world ocean.

Variation of atmospheric carbon monoxide over the Arctic Ocean during summer 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Keyhong; Siek Rhee, Tae; Emmons, Louisa

2014-05-01

Atmospheric carbon monoxide (CO) plays an important role in ozone-related chemistry in the troposphere, especially under low-NOx conditions like the open ocean. During summer 2012, we performed a continuous high-resolution (0.1Hz) shipboard measurement of atmospheric CO over the Arctic Ocean. We also simulated the observation using a 3-D global chemical transport model (the Model for OZone And Related chemical Tracers-4; MOZART-4) for further analysis of the observed results. In the model, tags for each sources and emission regions of CO are applied and this enables us to delineate the source composition of the observations. Along with the observed variation of CO concentration during the research cruise, we will present in detailed analysis of the variation of source components and change of regional contributions. We found large (~80ppbv) variation of CO concentration in the Arctic Ocean which is mostly influenced by the variation of biomass burning activity. The contribution of anthropogenic emission is limited over the Arctic Ocean, although the northeast Asian anthropogenic emission shows a dominant component of transported anthropogenic CO. Also, our analysis shows, near the Bering Strait, Europe is the main emission region for anthropogenic CO.

Short-term sea ice forecasts with the RASM-ESRL coupled model: A testbed for improving simulations of ocean-ice-atmosphere interactions in the marginal ice zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solomon, A.; Cox, C. J.; Hughes, M.; Intrieri, J. M.; Persson, O. P. G.

2015-12-01

The dramatic decrease of Arctic sea-ice has led to a new Arctic sea-ice paradigm and to increased commercial activity in the Arctic Ocean. NOAA's mission to provide accurate and timely sea-ice forecasts, as explicitly outlined in the National Ocean Policy and the U.S. National Strategy for the Arctic Region, needs significant improvement across a range of time scales to improve safety for human activity. Unfortunately, the sea-ice evolution in the new Arctic involves the interaction of numerous physical processes in the atmosphere, ice, and ocean, some of which are not yet understood. These include atmospheric forcing of sea-ice movement through stress and stress deformation; atmospheric forcing of sea-ice melt and formation through energy fluxes; and ocean forcing of the atmosphere through new regions of seasonal heat release. Many of these interactions involve emerging complex processes that first need to be understood and then incorporated into forecast models in order to realize the goal of useful sea-ice forecasting. The underlying hypothesis for this study is that errors in simulations of "fast" atmospheric processes significantly impact the forecast of seasonal sea-ice retreat in summer and its advance in autumn in the marginal ice zone (MIZ). We therefore focus on short-term (0-20 day) ice-floe movement, the freeze-up and melt-back processes in the MIZ, and the role of storms in modulating stress and heat fluxes. This study uses a coupled ocean-atmosphere-seaice forecast model as a testbed to investigate; whether ocean-sea ice-atmosphere coupling improves forecasts on subseasonal time scales, where systematic biases develop due to inadequate parameterizations (focusing on mixed-phase clouds and surface fluxes), how increased atmospheric resolution of synoptic features improves the forecasts, and how initialization of sea ice area and thickness and snow depth impacts the skill of the forecasts. Simulations are validated with measurements at pan-Arctic land sites, satellite data, and recent ocean field campaigns.

Lagrangian Modeling of Arctic Ocean Circulation Pathways: Impact of Advection on Spread of Pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, S.; Popova, E.; Aksenov, Y.; Marsh, R.; Yool, A.

2018-04-01

Sea-ice-free summers are projected to become a prominent feature of the Arctic environment in the coming decades. From a shipping perspective, this means larger areas of open water in the summer, thinner and less compact ice all year round, and longer operating seasons. Therefore, the possibility for easier navigation along trans-Arctic shipping routes arises. The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is one trans-Arctic route, and it offers a potential 10 day shortcut between Western Europe and the Far East. More ships transiting the NSR means an increased risk of an accident, and associated oil spill, occurring. Previous research suggests that current infrastructure is insufficient for increased shipping. Therefore, should an oil spill occur, the window for a successful clean-up will be short. In the event of a failed recovery, the long-term fate of the unrecovered pollutants must be considered, at least until the next melt season when it could become accessible again. Here we investigate the role of oceanic advection in determining the long-term fate of Arctic pollutants using a high-resolution ocean model along with Lagrangian particle-tracking to simulate the spread of pollutants. The resulting "advective footprints" of pollutants are proposed as an informative metric for analyzing such experiments. We characterize the circulation along different parts of the NSR, defining three main regions in the Eurasian Arctic, and relate the distinctive circulation pathways of each to the long-term fate of spilled oil. We conclude that a detailed understanding of ocean circulation is critical for determining the long-term fate of Arctic pollutants.

Toward Evaluating the Predictability of Arctic-related Climate Variations: Initial Results from ArCS Project Theme 5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasumi, H.

2016-12-01

We present initial results from the theme 5 of the project ArCS, which is a national flagship project for Arctic research in Japan. The goal of theme 5 is to evaluate the predictability of Arctic-related climate variations, wherein we aim to: (1) establish the scientific basis of climate predictability; and (2) develop a method for predicting/projecting medium- and long-term climate variations. Variability in the Arctic environment remotely influences middle and low latitudes. Since some of the processes specific to the Arctic environment function as a long memory of the state of the climate, understanding of the process of remote connections would lead to higher-precision and longer-term prediction of global climate variations. Conventional climate models have large uncertainty in the Arctic region. By making Arctic processes in climate models more sophisticated, we aim to clarify the role of multi-sphere interaction in the Arctic environment. In this regard, our newly developed high resolution ice-ocean model has revealed the relationship between the oceanic heat transport into the Arctic Ocean and the synoptic scale atmospheric variability. We also aim to reveal the mechanism of remote connections by conducting climate simulations and analyzing various types of climate datasets. Our atmospheric model experiments under possible future situations of Arctic sea ice cover indicate that reduction of sea ice qualitatively alters the basic mechanism of remote connection. Also, our analyses of climate data have identified the cause of recent more frequent heat waves at Eurasian mid-to-high latitudes and clarified the dynamical process which forms the West Pacific pattern, a dominant mode of the atmospheric anomalous circulation in the West Pacific region which also exhibits a significant signal in the Arctic stratosphere.

The Arctic Summer Cloud-Ocean Study (ASCOS): overview and experimental design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tjernström, M.; Leck, C.; Birch, C. E.; Brooks, B. J.; Brooks, I. M.; Bäcklin, L.; Chang, R. Y.-W.; Granath, E.; Graus, M.; Hansel, A.; Heintzenberg, J.; Held, A.; Hind, A.; de la Rosa, S.; Johnston, P.; Knulst, J.; de Leeuw, G.; Di Liberto, L.; Martin, M.; Matrai, P. A.; Mauritsen, T.; Müller, M.; Norris, S. J.; Orellana, M. V.; Orsini, D. A.; Paatero, J.; Persson, P. O. G.; Gao, Q.; Rauschenberg, C.; Ristovski, Z.; Sedlar, J.; Shupe, M. D.; Sierau, B.; Sirevaag, A.; Sjogren, S.; Stetzer, O.; Swietlicki, E.; Szczodrak, M.; Vaattovaara, P.; Wahlberg, N.; Westberg, M.; Wheeler, C. R.

2013-05-01

The climate in the Arctic is changing faster than anywhere else on Earth. Poorly understood feedback processes relating to Arctic clouds and aerosol-cloud interactions contribute to a poor understanding of the present changes in the Arctic climate system, and also to a large spread in projections of future climate in the Arctic. The problem is exacerbated by the paucity of research-quality observations in the central Arctic. Improved formulations in climate models require such observations, which can only come from measurements in-situ in this difficult to reach region with logistically demanding environmental conditions. The Arctic Summer Cloud-Ocean Study (ASCOS) was the most extensive central Arctic Ocean expedition with an atmospheric focus during the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008. ASCOS focused on the study of the formation and life cycle of low-level Arctic clouds. ASCOS departed from Longyearbyen on Svalbard on 2 August and returned on 9 September 2008. In transit into and out of the pack ice, four short research stations were undertaken in the Fram Strait; two in open water and two in the marginal ice zone. After traversing the pack-ice northward an ice camp was set up on 12 August at 87°21' N 01°29' W and remained in operation through 1 September, drifting with the ice. During this time extensive measurements were taken of atmospheric gas and particle chemistry and physics, mesoscale and boundary-layer meteorology, marine biology and chemistry, and upper ocean physics. ASCOS provides a unique interdisciplinary data set for development and testing of new hypotheses on cloud processes, their interactions with the sea ice and ocean and associated physical, chemical, and biological processes and interactions. For example, the first ever quantitative observation of bubbles in Arctic leads, combined with the unique discovery of marine organic material, polymer gels with an origin in the ocean, inside cloud droplets suggest the possibility of primary marine organically derived cloud condensation nuclei in Arctic stratocumulus clouds. Direct observations of surface fluxes of aerosols could, however, not explain observed variability in aerosol concentrations and the balance between local and remote aerosols sources remains open. Lack of CCN was at times a controlling factor in low-level cloud formation, and hence for the impact of clouds on the surface energy budget. ASCOS provided detailed measurements of the surface energy balance from late summer melt into the initial autumn freeze-up, and documented the effects of clouds and storms on the surface energy balance during this transition. In addition to such process-level studies, the unique, independent ASCOS data set can and is being used for validation of satellite retrievals, operational models, and reanalysis data sets.

The Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS): overview and experimental design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tjernström, M.; Leck, C.; Birch, C. E.; Bottenheim, J. W.; Brooks, B. J.; Brooks, I. M.; Bäcklin, L.; Chang, R. Y.-W.; de Leeuw, G.; Di Liberto, L.; de la Rosa, S.; Granath, E.; Graus, M.; Hansel, A.; Heintzenberg, J.; Held, A.; Hind, A.; Johnston, P.; Knulst, J.; Martin, M.; Matrai, P. A.; Mauritsen, T.; Müller, M.; Norris, S. J.; Orellana, M. V.; Orsini, D. A.; Paatero, J.; Persson, P. O. G.; Gao, Q.; Rauschenberg, C.; Ristovski, Z.; Sedlar, J.; Shupe, M. D.; Sierau, B.; Sirevaag, A.; Sjogren, S.; Stetzer, O.; Swietlicki, E.; Szczodrak, M.; Vaattovaara, P.; Wahlberg, N.; Westberg, M.; Wheeler, C. R.

2014-03-01

The climate in the Arctic is changing faster than anywhere else on earth. Poorly understood feedback processes relating to Arctic clouds and aerosol-cloud interactions contribute to a poor understanding of the present changes in the Arctic climate system, and also to a large spread in projections of future climate in the Arctic. The problem is exacerbated by the paucity of research-quality observations in the central Arctic. Improved formulations in climate models require such observations, which can only come from measurements in situ in this difficult-to-reach region with logistically demanding environmental conditions. The Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS) was the most extensive central Arctic Ocean expedition with an atmospheric focus during the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008. ASCOS focused on the study of the formation and life cycle of low-level Arctic clouds. ASCOS departed from Longyearbyen on Svalbard on 2 August and returned on 9 September 2008. In transit into and out of the pack ice, four short research stations were undertaken in the Fram Strait: two in open water and two in the marginal ice zone. After traversing the pack ice northward, an ice camp was set up on 12 August at 87°21' N, 01°29' W and remained in operation through 1 September, drifting with the ice. During this time, extensive measurements were taken of atmospheric gas and particle chemistry and physics, mesoscale and boundary-layer meteorology, marine biology and chemistry, and upper ocean physics. ASCOS provides a unique interdisciplinary data set for development and testing of new hypotheses on cloud processes, their interactions with the sea ice and ocean and associated physical, chemical, and biological processes and interactions. For example, the first-ever quantitative observation of bubbles in Arctic leads, combined with the unique discovery of marine organic material, polymer gels with an origin in the ocean, inside cloud droplets suggests the possibility of primary marine organically derived cloud condensation nuclei in Arctic stratocumulus clouds. Direct observations of surface fluxes of aerosols could, however, not explain observed variability in aerosol concentrations, and the balance between local and remote aerosols sources remains open. Lack of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) was at times a controlling factor in low-level cloud formation, and hence for the impact of clouds on the surface energy budget. ASCOS provided detailed measurements of the surface energy balance from late summer melt into the initial autumn freeze-up, and documented the effects of clouds and storms on the surface energy balance during this transition. In addition to such process-level studies, the unique, independent ASCOS data set can and is being used for validation of satellite retrievals, operational models, and reanalysis data sets.

USGS Arctic Ocean Carbon Cruise 2012: Field Activity L-01-12-AR to collect carbon data in the Arctic Ocean, August-September 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, Lisa L.; Wynn, Jonathan; Knorr, Paul O.; Onac, Bogdan; Lisle, John T.; McMullen, Katherine Y.; Yates, Kimberly K.; Byrne, Robert H.; Liu, Xuewu

2014-01-01

During the cruise, underway continuous and discrete water samples were collected, and discrete water samples were collected at stations to document the carbonate chemistry of the Arctic waters and quantify the saturation state of seawater with respect to calcium carbonate. These data are critical for providing baseline information in areas where no data have existed prior and will also be used to test existing models and predict future trends.

Mercury in the atmosphere, snow and melt water ponds in the North Atlantic Ocean during Arctic summer.

PubMed

Aspmo, Katrine; Temme, Christian; Berg, Torunn; Ferrari, Christophe; Gauchard, L Pierre-Alexis; Fain, Xavier; Wibetoe, Grethe

2006-07-01

Atmospheric mercury speciation measurements were performed during a 10 week Arctic summer expedition in the North Atlantic Ocean onboard the German research vessel RV Polarstern between June 15 and August 29, 2004. This expedition covered large areas of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans between latitudes 54 degrees N and 85 degrees N and longitudes 16 degrees W and 16 degrees E. Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and mercury associated with particles (Hg-P) were measured during this study. In addition, total mercury in surface snow and meltwater ponds located on sea ice floes was measured. GEM showed a homogeneous distribution over the open North Atlantic Ocean (median 1.53 +/- 0.12 ng/m3), which is in contrast to the higher concentrations of GEM observed over sea ice (median 1.82 +/- 0.24 ng/m3). It is hypothesized that this results from either (re-) emission of mercury contained in snow and ice surfaces that was previously deposited during atmospheric mercury depletion events (AMDE) in the spring or evasion from the ocean due to increased reduction potential at high latitudes during Arctic summer. Measured concentrations of total mercury in surface snow and meltwater ponds were low (all samples <10 ng/L), indicating that marginal accumulation of mercury occurs in these environmental compartments. Results also reveal low concentrations of RGM and Hg-P without a significant diurnal variability. These results indicate that the production and deposition of these reactive mercury species do not significantly contribute to the atmospheric mercury cycle in the North Atlantic Ocean during the Arctic summer.

Hydrographic changes in the Lincoln Sea in the Arctic Ocean with focus on an upper ocean freshwater anomaly between 2007 and 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Steur, L.; Steele, M.; Hansen, E.; Morison, J.; Polyakov, I.; Olsen, S. M.; Melling, H.; McLaughlin, F. A.; Kwok, R.; Smethie, W. M.; Schlosser, P.

2013-09-01

Hydrographic data from the Arctic Ocean show that freshwater content in the Lincoln Sea, north of Greenland, increased significantly from 2007 to 2010, slightly lagging changes in the eastern and central Arctic. The anomaly was primarily caused by a decrease in the upper ocean salinity. In 2011 upper ocean salinities in the Lincoln Sea returned to values similar to those prior to 2007. Throughout 2008-2010, the freshest surface waters in the western Lincoln Sea show water mass properties similar to fresh Canada Basin waters north of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In the northeastern Lincoln Sea fresh surface waters showed a strong link with those observed in the Makarov Basin near the North Pole. The freshening in the Lincoln Sea was associated with a return of a subsurface Pacific Water temperature signal although this was not as strong as observed in the early 1990s. Comparison of repeat stations from the 2000s with the data from the 1990s at 65°W showed an increase of the Atlantic temperature maximum which was associated with the arrival of warmer Atlantic water from the Eurasian Basin. Satellite-derived dynamic ocean topography of winter 2009 showed a ridge extending parallel to the Canadian Archipelago shelf as far as the Lincoln Sea, causing a strong flow toward Nares Strait and likely Fram Strait. The total volume of anomalous freshwater observed in the Lincoln Sea and exported by 2011 was close to 1100±250km3, approximately 13% of the total estimated FW increase in the Arctic in 2008.

Early ice retreat and ocean warming may induce copepod biogeographic boundary shifts in the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Zhixuan; Ji, Rubao; Campbell, Robert G.; Ashjian, Carin J.; Zhang, Jinlun

2016-08-01

Early ice retreat and ocean warming are changing various facets of the Arctic marine ecosystem, including the biogeographic distribution of marine organisms. Here an endemic copepod species, Calanus glacialis, was used as a model organism, to understand how and why Arctic marine environmental changes may induce biogeographic boundary shifts. A copepod individual-based model was coupled to an ice-ocean-ecosystem model to simulate temperature- and food-dependent copepod life history development. Numerical experiments were conducted for two contrasting years: a relatively cold and normal sea ice year (2001) and a well-known warm year with early ice retreat (2007). Model results agreed with commonly known biogeographic distributions of C. glacialis, which is a shelf/slope species and cannot colonize the vast majority of the central Arctic basins. Individuals along the northern boundaries of this species' distribution were most susceptible to reproduction timing and early food availability (released sea ice algae). In the Beaufort, Chukchi, East Siberian, and Laptev Seas where severe ocean warming and loss of sea ice occurred in summer 2007, relatively early ice retreat, elevated ocean temperature (about 1-2°C higher than 2001), increased phytoplankton food, and prolonged growth season created favorable conditions for C. glacialis development and caused a remarkable poleward expansion of its distribution. From a pan-Arctic perspective, despite the great heterogeneity in the temperature and food regimes, common biogeographic zones were identified from model simulations, thus allowing a better characterization of habitats and prediction of potential future biogeographic boundary shifts.

Status and trends in Arctic biodiversity - Synthesis: implications for conservation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Arctic biodiversity – the multitude of species and ecosystems in the land north of the tree line together with the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas – is an irreplaceable cultural, aesthetic, scientific, ecological, economic and spiritual asset. For Arctic peoples, biodiversity has been the very basis ...

Arctic Ocean Tides from GRACE Satellite Accelerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Killett, B.; Wahr, J. M.; Desai, S. D.; Yuan, D.; Watkins, M. M.

2010-12-01

Because missions such as TOPEX/POSEIDON don't extend to high latitudes, Arctic ocean tidal solutions aren't constrained by altimetry data. The resulting errors in tidal models alias into monthly GRACE gravity field solutions at all latitudes. Fortunately, GRACE inter-satellite ranging data can be used to solve for these tides directly. Seven years of GRACE inter-satellite acceleration data are inverted using a mascon approach to solve for residual amplitudes and phases of major solar and lunar tides in the Arctic ocean relative to FES 2004. Simulations are performed to test the inversion algorithm's performance, and uncertainty estimates are derived from the tidal signal over land. Truncation error magnitudes and patterns are compared to the residual tidal signals.

Taxonomic revision of deep-sea Ostracoda from the Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yasuhara, Moriaki; Stepanova, Anna; Okahashi, Hisayo; Cronin, Thomas M.; Brouwers, Elisabeth M.

2015-01-01

Taxonomic revision of deep-sea Ostracoda from the Arctic Ocean was conducted to reduce taxonomic uncertainty that will improve our understanding of species ecology, biogeography and relationship to faunas from other deep-sea regions. Fifteen genera and 40 species were examined and (re-)illustrated with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy images, covering most of known deep-sea species in the central Arctic Ocean. Seven new species are described: Bythoceratina lomonosovensis n. sp., Cytheropteron parahamatum n. sp., Cytheropteron lanceae n. sp.,Cytheropteron irizukii n. sp., Pedicythere arctica n. sp., Cluthiawhatleyi n. sp., Krithe hunti n. sp. This study provides a robust taxonomic baseline for application to paleoceanographical reconstruction and biodiversity analyses in this climatically sensitive region.

Dissolved Organic Matter Land-Ocean Linkages in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mann, P. J.; Spencer, R. M.; Hernes, P. J.; Tank, S. E.; Striegl, R.; Dyda, R. Y.; Peterson, B. J.; McClelland, J. W.; Holmes, R. M.

2012-04-01

Rivers draining into the Arctic Ocean exhibit high concentrations of terrigenous dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and recent studies indicate that DOC export is changing due to climatic warming and alteration in permafrost condition. The fate of exported DOC in the Arctic Ocean is important for understanding the regional carbon cycle and remains a point of discussion in the literature. As part of the NSF funded Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (Arctic-GRO) project, samples were collected for DOC, chromophoric and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (CDOM & FDOM) and lignin phenols from the Ob', Yenisey, Lena, Kolyma, Mackenzie and Yukon rivers in 2009 - 2010. DOC and lignin concentrations were elevated during the spring freshet and measurements related to DOC composition indicated an increasing contribution from terrestrial vascular plant sources at this time of year (e.g. lignin carbon-normalized yield, CDOM spectral slope, SUVA254, humic-like fluorescence). CDOM absorption was found to correlate strongly with both DOC (r2=0.83) and lignin concentration (r2=0.92) across the major arctic rivers. Lignin composition was also successfully modeled using FDOM measurements decomposed using PARAFAC analysis. Utilizing these relationships we modeled loads for DOC and lignin export from high-resolution CDOM measurements (daily across the freshet) to derive improved flux estimates, particularly from the dynamic spring discharge maxima period when the majority of DOC and lignin export occurs. The new load estimates for DOC and lignin are higher than previous evaluations, emphasizing that if these are more representative of current arctic riverine export, terrigenous DOC is transiting through the Arctic Ocean at a faster rate than previously thought. It is apparent that higher resolution sampling of arctic rivers is exceptionally valuable with respect to deriving accurate fluxes and we highlight the potential of CDOM in this role for future studies and the applicability of in-situ CDOM sensors.

Freshwater Export from the Arctic Ocean and its Downstream Effect on Labrador Sea Deep Convection in a High-Resolution Numerical Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

Arctic has been observed in the northern Canadian Arctic Archipelago ( Bourke and McLaren 1992). There, thick multiyear ice of Arctic origin encounters...Affairs, 87(2), 63-77. 172 Bourke , R. H., and A. S. McLaren, 1992: Contour mapping of Arctic Basin ice draft and roughness parameters. J. Geophys

Enhanced role of eddies in the Arctic marine biological pump

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Eiji; Onodera, Jonaotaro; Harada, Naomi; Honda, Makio C.; Kimoto, Katsunori; Kikuchi, Takashi; Nishino, Shigeto; Matsuno, Kohei; Yamaguchi, Atsushi; Ishida, Akio; Kishi, Michio J.

2014-01-01

The future conditions of Arctic sea ice and marine ecosystems are of interest not only to climate scientists, but also to economic and governmental bodies. However, the lack of widespread, year-long biogeochemical observations remains an obstacle to understanding the complicated variability of the Arctic marine biological pump. Here we show an early winter maximum of sinking biogenic flux in the western Arctic Ocean and illustrate the importance of shelf-break eddies to biological pumping from wide shelves to adjacent deep basins using a combination of year-long mooring observations and three-dimensional numerical modelling. The sinking flux trapped in the present study included considerable fresh organic material with soft tissues and was an order of magnitude larger than previous estimates. We predict that further reductions in sea ice will promote the entry of Pacific-origin biological species into the Arctic basin and accelerate biogeochemical cycles connecting the Arctic and subarctic oceans. PMID:24862402

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Otto-Bliesner, Bette L.; Jahn, Alexandra; Feng, Ran

Under previous reconstructions of late Pliocene boundary conditions, climate models have failed to reproduce the warm sea surface temperatures reconstructed in the North Atlantic. Using a reconstruction of mid-Piacenzian paleogeography that has the Bering Strait and Canadian Arctic Archipelago Straits closed, however, improves the simulation of the proxy-indicated warm sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic in the Community Climate System Model. We find that the closure of these small Arctic gateways strengthens the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, by inhibiting freshwater transport from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean and from the Arctic Ocean to the Labrador Sea, leading tomore » warmer sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic. In conclusion, this indicates that the state of the Arctic gateways may influence the sensitivity of the North Atlantic climate in complex ways, and better understanding of the state of these Arctic gateways for past time periods is needed.« less

Anthropogenic radioactivity in the Arctic Ocean--review of the results from the joint German project.

PubMed

Nies, H; Harms, I H; Karcher, M J; Dethleff, D; Bahe, C

1999-09-30

The paper presents the results of the joint project carried out in Germany in order to assess the consequences in the marine environment from the dumping of nuclear wastes in the Kara and Barents Seas. The project consisted of experimental work on measurements of radionuclides in samples from the Arctic marine environment and numerical modelling of the potential pathways and dispersion of contaminants in the Arctic Ocean. Water and sediment samples were collected for determination of radionuclide such as 137Cs, 90Sr, 239 + 240Pu, 238Pu, and 241Am and various organic micropollutants. In addition, a few water and numerous surface sediment samples collected in the Kara Sea and from the Kola peninsula were taken by Russian colleagues and analysed for artificial radionuclide by the BSH laboratory. The role of transport by sea ice from the Kara Sea into the Arctic Ocean was assessed by a small subgroup at GEOMAR. This transport process might be considered as a rapid contribution due to entrainment of contaminated sediments into sea ice, following export from the Kara Sea into the transpolar ice drift and subsequent release in the Atlantic Ocean in the area of the East Greenland Current. Numerical modelling of dispersion of pollutants from the Kara and Barents Seas was carried out both on a local scale for the Barents and Kara Seas and for long range dispersion into the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. Three-dimensional baroclinic circulation models were applied to trace the transport of pollutants. Experimental results were used to validate the model results such as the discharges from the nuclear reprocessing plant at Sellafield and subsequent contamination of the North Sea up the Arctic Seas.

Poles Apart: The “Bipolar” Pteropod Species Limacina helicina Is Genetically Distinct Between the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans

PubMed Central

Bednarsek, Nina; Linse, Katrin; Nelson, R. John; Pakhomov, Evgeny; Seibel, Brad; Steinke, Dirk; Würzberg, Laura

2010-01-01

The shelled pteropod (sea butterfly) Limacina helicina is currently recognised as a species complex comprising two sub-species and at least five “forma”. However, at the species level it is considered to be bipolar, occurring in both the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. Due to its aragonite shell and polar distribution L. helicina is particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification. As a key indicator of the acidification process, and a major component of polar ecosystems, L. helicina has become a focus for acidification research. New observations that taxonomic groups may respond quite differently to acidification prompted us to reassess the taxonomic status of this important species. We found a 33.56% (±0.09) difference in cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences between L. helicina collected from the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. This degree of separation is sufficient for ordinal level taxonomic separation in other organisms and provides strong evidence for the Arctic and Antarctic populations of L. helicina differing at least at the species level. Recent research has highlighted substantial physiological differences between the poles for another supposedly bipolar pteropod species, Clione limacina. Given the large genetic divergence between Arctic and Antarctic L. helicina populations shown here, similarly large physiological differences may exist between the poles for the L. helicina species group. Therefore, in addition to indicating that L. helicina is in fact not bipolar, our study demonstrates the need for acidification research to take into account the possibility that the L. helicina species group may not respond in the same way to ocean acidification in Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems. PMID:20360985

Impact of Northern Hemisphere polar gateways on the Arctic Ocean climate during the latest Cretaceous as simulated by an Earth System Model.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niezgodzki, Igor; Knorr, Gregor; Lohmann, Gerrit; Tyszka, Jarosław

2017-04-01

Using the Earth System Model COSMOS, we simulate the Late Cretaceous climate with different gateway configurations in the Arctic Ocean region under constant CO2 level of 1120 ppm (4 x pre-industrial). Based on the Maastrichtian paleogeography, we modify gateway configurations in the Arctic region according to different scenarios recorded from the Campanian - Maastrichtian ( 83-66 Ma). Our simulation with the Greenland-Norwegian Sea even as deep as 1.5 km in the Campanian produces consistent salinities in the Greenland-Norwegian Sea and in the surface Arctic Ocean, with the proxy-based salinity reconstructions. Towards the end of the Maastrichtian the gateway became shallower but didn't close entirely before the K-Pg boundary. During entire interval, the simulated salinity in the Arctic Ocean was well stratified, in agreement with the data. The surface ocean became progressively fresher, starting from the moderately brackish conditions in the Campanian to the (almost) freshwater conditions around the K-Pg boundary. Arctic gateways configuration changes cannot reproduce cooling trends as reconstructed by the proxy data during the Campanian - Maastrichtian interval. Our additional sensitivity tests with the different CO2 levels (1-6 x pre-industrial) and fixed (Maastrichtian) paleogeography show that a doubling of atmospheric CO2 concentration from 560 ppm to 1120 ppm results in an increase in the zonal mean surface air temperature in the polar regions by as high as 10°C. This suggests that the CO2 level decline, rather than gateway configuration changes, was responsible for the cooling trend toward the end of the Maastrichtian. The research was supported from the grant of the National Science Center in Poland based on the decision DEC-2012/07/N/ST10/03419.

Cruise to the Chukchi Borderland, Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grantz, Arthur; ,

1993-01-01

Oceanography and geology were the principal focuses of the U.S. Geological Survey-sponsored expedition Arctic Summer West '92, which traveled to the eastern part of the Chukchi Borderland of the Amerasia Basin, western Arctic Ocean. The expedition took place from August 20 to September 25, 1992, aboard the Coast Guard cutter Polar Star. USGS investigated the geologic framework and tectonic origin of the borderland, Arctic Quaternary paleoclimate, sea-ice transport of particulate matter in the Beaufort Gyre, and possible radionuclide contamination of the water column and seafloor off Alaska from sources in the Russian Arctic. Researchers from five other institutions studied the area's oceanography, age of the water column, paleoenvironment of the Holocene sediment, physical properties and synthetic-aperture radar backscatter of sea ice, and the drop-stone content of late Quaternary sediment.

OCoc- from Ocean Colour to Organic Carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heim, B.; Overduin, P. P.; Schirrmeister, L.; Doerffer, R.

2009-04-01

Enhanced permafrost warming and increased arctic river discharges have heightened concern about the input of terrigenous matter into Arctic coastal waters. Especially, large parts of the Central and Eastern Siberian coastline are characterized by highly erosive sedimentary ice-rich material. The ‘OCoc-from Ocean Colour to Organic Carbon' project (IPY-project 1176), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), is an Ocean Colour study joined with the Arctic Circum-polar Coastal Observatory Network Acco-Net (ACCO-Net: IPY-project 90) originating from the Arctic Coastal Dynamics ACD project . OCoc uses Ocean Colour satellite data for synoptic monitoring of the input of organic matter - from both fluvial and coastal sources - into the Arctic coastal waters. Initial results from the German-Russian Expedition Lena08 along the southeastern Laptev Sea Coast (Arctic Siberia, Russia) in August 2008 are presented. Ocean Colour MERIS Reduced Resolution (RR)-LIB data of the Laptev Sea Coast from August 2008 have been processed towards L2 parameters using Beam-Visat4.2© and the MERIS case2 regional processor for coastal application (C2R). C2R uses neural network procedures for the retrieval of water leaving reflectances and neural network procedures to derive the inherent optical properties (IOPs) from the water leaving reflectances. C2R output parameters are IOPs (absorption and backscattering coefficients), apparent optical properties (AOPs) (water leaving radiance reflectance, attenuation coefficient ‘k'), optical parameters such as the first attenuation depth (‘Z90') and calculated concentrations of chlorophyll, total suspended matter, and yellow substance absorption. Initial comparisons with Lena08-Expedition data (Secchi depths, cDOM) and water transparency data from former arctic cruises show that the MERIS-C2R optical parameters 'total absorption' and the first attenuation depth, 'Z90', seem adequately to represent true conditions. High attenuation values are the tracers for the organic-rich terrigenous input. The synoptic information of MERIS Ocean Colour products will provide valuable spatial and dynamical information on the Organic Carbon and sediment fluxes from the Siberian permafrost coast.

Chronostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental change in the Makarov Basin of the western Arctic Ocean during the last 1 Ma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, K.; Nam, S. I.; Khim, B. K.; Kong, G. S.; Schreck, M.; Mackensen, A.; Niessen, F.

2017-12-01

Establishing an accurate chronostratigraphy is essential in reconstructing paleoenvironmental changes in the Arctic Ocean. This requisition, however, has been impeded by the lack of biogenic remnants such as calcareous and siliceous microfossils, as well as alteration of paleomagnetic properties by post-depositional processes. Consequently, foundation of chronostratigraphy in the Arctic Ocean has been mostly relying on stratigraphic correlations. This study examines lithological features and physical properties of sediments of gravity core ARA03B-41GC02 collected in the Makarov Basin and correlates with previously studied cores from the western Arctic Ocean, in order to establish an age model that could eventually facilitate a precise reconstruction of paleoenvironmental changes in the western Arctic Ocean. Age control in the uppermost part was determined by AMS 14C dating of planktonic foraminifera and inter-core correlation was conducted in the upper ca. 3.8 m of the core which corresponded to MIS 15. Age constraints older than MIS 15 were treated using cyclostratigraphic model based on Mn-δ18O stack comparison, assuming that brown and high Mn concentration layers represent generally interglacial or interstadial periods. Based on our result, the core bottom corresponds to MIS 28 with an average sedimentation rate of ca. 0.5 cm/ky. The first appearance of detrital carbonate, planktonic foraminifera, and benthic foraminifera occurred during MIS 16, 11, and 7, respectively. MIS 16 is known as the coldest glacial period when δ18O of the LR04 stack first becomes heavier than 5‰; the occurrence of detrital carbonate likely transported from the Canadian Arctic indicates the initial buildup of the large ice sheets in the North America during this time. Since MIS 11 which is known as the warmest interglacial period during the late Pleistocene in the Northern Hemisphere, the appearance of planktonic foraminifera represents the warmer condition during interglacial periods in the western central Arctic Ocean. Additional geochemical and mineralogical proxies need to be conducted for better understanding of depositional environments and sediment provenance as well as transport pathways.

Amplified Arctic warming by phytoplankton under greenhouse warming

PubMed Central

Park, Jong-Yeon; Kug, Jong-Seong; Bader, Jürgen; Rolph, Rebecca; Kwon, Minho

2015-01-01

Phytoplankton have attracted increasing attention in climate science due to their impacts on climate systems. A new generation of climate models can now provide estimates of future climate change, considering the biological feedbacks through the development of the coupled physical–ecosystem model. Here we present the geophysical impact of phytoplankton, which is often overlooked in future climate projections. A suite of future warming experiments using a fully coupled ocean−atmosphere model that interacts with a marine ecosystem model reveals that the future phytoplankton change influenced by greenhouse warming can amplify Arctic surface warming considerably. The warming-induced sea ice melting and the corresponding increase in shortwave radiation penetrating into the ocean both result in a longer phytoplankton growing season in the Arctic. In turn, the increase in Arctic phytoplankton warms the ocean surface layer through direct biological heating, triggering additional positive feedbacks in the Arctic, and consequently intensifying the Arctic warming further. Our results establish the presence of marine phytoplankton as an important potential driver of the future Arctic climate changes. PMID:25902494

Bacterial biogeography influenced by shelf-basin exchange in the Arctic surface sediment at the Chukchi Borderland.

PubMed

Han, Dukki; Nam, Seung-Il; Ha, Ho Kyung; Kim, Hyoungjun; Sadowsky, Michael J; Lee, Yoo Kyung; Hur, Hor-Gil

2016-02-01

It has been known that continental shelves around the Arctic Ocean play a major role in the ventilation of the deep basins as a consequence of shelf-basin exchange. In the present study, we found that bacterial assemblage of the surface sediment was different from that of seawater while seawater harboured local bacterial assemblages in response to the Arctic hydrography. This finding suggests that the Arctic seafloor sediments may have distinctive bacterial biogeography. Moreover, the distribution of bacterial assemblages and physicochemical properties in surface sediments changed gradually from the Arctic continental shelf to deep-sea basin. Based on the results, bacterial biogeography in the Arctic seafloor sediments may be influenced by winnowing and re-deposition of surface sediments through the sediment gravity flow. The present study offers a deeper understanding of shelf convection and its role for the construction of bacterial assemblages in the Arctic Ocean. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Climate change, future Arctic Sea ice, and the competitiveness of European Arctic offshore oil and gas production on world markets.

PubMed

Petrick, Sebastian; Riemann-Campe, Kathrin; Hoog, Sven; Growitsch, Christian; Schwind, Hannah; Gerdes, Rüdiger; Rehdanz, Katrin

2017-12-01

A significant share of the world's undiscovered oil and natural gas resources are assumed to lie under the seabed of the Arctic Ocean. Up until now, the exploitation of the resources especially under the European Arctic has largely been prevented by the challenges posed by sea ice coverage, harsh weather conditions, darkness, remoteness of the fields, and lack of infrastructure. Gradual warming has, however, improved the accessibility of the Arctic Ocean. We show for the most resource-abundant European Arctic Seas whether and how a climate induced reduction in sea ice might impact future accessibility of offshore natural gas and crude oil resources. Based on this analysis we show for a number of illustrative but representative locations which technology options exist based on a cost-minimization assessment. We find that under current hydrocarbon prices, oil and gas from the European offshore Arctic is not competitive on world markets.

Sources of the transuranic elements plutonium and neptunium in arctic marine sediments.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cooper, L. W.; Kelley, J. M.; Bond, L. A.

2000-01-01

We report here thermal ionization mass spectrometry measurements of {sup 239}Pu, {sup 240}Pu, {sup 241}Pu, {sup 242}Pu, and {sup 237}Np isolated from oceanic, estuarine, and riverine sediments from the Arctic Ocean Basin. {sup 238}Pu/{sup 239+240}Pu activity ratios are also reported for alpha spectrometric analyses undertaken on a subset of these samples. Our results indicate that the Pu in sediments on the Alaskan shelf and slope, as well as that in the deep basins (Amerasian and Eurasian) of the Arctic Ocean, has its origin in stratospheric and tropospheric fallout. Sediments from the Ob and Yenisei Rivers show isotopic Pu signatures thatmore » are distinctly different from those of northern-hemisphere stratospheric fallout and indicate the presence of weapons-grade Pu originating from nuclear fuel reprocessing wastes generated at Russian facilities within these river catchments. Consequently, sediments of the Eurasian Arctic Ocean, particularly those in the Barents and Kara Seas, probably contain a mixture of Pu from stratospheric fallout, tropospheric fallout, and fuel-reprocessing wastes of riverine origin. In particular, the {sup 241}Pu/{sup 239}Pu ratios observed in these sediments are inconsistent with significant contributions of Pu to the arctic sediments studied from western European reprocessing facilities, principally Sellafield in the UK. Several other potential sources of Pu to arctic sediments can also be excluded as significant based upon the transuranic isotope ratios presented.« less

Evaluation of Arctic Sea Ice Thickness Simulated by Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison Project Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Mark; Proshuntinsky, Andrew; Aksenov, Yevgeny; Nguyen, An T.; Lindsay, Ron; Haas, Christian; Zhang, Jinlun; Diansky, Nikolay; Kwok, Ron; Maslowski, Wieslaw;

Long-Term Observations of Atmospheric CO2, O3 and BrO over the Transitioning Arctic Ocean Pack-ice: The O-Buoy Chemical Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matrai, P.

2016-02-01

Autonomous, sea ice-tethered O-Buoys have been deployed (2009-2016) across the Arctic sea ice for long-term atmospheric measurements (http://www.o-buoy.org). O-Buoys (15) provide in-situ concentrations of three sentinel atmospheric chemicals, ozone, CO2 and BrO, as well as meteorological parameters and imagery, over the frozen ocean. O-Buoys were designed to transmit daily data over a period of 2 years while deployed in sea ice, as part of automated ice-drifting stations that include snow/ice measurement systems (e.g. Ice Mass Balance buoys) and oceanographic measurements (e.g. Ice Tethered Profilers). Seasonal changes in Arctic atmospheric chemistry are influenced by changes in the characteristics and presence of the sea ice vs. open water as well as air mass trajectories, especially during the winter-spring and summer-fall transitions when sea ice is melting and freezing, respectively. The O-Buoy Chemical Network provides the unique opportunity to observe these transition periods in real-time with high temporal resolution, and to compare them with those collected on land-based monitoring stations located. Due to the logistical challenges of measurements over the Arctic Ocean region, most long term, in-situ observations of atmospheric chemistry have been made at coastal or island sites around the periphery of the Arctic Ocean, leaving large spatial and temporal gaps that O-Buoys overcome. Advances in floatation, communications, power management, and sensor hardware have been made to overcome the challenges of diminished Arctic sea ice. O-Buoy data provide insights into enhanced seasonal, interannual and spatial variability in atmospheric composition, atmospheric boundary layer control on the amount of halogen activation, enhancement of the atmospheric CO2 signal over the more variable and porous pack ice, and to develop an integrated picture of the coupled ocean/ice/atmosphere system. As part of the Arctic Observing Network, we provide data to the community (www.aoncadis.org).

The Navy's First Seasonal Ice Forecasts using the Navy's Arctic Cap Nowcast/Forecast System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preller, Ruth

2013-04-01

As conditions in the Arctic continue to change, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed an interest in longer-term seasonal ice extent forecasts. The Arctic Cap Nowcast/Forecast System (ACNFS), developed by the Oceanography Division of NRL, was run in forward model mode, without assimilation, to estimate the minimum sea ice extent for September 2012. The model was initialized with varying assimilative ACNFS analysis fields (June 1, July 1, August 1 and September 1, 2012) and run forward for nine simulations using the archived Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS) atmospheric forcing fields from 2003-2011. The mean ice extent in September, averaged across all ensemble members was the projected summer ice extent. These results were submitted to the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) Sea Ice Outlook project (http://www.arcus.org/search/seaiceoutlook). The ACNFS is a ~3.5 km coupled ice-ocean model that produces 5 day forecasts of the Arctic sea ice state in all ice covered areas in the northern hemisphere (poleward of 40° N). The ocean component is the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and is coupled to the Los Alamos National Laboratory Community Ice CodE (CICE) via the Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF). The ocean and ice models are run in an assimilative cycle with the Navy's Coupled Ocean Data Assimilation (NCODA) system. Currently the ACNFS is being transitioned to operations at the Naval Oceanographic Office.

Atlantic Water Advection and Ice Sheet-Ocean Feedbacks in the Arctic Ocean During the Last 200 ky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spielhagen, R. F.; Mackensen, A.; Stein, R. H.

2016-12-01

Earlier work on Arctic deep-sea cores from the eastern Lomonosov Ridge and the Morris Jesup Rise had revealed that large-scale Eurasian ice sheet growth was initiated at times with seasonally open waters in the Arctic Ocean, indicating a role for the ocean in nearby ice sheet development in the last 200 ky. Here we present microfossil and geochemical data from new sediment cores obtained from the western and easternmost Lomonosov Ridge during the PS87 expedition (2014) of RV Polarstern, amended by data from refined analyses of the older cores. They allow to investigate in more detail the feedbacks between Atlantic Water (AW) advection, sea ice, and ice sheets. In all cores, high microfossil abundances are found just below layers rich in iceberg-rafted detritus, supporting the hypothesis of Arctic Ocean moisture supply for the growth of Eurasian ice sheets. On the other hand, the new microfaunal results suggest that the decay of the ice sheets and the enhanced freshwater discharge to the Arctic may have influenced the routing of subsurface AW in the Arctic Ocean, at least during marine isotope (sub)stages (MIS) 5a and 5e. In the early part of these relatively mild climatic intervals, faunal and isotopic data suggest a noticable advection of Atlantic Water, yet of rather low temperature and likely at depths comparable to the modern distribution (i.e., below 150 m) or even deeper. This may be explained by a more southerly position of AW cooling and submergence than today, caused by a thick layer of low saline waters near the surface which stemmed from the slow melting of ice sheet remnants on the Eurasian continent and shelves. In the second half of both MIS 5a and 5e, AW advection was significantly stronger and may have occurred at shallower depths, as indicated by unusually large amounts of small subpolar planktic foraminifers in central Arctic sediments. AW was apparently diverted northward from the Fram Strait and spread eastward along the Lomonosov Ridge. A possible explanation is the persistence of a water mass of similarly high density in the upper Eurasian Basin, possibly replenished by intensive sea ice formation and brine rejection. The results suggest a rather long-lasting influence of continental ice on the Arctic Ocean which led to a current pattern in MIS 5a and 5e significantly different from the Holocene style.

An Arctic source for the Great Salinity Anomaly - A simulation of the Arctic ice-ocean system for 1955-1975

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hakkinen, Sirpa

1993-01-01

The paper employs a fully prognostic Arctic ice-ocean model to study the interannual variability of sea ice during the period 1955-1975 and to explain the large variability of the ice extent in the Greenland and Iceland seas during the late 1960s. The model is used to test the contention of Aagaard and Carmack (1989) that the Great Salinity Anomaly (GSA) was a consequence of the anomalously large ice export in 1968. The high-latitude ice-ocean circulation changes due to wind field changes are explored. The ice export event of 1968 was the largest in the simulation, being about twice as large as the average and corresponding to 1600 cu km of excess fresh water. The simulations suggest that, besides the above average ice export to the Greenland Sea, there was also fresh water export to support the larger than average ice cover. The model results show the origin of the GSA to be in the Arctic, and support the view that the Arctic may play an active role in climate change.

Mercury genomics in the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, K.; Lamborg, C. H.; Collins, E.; Hammerschmidt, C. R.; Agather, A. M.

2017-12-01

Methyl-mercury production in the ocean is likely dependent on microbial activity, however, methylation pathways remain elusive. In the Arctic, high concentrations of methyl-mercury are found in top predator marine mammals and seabirds. As a result of seafood consumption, pregnant women and women of child-bearing age in the Arctic often have blood Hg concentrations that exceed U.S. and Canadian safety guidelines. To understand the chemical cycling of mercury in the Arctic Ocean we participated in the 2015 U.S. GEOTRACES Arctic expedition (GN01) to measure Hg speciation in the water column of the Bering Sea, Makarov basin, and Canada basin between Dutch Harbor, Alaska and the North Pole. At select stations, seawater was filtered through 0.22 µm Sterivex filters and genomic DNA was collected using a phenol-chloroform extraction. Broad-range degenerate PCR primers were used to detect the presence of hgcAB, and clade-specific degenerate quantitative PCR primers were used to determine the abundance of hgcA. Metagenomic sequencing was done at three stations to identify taxonomic and functional groups, and to search for hgcA-like genes that the PCR primers may have missed.

Mapping Arctic Coastline Change With Object-Based Image Analysis of Temporally and Geographically Distributed Landsat Archive Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hulslander, D.

2011-12-01

As a global phenomenon, climate change produces global effects. However, many of these effects are more intense in coastal and high latitude regions. Current longer periods of ice-free conditions, in combination with a rising sea level and thawing permafrost, can result in accelerated Arctic Ocean coastline change and erosion. Areas dominantly composed of ice-cemented peats and silt-rich permafrost have proven to be especially susceptible to rapid erosion. Anderson et al. (2009; Geology News) have measured erosion rates at sites along the Alaskan Arctic Ocean coast of 15 m per year. The continental scope of these changes, as well as the remote and inhospitable nature of the study area make geologic remote sensing techniques particularly well suited for studying coastal erosion along the 45,000 km of Arctic Ocean coastline. While it is valuable to determine current patterns of erosion, it is equally important to map historic rates in order to determine if coastal erosion is accelerating, if it is in a new behavioral regime, if there are areas of emergent erosion patterns, or if what is currently measured is only a single instance in a complex and constantly shifting pattern of an overall balance of erosion and deposition at high latitudes. Even in relatively stable conditions, coastline processes are dynamic and complex, making it especially important to ensure the best possible accuracy in a study of this kind. Remote sensing solutions in the earth sciences have often run in to obstacles concerning a lack of historic data and baselines as well as issues in the systemization of accurate feature mapping. Using object-based image analysis techniques on Landsat archive data allows for the possibility of a multi-decadal map of Arctic Ocean coastline changes. Landsat data (from sensors MSS 1-3 and TM/ETM 4, 5, and 7) provide imagery as frequently as every 16 days since July 1972, are well-calibrated both radiometrically and geometrically, and are freely available from USGS EROS Data Center Archive. Hand-digitization of Arctic Ocean coastline changes over several decades would require an impractical amount of time and expense and would introduce additional error due to analyst differences in image feature interpretation. Object-based image analysis techniques have been shown (Hulslander, et al., 2008; GEOBIA 2008 Proceedings) to produce results similar to but more consistent than those from groups of human analysts. Earlier work has shown (Hulslander, 2010; AGU Fall Meeting) that using object-based analysis on Landsat Archive data can be used to map Arctic Ocean coastline change within a Landsat scene. Here, results show that this approach can be extended and automated to stably map Arctic Ocean coastline change in Landsat datasets distributed both geographically and temporally. Furthermore, these preliminary results indicate the possibility of producing a pan-Arctic Ocean coastline map on a roughly triennial basis for the past 30-plus years.

The Open-Ocean Sensible Heat Flux and Its Significance for Arctic Boundary Layer Mixing During Early Fall

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ganeshan, Manisha; Wu, Dongliang

2016-01-01

The increasing ice-free area during late summer has transformed the Arctic to a climate system with more dynamic boundary layer (BL) clouds and seasonal sea ice growth. The open-ocean sensible heat flux, a crucial mechanism of excessive ocean heat loss to the atmosphere during the fall freeze season, is speculated to play an important role in the recently observed cloud cover increase and BL instability. However, lack of observations and understanding of the resilience of the proposed mechanisms, especially in relation to meteorological and interannual variability, has left a poorly constrained BL parameterization scheme in Arctic climate models. In this study, we use multiyear Japanese cruise-ship observations from RV Mirai over the open Arctic Ocean to characterize the surface sensible heat flux (SSHF) during early fall and investigate its contribution to BL turbulence. It is found that mixing by SSHF is favored during episodes of high surface wind speed and is also influenced by the prevailing cloud regime. The deepest BLs and maximum ocean-atmosphere temperature difference are observed during cold air advection (associated with the stratocumulus regime), yet, contrary to previous speculation, the efficiency of sensible heat exchange is low. On the other hand, the SSHF contributes significantly to BL mixing during the uplift (low pressure) followed by the highly stable (stratus) regime. Overall, it can explain 10 of the open ocean BL height variability, whereas cloud-driven (moisture and radiative) mechanisms appear to be the other dominant source of convective turbulence. Nevertheless, there is strong interannual variability in the relationship between the SSHF and the BL height which can be intensified by the changing occurrence of Arctic climate patterns, such as positive surface wind speed anomalies and more frequent conditions of uplift. This study highlights the need for comprehensive BL observations like the RV Mirai for better understanding and predicting the dynamic nature of the Arctic climate.

CryoSat-2 altimetry derived Arctic bathymetry map: first results and validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersen, O. B.; Abulaitijiang, A.; Cancet, M.; Knudsen, P.

2017-12-01

The Technical University of Denmark (DTU), DTU Space has been developing high quality high resolution gravity fields including the new highly accurate CryoSat-2 radar altimetry satellite data which extends the global coverage of altimetry data up to latitude 88°. With its exceptional Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mode being operating throughout the Arctic Ocean, leads, i.e., the ocean surface heights, is used to retrieve the sea surface height with centimeter-level range precision. Combined with the long repeat cycle ( 369 days), i.e., dense cross-track coverage, the high-resolution Arctic marine gravity can be modelled using the CryoSat-2 altimetry. Further, the polar gap can be filled by the available ArcGP product, thus yielding the complete map of the Arctic bathymetry map. In this presentation, we will make use of the most recent DTU17 marine gravity, to derive the arctic bathymetry map using inversion based on best available hydrographic maps. Through the support of ESA a recent evaluation of existing hydrographic models of the Arctic Ocean Bathymetry models (RTOPO, GEBCO, IBCAO etc) and various inconsistencies have been identified and means to rectify these inconsistencies have been taken prior to perform the inversion using altimetry. Simultaneously DTU Space has been placing great effort on the Arctic data screening, filtering, and de-noising using various altimetry retracking solutions and classifications. All the pre-processing contributed to the fine modelling of Actic gravity map. Thereafter, the arctic marine gravity grids will eventually be translated (downward continuation operation) to a new altimetry enhanced Arctic bathymetry map using appropriate band-pass filtering.

Flux and Seasonality of Dissolved Organic Matter From the Northern Dvina (Severnaya Dvina) River, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, Sarah Ellen; Shorina, Natalia; Bulygina, Ekaterina; Vorobjeva, Taisya; Chupakova, Anna; Klimov, Sergey I.; Kellerman, Anne M.; Guillemette, Francois; Shiklomanov, Alexander; Podgorski, David C.; Spencer, Robert G. M.

2018-03-01

Pan-Arctic riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fluxes represent a major transfer of carbon from land-to-ocean, and past scaling estimates have been predominantly derived from the six major Arctic rivers. However, smaller watersheds are constrained to northern high-latitude regions and, particularly with respect to the Eurasian Arctic, have received little attention. In this study, we evaluated the concentration of DOC and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) via optical parameters, biomarkers (lignin phenols), and ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry in the Northern Dvina River (a midsized high-latitude constrained river). Elevated DOC, lignin concentrations, and aromatic DOM indicators were observed throughout the year in comparison to the major Arctic rivers with seasonality exhibiting a clear spring freshet and also some years a secondary pulse in the autumn concurrent with the onset of freezing. Chromophoric DOM absorbance at a350 was strongly correlated to DOC and lignin across the hydrograph; however, the relationships did not fit previous models derived from the six major Arctic rivers. Updated DOC and lignin fluxes were derived for the pan-Arctic watershed by scaling from the Northern Dvina resulting in increased DOC and lignin fluxes (50 Tg yr-1 and 216 Gg yr-1, respectively) compared to past estimates. This leads to a reduction in the residence time for terrestrial carbon in the Arctic Ocean (0.5 to 1.8 years). These findings suggest that constrained northern high-latitude rivers are underrepresented in models of fluxes based from the six largest Arctic rivers with important ramifications for the export and fate of terrestrial carbon in the Arctic Ocean.

Ocean-Glaciers Interactions in the Southern Svalbard Fjord, Hornsund.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walczowski, W.; Beszczynska-Moeller, A.; Prominska, A.; Kruss, A.

2017-12-01

The Arctic fjords constitute a link between the ocean and land, therefore there are highly vulnerable to warming and are expected to exhibit the earliest environmental changes resulting from anthropogenic impacts on climate. In the Arctic, the inshore boundary of a fjord system is usually dominated by tidewater glaciers while its offshore boundary is strongly influenced by warm oceanic waters. Improved understanding of the fjord-ocean exchange and processes within Arctic fjords is of a highest importance because their response to atmospheric, oceanic and glacial variability provides a key to understand the past and to forecast the future of the high latitude glaciers and Arctic climate. The results of field measurements in the Hornsund fjord (southern Svalbard), collected under the Polish-Norwegian projects GLAERE and AWAKE-2, will be presented. Interannual variability of warm Atlantic water entering the fjord, seasonal changes of ocean properties in the glacier bays and the structure of the water column in the vicinity of the glacier termination will be addressed. Direct contact of warm oceanic water with a glacier's wall causes submarine melting, undercutting and glacier calving. Turbulent plumes of subglacial meltwater constitute an important mechanism of heat transfer and also influence a glacier retreat. However our understanding of these processes is limited due to problems with obtaining in situ data close to the glacier wall. Therefore special attention will be paid to observations of the underwater parts of Hornsund glaciers and new measurements of water column fine structure and mixing in the turbulent meltwater plumes.

Acoustic Blind Deconvolution and Unconventional Nonlinear Beamforming in Shallow Ocean Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

this year’s work, contains natural bowhead whale calls recorded with a 12-element vertical array in the Arctic Ocean off the north coast of Alaska...This data set was collected and shared with this research project by Dr. Aaron Thode of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The whale call frequencies...performance of STR and conventional mode filtering for ranging the recorded whale calls. Figure 1. Arctic ocean sound channel used for simulations of

FIRE III ACE Info

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2014-03-18

... Regional Experiment (FIRE) - Arctic Cloud Experiment (ACE) was conducted April through July of 1998. It was held in conjunction with ... Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) Experiment. The FIRE-ACE focused on all aspects of Arctic cloud systems. The main facility was ...

Influence of the vertical mixing parameterization on the modeling results of the Arctic Ocean hydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iakshina, D. F.; Golubeva, E. N.

2017-11-01

The vertical distribution of the hydrological characteristics in the upper ocean layer is mostly formed under the influence of turbulent and convective mixing, which are not resolved in the system of equations for large-scale ocean. Therefore it is necessary to include additional parameterizations of these processes into the numerical models. In this paper we carry out a comparative analysis of the different vertical mixing parameterizations in simulations of climatic variability of the Arctic water and sea ice circulation. The 3D regional numerical model for the Arctic and North Atlantic developed in the ICMMG SB RAS (Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science) and package GOTM (General Ocean Turbulence Model1,2, http://www.gotm.net/) were used as the numerical instruments . NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data were used for determination of the surface fluxes related to ice and ocean. The next turbulence closure schemes were used for the vertical mixing parameterizations: 1) Integration scheme based on the Richardson criteria (RI); 2) Second-order scheme TKE with coefficients Canuto-A3 (CANUTO); 3) First-order scheme TKE with coefficients Schumann and Gerz4 (TKE-1); 4) Scheme KPP5 (KPP). In addition we investigated some important characteristics of the Arctic Ocean state including the intensity of Atlantic water inflow, ice cover state and fresh water content in Beaufort Sea.

Water isotopes and the Eocene. A tectonic sensitivity study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Legrande, A. N.; Roberts, C. D.; Tripati, A.; Schmidt, G. A.

2009-04-01

The early Eocene (54 Million years ago) is one of the warmest periods in the last 65 Million years. Its climate is postulated to have been the result of enhanced greenhouse gas concentration, with CO2 roughly 4 times pre-industrial and methane 7 times pre-industrial concentrations. One interesting feature of this period to emerge recently is the intermittent presence of fossilized Azolla, a type of freshwater fern, in the Arctic Ocean. Synchronous (within dating error) with this appearance were major changes in the restriction of the Arctic Ocean and the other global oceans. We investigate this time period using the Goddard Institute for Space Studies ModelE-R, a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model that incorporates water isotopes throughout the hydrologic cycle, making it an ideal model to test hypotheses of past climate change and to compare to paleoclimate proxy data. We assess the impact of tectonic variability by using minimal and maximal levels of restriction for the Arctic Ocean seaways. We find that the modulation of connectivity of these basins dramatically alters global salinity distribution, leading to large changes in ocean circulation. Greater restriction of the Arctic Basin is associated with fresh and relatively warmer conditions. The same mechanisms responsible for this redistribution of salt also change the global distribution of water isotopes, and can alias (water isotope) proxy climate signals of warmth.

Salinity of the Early and Middle Eocene Arctic Ocean From Oxygen Isotope Analysis of Fish Bone Carbonate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waddell, L. M.; Moore, T. C.

2006-12-01

Plate tectonic reconstructions indicate that the Arctic was largely isolated from the world ocean during the early and middle Eocene, with exchange limited to shallow, and possibly intermittent, connections to the North Atlantic and Tethys (via the Turgay Strait). Relative isolation, combined with an intensification of the hydrologic cycle under an Eocene greenhouse climate, is suspected to have led to the development of a low- salinity surface water layer in the Arctic that could have affected deep and intermediate convection in the North Atlantic. Sediment cores recently recovered from the Lomonosov Ridge by the IODP 302 Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX) allow for the first assessment of the salinity of the Arctic Ocean during the early and middle Eocene. Stable isotope analysis performed on the structural carbonate of fish bone apatite from ~30 samples between the ages of ~55 and ~44 myr yielded δ18O values between -6.84‰ and -2.96‰ VPDB, with a mean value of -4.89‰. From the δ18O values we calculate that the Arctic Ocean was probably brackish during most of the early and middle Eocene, with an average salinity of 19 to 24‰. Negative excursions in the δ18O record (<-6‰) indicate three events during which the salinity of the Arctic surface waters was severely lowered: the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), the Azolla event at ~49 Ma, and a third previously unidentified event at ~46 Ma. During the PETM, low salinities developed under conditions of increased regional precipitation and runoff associated with extreme high latitude warmth and possible tectonic uplift in the North Atlantic. During the other two low-salinity events, sea level was lowered by ~20-30 m, implying a possible severing of Arctic connections to the world ocean. The most positive δ18O value (-2.96‰) occurs at ~45 Ma, the age of the youngest dropstone discovered in the ACEX sediments, and may therefore correspond to a climatic cooling rather than a high salinity event.

Reconstructing Holocene Summer Sea-Ice Conditions in the Central and Western Arctic Ocean: Morphological Variations and Stable Isotope Composition of Neogloboquadrina pachyderma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asahi, H.; Nam, S. I.; Stein, R. H.; Mackensen, A.; Son, Y. J.

2017-12-01

The usability of planktic foraminiferal census data in Arctic paleoceanography is limited by the predominance of Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral). Though a potential usability of their morphological variation has been suggested by recent studies, its application is restricted to the central part of the Arctic Ocean. Here we present their regional distribution, using 80 surface sediment samples from the central and the western Arctic Ocean. Among seven morphological variations encountered, distinct presence of "large-sized" N. pachyderma morphotypes at the summer sea-ice edge in the western Arctic demonstrates its strong potential as sea-ice distribution indicator. Based on their regional patterns, we further developed planktic foraminifer (PF)-based transfer functions (TFs) to reconstruct summer surface-water temperature, salinity and sea-ice concentration in the western and central Arctic. The comparison of sea-ice reconstructions by PF-based TF to other pre-existed approaches showed their recognizable advantages/disadvantages: the PF-based approach in the nearby/within heavily ice-covered region, the dinocyst-based approach in the extensively seasonal ice retreat region, and the IP25-based approach with overall reflection over a wide range of sea-ice coverage, which is likely attributed to their (a) taphonomical information-loss, (b) different seasonal production patterns or combination of both. The application of these TFs on a sediment core from Northwind Ridge suggests general warming, freshening, and sea-ice reduction after 6.0 ka. This generally agrees with PF stable isotope records and sea-ice reconstructions from dinocyst-based TF at proximal locations, indicating that the sea-ice behavior at the Northwind Ridge is notably different from the IP25-based sea-ice reconstructions reported from elsewhere in the Arctic Ocean. Lack of regional coverage of PF-based reconstructions hampers further discussion whether the observed inconsistency is simply caused by different regional coverage of data and/or their different sensitivity yet. Thus, additional PF-census data with their isotope signatures from other cores from different ice regimes in the Arctic Ocean (e.g., Lomonosov Ridge and Mendeelev Ridge) will provide further discussion for such inconsisntency.

Arctic research vessel design would expand science prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsner, Robert; Kristensen, Dirk

The U.S. polar marine science community has long declared the need for an arctic research vessel dedicated to advancing the study of northern ice-dominated seas. Planning for such a vessel began 2 decades ago, but competition for funding has prevented construction. A new design program is underway, and it shows promise of opening up exciting possibilities for new research initiatives in arctic marine science.With its latest design, the Arctic Research Vessel (ARV) has grown to a size and capability that will make it the first U.S. academic research vessel able to provide access to the Arctic Ocean. This ship would open a vast arena for new studies in the least known of the world's seas. These studies promise to rank high in national priority because of the importance of the Arctic Ocean as a source of data relating to global climate change. Other issues that demand attention in the Arctic include its contributions to the world's heat budget, the climate history buried in its sediments, pollution monitoring, and the influence of arctic conditions on marine renewable resources.

Compensation of ocean acidification effects in Arctic phytoplankton assemblages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoppe, Clara Jule Marie; Wolf, Klara K. E.; Schuback, Nina; Tortell, Philippe D.; Rost, Björn

2018-06-01

The Arctic and subarctic shelf seas, which sustain large fisheries and contribute to global biogeochemical cycling, are particularly sensitive to ongoing ocean acidification (that is, decreasing seawater pH due to anthropogenic CO2 emissions). Yet, little information is available on the effects of ocean acidification on natural phytoplankton assemblages, which are the main primary producers in high-latitude waters. Here we show that coastal Arctic and subarctic primary production is largely insensitive to ocean acidification over a large range of light and temperature levels in different experimental designs. Out of ten CO2-manipulation treatments, significant ocean acidification effects on primary productivity were observed only once (at temperatures below 2 °C), and shifts in the species composition occurred only three times (without correlation to specific experimental conditions). These results imply a high capacity to compensate for environmental variability, which can be understood in light of the environmental history, tolerance ranges and intraspecific diversity of the dominant phytoplankton species.

Skillful prediction of northern climate provided by the ocean

PubMed Central

Årthun, Marius; Eldevik, Tor; Viste, Ellen; Drange, Helge; Furevik, Tore; Johnson, Helen L.; Keenlyside, Noel S.

2017-01-01

It is commonly understood that a potential for skillful climate prediction resides in the ocean. It nevertheless remains unresolved to what extent variable ocean heat is imprinted on the atmosphere to realize its predictive potential over land. Here we assess from observations whether anomalous heat in the Gulf Stream's northern extension provides predictability of northwestern European and Arctic climate. We show that variations in ocean temperature in the high latitude North Atlantic and Nordic Seas are reflected in the climate of northwestern Europe and in winter Arctic sea ice extent. Statistical regression models show that a significant part of northern climate variability thus can be skillfully predicted up to a decade in advance based on the state of the ocean. Particularly, we predict that Norwegian air temperature will decrease over the coming years, although staying above the long-term (1981–2010) average. Winter Arctic sea ice extent will remain low but with a general increase towards 2020. PMID:28631732

Toward Process-resolving Synthesis and Prediction of Arctic Climate Change Using the Regional Arctic System Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maslowski, W.

2017-12-01

The Regional Arctic System Model (RASM) has been developed to better understand the operation of Arctic System at process scale and to improve prediction of its change at a spectrum of time scales. RASM is a pan-Arctic, fully coupled ice-ocean-atmosphere-land model with marine biogeochemistry extension to the ocean and sea ice models. The main goal of our research is to advance a system-level understanding of critical processes and feedbacks in the Arctic and their links with the Earth System. The secondary, an equally important objective, is to identify model needs for new or additional observations to better understand such processes and to help constrain models. Finally, RASM has been used to produce sea ice forecasts for September 2016 and 2017, in contribution to the Sea Ice Outlook of the Sea Ice Prediction Network. Future RASM forecasts, are likely to include increased resolution for model components and ecosystem predictions. Such research is in direct support of the US environmental assessment and prediction needs, including those of the U.S. Navy, Department of Defense, and the recent IARPC Arctic Research Plan 2017-2021. In addition to an overview of RASM technical details, selected model results are presented from a hierarchy of climate models together with available observations in the region to better understand potential oceanic contributions to polar amplification. RASM simulations are analyzed to evaluate model skill in representing seasonal climatology as well as interannual and multi-decadal climate variability and predictions. Selected physical processes and resulting feedbacks are discussed to emphasize the need for fully coupled climate model simulations, high model resolution and sensitivity of simulated sea ice states to scale dependent model parameterizations controlling ice dynamics, thermodynamics and coupling with the atmosphere and ocean.

Geological Structure and History of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrov, Oleg; Morozov, Andrey; Shokalsky, Sergey; Sobolev, Nikolay; Kashubin, Sergey; Pospelov, Igor; Tolmacheva, Tatiana; Petrov, Eugeny

2016-04-01

New data on geological structure of the deep-water part of the Arctic Basin have been integrated in the joint project of Arctic states - the Atlas of maps of the Circumpolar Arctic. Geological (CGS, 2009) and potential field (NGS, 2009) maps were published as part of the Atlas; tectonic (Russia) and mineral resources (Norway) maps are being completed. The Arctic basement map is one of supplements to the tectonic map. It shows the Eurasian basin with oceanic crust and submerged margins of adjacent continents: the Barents-Kara, Amerasian ("Amerasian basin") and the Canada-Greenland. These margins are characterized by strained and thinned crust with the upper crust layer, almost extinct in places (South Barents and Makarov basins). In the Central Arctic elevations, seismic studies and investigation of seabed rock samples resulted in the identification of a craton with the Early Precambrian crust (near-polar part of the Lomonosov Ridge - Alpha-Mendeleev Rise). Its basement presumably consists of gneiss granite (2.6-2.2 Ga), and the cover is composed of Proterozoic quartzite sandstone and dolomite overlain with unconformity and break in sedimentation by Devonian-Triassic limestone with fauna and terrigenous rocks. The old crust is surrounded by accretion belts of Timanides and Grenvillides. Folded belts with the Late Precambrian crust are reworked by Caledonian-Ellesmerian and the Late Mesozoic movements. Structures of the South Anuy - Angayucham ophiolite suture reworked in the Early Cretaceous are separated from Mesozoides proper of the Pacific - Verkhoyansk-Kolyma and Koryak-Kamchatka belts. The complicated modern ensemble of structures of the basement and the continental frame of the Arctic Ocean was formed as a result of the conjugate evolution and interaction of the three major oceans of the Earth: Paleoasian, Paleoatlantic and Paleopacific.

Effectiveness and Sensitivity of the Arctic Observing Network in a Coupled Ocean-Sea Ice State Estimation Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, A. T.; Heimbach, P.; Garg, V.; Ocana, V.

2016-12-01

Over the last few decades, various agencies have invested heavily in the development and deployment of Arctic ocean and sea ice observing platforms, especially moorings, profilers, gliders, and satellite-based instruments. These observational assets are heterogeneous in terms of variables sampled and spatio-temporal coverage, which calls for a dynamical synthesis framework of the diverse data streams. Here we introduce an adjoint-based Arctic Subpolar gyre sTate estimate (ASTE), a medium resolution model-data synthesis that leverages all the possible observational assets. Through an established formal state and parameter estimation framework, the ASTE framework produces a 2002-present ocean-sea ice state that can be used to address Arctic System science questions. It is dynamically and kinematically consistent with known equations of motion and consistent with observations. Four key aspects of ASTE will be discussed: (1) How well is ASTE constrained by the existing observations; (2) which data most effectively constrain the system, and what impact on the solution does spatial and temporal coverage have; (3) how much information does one set of observation (e.g. Fram Strait heat transport) carry about a remote, but dynamically linked component (e.g. heat content in the Beaufort Gyre); and (4) how can the framework be used to assess the value of hypothetical observations in constraining poorly observed parts of the Arctic Ocean and the implied mechanisms responsible for the changes occurring in the Arctic. We will discuss the suggested geographic distribution of new observations to maximize the impact on improving our understanding of the general circulation, water mass distribution and hydrographic changes in the Arctic.

Global View of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-09-20

NASA researchers have new [sic] insights into the mysteries of Arctic sea ice, thanks to the unique abilities of Canada's Radarsat satellite. The Arctic is the smallest of the world's four oceans, but it may play a large role in helping scientists monitor Earth's climate shifts. Using Radarsat's special sensors to take images at night and to peer through clouds, NASA researchers can now see the complete ice cover of the Arctic. This allows tracking of any shifts and changes, in unprecedented detail, over the course of an entire winter. The radar-generated, high-resolution images are up to 100 times better than those taken by previous satellites. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02970

Inter-annual variability of transparent exopolymer particles in the Arctic Ocean reveals high sensitivity to ecosystem changes.

PubMed

Engel, Anja; Piontek, Judith; Metfies, Katja; Endres, Sonja; Sprong, Pim; Peeken, Ilka; Gäbler-Schwarz, Steffi; Nöthig, Eva-Maria

2017-06-23

Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) are a class of marine gel particles and important links between surface ocean biology and atmospheric processes. Derived from marine microorganisms, these particles can facilitate the biological pumping of carbon dioxide to the deep sea, or act as cloud condensation and ice nucleation particles in the atmosphere. Yet, environmental controls on TEP abundance in the ocean are poorly known. Here, we investigated some of these controls during the first multiyear time-series on TEP abundance for the Fram Strait, the Atlantic gateway to the Central Arctic Ocean. Data collected at the Long-Term Ecological Research observatory HAUSGARTEN during 2009 to 2014 indicate a strong biological control with highest abundance co-occurring with the prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis pouchetii. Higher occurrence of P. pouchetii in the Arctic Ocean has previously been related to northward advection of warmer Atlantic waters, which is expected to increase in the future. Our study highlights the role of plankton key species in driving climate relevant processes; thus, changes in plankton distribution need to be accounted for when estimating the ocean's biogeochemical response to global change.

Critical Metals In Western Arctic Ocean Ferromanganese Mineral Deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hein, J. R.; Spinardi, F.; Conrad, T. A.; Conrad, J. E.; Genetti, J.

2013-12-01

Little exploration for minerals has occurred in the Arctic Ocean due to ice cover and the remote location. Small deposits of seafloor massive sulfides that are rich in copper and zinc occur on Gakkel Ridge, which extends from Greenland to the Laptev Sea, and on Kolbeinsey and Mohns ridges, both located between Greenland and mainland Europe. However, rocks were recently collected by dredge along the western margin of the Canada Basin as part of the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) program north of Alaska. Sample sites include steep escarpments on the Chukchi Borderland, a newly discovered seamount informally named Healy seamount, the southern part of Alpha-Mendeleev Ridge, and several basement outcrops in Nautilus Basin. These dredge hauls yielded three types of metal-rich mineralized deposits: ferromanganese crusts, ferromanganese nodules, and hydrothermal iron and manganese deposits. Chemical analyses of 43 crust and nodule samples show high contents of many critical metals needed for high-technology, green-technology, and energy and military applications, including cobalt (to 0.3 wt.%), vanadium (to 0.12 wt.%), zirconium (to 459 grams/tonne=ppm), molybdenum (to 453 g/t), the rare-earth elements (including scandium and yttrium; yttrium to 229 g/t), lithium (to 205 g/t), tungsten (to 64 g/t), and gallium (to 26 g/t). The metal contents of these Arctic Ocean crusts and nodules are comparable to those found throughout the global ocean, however, these Arctic Ocean samples are the first that have been found to be enriched in rare metal scandium. The metal contents of these samples indicate a diagenetic component. Crusts typically form by precipitation of metal oxides solely from seawater (hydrogenetic) onto rock surfaces producing a pavement, whereas nodules form by accretion of metal oxides, from both seawater and pore waters (diagenetic), around a nucleus on the surface of soft sediment. The best evidence for this diagenetic input to the crusts is that crusts typically have low lithium contents, 1-10 g/t while diagenetic nodules can have contents up to 600 g/t; the Arctic Ocean crusts have relatively high lithium contents of up to 205 g/t, indicating that these crusts may be only the second yet discovered to acquire some elements from sediment pore waters. A potential avenue for acquisition of diagenetic metals would be via release from pore waters into the bottom waters that bathe the crusts, or alternatively by partial burial of the crusts in mud. However, the overall composition of the crusts indicates predominantly a hydrogenetic origin. Hydrothermal iron hydroxide samples from the Arctic Ocean were dated using argon isotopes, which produced a Paleozoic age. This indicates that the Chukchi Platform in the SW Arctic Ocean is a piece of continental crust. This age also indicates that hydrothermal iron and manganese deposits are not temporally related to the Neogene ferromanganese crusts and nodules. Our preliminary results suggest that additional exploration in the Arctic Ocean for mineral deposits is warranted.

Optical Characterisation of Suspended Particles in the Mackenzie River Plume (Canadian Arctic Ocean) and Implications for Ocean Colour Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doxaran, D.; Ehn, J.; Belanger, S.; Matsuoka, A.; Hooker, S.; Babin, M.

2012-01-01

Climate change significantly impacts Arctic shelf regions in terms of air temperature, ultraviolet radiation, melting of sea ice, precipitation, thawing of permafrost and coastal erosion. Direct consequences have been observed on the increasing Arctic river flow and a large amount of organic carbon sequestered in soils at high latitudes since the last glacial maximum can be expected to be delivered to the Arctic Ocean during the coming decade. Monitoring the fluxes and fate of this terrigenous organic carbon is problematic in such sparsely populated regions unless remote sensing techniques can be developed and proved to be operational. The main objective of this study is to develop an ocean colour algorithm to operationally monitor dynamics of suspended particulate matter (SPM) on the Mackenzie River continental shelf (Canadian Arctic Ocean) using satellite imagery. The water optical properties are documented across the study area and related to concentrations of SPM and particulate organic carbon (POC). Robust SPM and POC : SPM proxies are identified, such as the light backscattering and attenuation coefficients, and relationships are established between these optical and biogeochemical parameters. Following a semi-analytical approach, a regional SPM quantification relationship is obtained for the inversion of the water reflectance signal into SPM concentration. This relationship is reproduced based on independent field optical measurements. It is successfully applied to a selection of MODIS satellite data which allow estimating fluxes at the river mouth and monitoring the extension and dynamics of the Mackenzie River surface plume in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Good agreement is obtained with field observations representative of the whole water column in the river delta zone where terrigenous SPM is mainly constrained (out of short periods of maximum river outflow). Most of the seaward export of SPM is observed to occur within the west side of the river mouth. Future work will require the validation of the developed SPM regional algorithm based on match-ups with field measurements, then the routine application to ocean colour satellite data in order to better estimate the fluxes and fate of SPM and POC delivered by the Mackenzie River to the Arctic Ocean.

OCoc- from Ocean Colour to Organic Carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heim, B.; Overduin, P. P.; Schirrmeister, L.; Lantuit, H.; Doerffer, R.

2009-12-01

Enhanced permafrost warming and increased arctic river discharges have heightened concern about the input of terrigenous matter into Arctic coastal waters. The ‘OCoc-from Ocean Colour to Organic Carbon’ project (IPY-project 1176), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), is an Ocean Colour study joined with the Arctic Coastal Dynamics ACD network and Arctic Circum-polar Coastal Observatory Network ACCO-Net (IPY-project 90). OCoc uses Ocean Colour satellite data for synoptical monitoring of organic matter fluxes from fluvial and coastal sources. Initial results from German-Russian expeditions at the southeastern Laptev Sea Coast (Arctic Siberia, Russia) in August 2008 and August 2009 are presented. Large parts of this coastal zone are characterized by highly erosive organic-rich material. Ocean Colour MERIS Reduced Resolution (RR)-LIB data of the have been processed towards optical aquatic parameters using Beam-Visat4.2 and the MERIS case2 regional processor for coastal application (C2R). Calculated aquatic parameters are absorption and backscattering coefficients, apparent optical properties such as the first attenuation depth (‘Z90’) and calculated concentrations of chlorophyll, total suspended matter and coloured dissolved organic matter absorption from the water leaving reflectances. Initial comparisons with expedition data (Secchi depths, cDOM) show that the MERIS-C2R optical parameters ’total absorption’ and the first attenuation depth, ’Z90’, seem adequately to represent true conditions. High attenuation values in the spectral blue wavelength range may serve as tracer for the organic-rich terrigenous input. The synoptic information of Ocean Colour products will provide valuable spatial and dynamical information on the Organic Carbon and sediment fluxes from the Siberian permafrost coast.

Effects of Model Resolution and Ocean Mixing on Forced Ice-Ocean Physical and Biogeochemical Simulations Using Global and Regional System Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Meibing; Deal, Clara; Maslowski, Wieslaw; Matrai, Patricia; Roberts, Andrew; Osinski, Robert; Lee, Younjoo J.; Frants, Marina; Elliott, Scott; Jeffery, Nicole; Hunke, Elizabeth; Wang, Shanlin

2018-01-01

The current coarse-resolution global Community Earth System Model (CESM) can reproduce major and large-scale patterns but is still missing some key biogeochemical features in the Arctic Ocean, e.g., low surface nutrients in the Canada Basin. We incorporated the CESM Version 1 ocean biogeochemical code into the Regional Arctic System Model (RASM) and coupled it with a sea-ice algal module to investigate model limitations. Four ice-ocean hindcast cases are compared with various observations: two in a global 1° (40˜60 km in the Arctic) grid: G1deg and G1deg-OLD with/without new sea-ice processes incorporated; two on RASM's 1/12° (˜9 km) grid R9km and R9km-NB with/without a subgrid scale brine rejection parameterization which improves ocean vertical mixing under sea ice. Higher-resolution and new sea-ice processes contributed to lower model errors in sea-ice extent, ice thickness, and ice algae. In the Bering Sea shelf, only higher resolution contributed to lower model errors in salinity, nitrate (NO3), and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a). In the Arctic Basin, model errors in mixed layer depth (MLD) were reduced 36% by brine rejection parameterization, 20% by new sea-ice processes, and 6% by higher resolution. The NO3 concentration biases were caused by both MLD bias and coarse resolution, because of excessive horizontal mixing of high NO3 from the Chukchi Sea into the Canada Basin in coarse resolution models. R9km showed improvements over G1deg on NO3, but not on Chl-a, likely due to light limitation under snow and ice cover in the Arctic Basin.

Deep ocean ventilation in the Central Fram Strait during the past 35 kyr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezat, M.; Rasmussen, T. L.; Skinner, L.; Zamelczyk, K.

2017-12-01

Ocean ventilation in the Arctic Mediterranean via transformation of northward inflowing warm Atlantic surface water into cold deep water affects regional climate, large-scale atmospheric circulation and carbon storage in the deep ocean. Radiocarbon dating of benthic foraminifera has been used to suggest a near-cessation of Arctic Ocean ventilation during the Last Glacial Maximum. During the last deglaciation episodic surges of this Arctic `aged' glacial deep water into the Nordic Seas and the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean may have occurred (Thornalley et al., 2011, 2015; Science). A recent study from the SE Norwegian Sea and the Iceland Basin has revealed large radiocarbon age differences between different benthic foraminiferal species during the last deglaciation (Ezat et al., 2017; Paleoceanography), which arguments for a re-evaluation of previous bottom-water radiocarbon ventilation age reconstructions from the region. Here, we present new species-specific benthic and planktic foraminiferal radiocarbon dates from the central Fram Strait and the SE Norwegian Sea for the past 35 kyr. Several lines of evidence in this new dataset demonstrate that the previously suggested `extreme aging' of >6000 14C years in the Arctic Mediterranean is most likely erroneous. In addition, benthic-planktic age offsets in the deep central Fram Strait display a remarkable decrease from 1300-2300 14C years in late Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 to 0-500 14C year in MIS 2, which correlates with a decrease in benthic d13C and reduction in the benthic-planktic d18O gradient. We are in the process of compiling/screening published ventilation age reconstructions from the Arctic Mediterranean and the subpolar North Atlantic in the light of our new results in order to establish a basin-scale evolution of ocean ventilation since late MIS 3 in this region.

ARCTIC SEA ICE EXTENT AND DRIFT, MODELED AS A VISCOUS FLUID.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ling, Chi-Hai; Parkinson, Claire L.

1986-01-01

A dynamic/thermodynamic numerical model of sea ice has been used to calculate the yearly cycle of sea ice thicknesses, concentrations, and velocities in the Arctic Ocean and surrounding seas. The model combines the formulations of two previous models, taking the thermodynamics and momentum equations from the model of Parkinson and Washington and adding the constitutive equation and equation of state from the model of Ling, Rasmussen, and Campbell. Simulated annually averaged ice drift vectors compare well with observed ice drift from the Arctic Ocean Buoy Program.

Monitoring the melting of the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalaugher, Liz

2008-09-01

Standing on the deck of the icebreaker Amundsen in the Arctic Ocean, I am bathed in blazing June sunshine. The weather has been like this all week since I joined the ship - a research vessel that set sail from Quebec in Canada last summer - as a visiting science journalist. It would be tempting to think that such conditions are typical, but most areas of the Arctic are in fact cloudy for 80% of the time in the spring and summer due to moisture in the air from melting ice and from exposed areas of the ocean.

Multi-Decadal Variability in the Bering Sea: A Synthesis of Model Results and Observations from 1948 to the Present

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

stated that the development and use of high-resolution Arctic climate and systems models are important stepping stones for dedicated studies of...W., J. L. Clement Kinney, D. C. Marble , and J. Jakacki, 2008: Towards eddy resolving models of the Arctic Ocean: Ocean Modeling in an Eddying

Arctic Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parkinson, Claire L.; Zukor, Dorothy J. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the Earth's four major oceans, covering 14x10(exp 6) sq km located entirely within the Arctic Circle (66 deg 33 min N). It is a major player in the climate of the north polar region and has a variable sea ice cover that tends to increase its sensitivity to climate change. Its temperature, salinity, and ice cover have all undergone changes in the past several decades, although it is uncertain whether these predominantly reflect long-term trends, oscillations within the system, or natural variability. Major changes include a warming and expansion of the Atlantic layer, at depths of 200-900 m, a warming of the upper ocean in the Beaufort Sea, a considerable thinning (perhaps as high as 40%) of the sea ice cover, a lesser and uneven retreat of the ice cover (averaging approximately 3% per decade), and a mixed pattern of salinity increases and decreases.

Relationship between sea ice freeboard and draft in the Arctic Basin, and implications for ice thickness monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadhams, P.; Tucker, W. B.; Krabill, W. B.; Swift, R. N.; Comiso, J. C.; Davis, N. R.

1992-12-01

We have confirmed our earlier finding that the probability density function (pdf) of ice freeboard in the Arctic Ocean can be converted to a pdf of ice draft by applying a simple coordinate transformation based on the measured mean draft and mean elevation. This applies in each of six 50-km sections (north of Greenland) of joint airborne laser and submarine sonar profile obtained along nearly coincident tracks from the Arctic Basin north of Greenland and tested for this study. Detailed differences in the shape of the pdf can be explained on the basis of snow load and can, in principle, be compensated by the use of a more sophisticated freeboard-dependent transformation. The measured "density ratio" R (actually mean draft/mean elevation ratio) for each section was found to be consistent over all sections tested, despite differences in the ice regime, indicating that a single value of R might be used for measurements done in this season of the year. The mean value from all six sections is 7.89; on the assumption that all six values are drawn from the same population, the standard deviation is 0.55 for a single 50-km section, and thus 0.22 for 300 km of track. In attempting to infer ice draft from laser-measured freeboard, we would therefore expect an accuracy of about ±28 cm in 50 km of track (if mean draft is about 4 m) and about ±11 cm in 300 km of track; these accuracies are compatible with the resolution of predictions from numerical models. A simple model for the variability of R with season and with mean ice thickness gives results in reasonable agreement with observations. They show that although there is a large seasonal variability due to snow load, there is a stable period from November to April when the variability is chiefly dependent on the mean ice thickness alone. Thus, in principle, R can be mapped over the Arctic Ocean as a basis for interpreting survey data. Better field data are needed on the seasonal and spatial variability of three key quantities: area-averaged snow load, mean density of first-year and multiyear ice (including the effect of ridging with these two ice regimes), and density of near-surface water.

Arctic climate response to geoengineering with stratospheric sulfate aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCusker, K. E.; Battisti, D. S.; Bitz, C. M.

2010-12-01

Recent warming and record summer sea-ice area minimums have spurred expressions of concern for arctic ecosystems, permafrost, and polar bear populations, among other things. Geoengineering by stratospheric sulfate aerosol injections to deliberately cancel the anthropogenic temperature rise has been put forth as a possible solution to restoring Arctic (and global) climate to modern conditions. However, climate is particularly sensitive in the northern high latitudes, responding easily to radiative forcing changes. To that end, we explore the extent to which tropical injections of stratospheric sulfate aerosol can accomplish regional cancellation in the Arctic. We use the Community Climate System Model version 3 global climate model to execute simulations with combinations of doubled CO2 and imposed stratospheric sulfate burdens to investigate the effects on high latitude climate. We further explore the sensitivity of the polar climate to ocean dynamics by running a suite of simulations with and without ocean dynamics, transiently and to equilibrium respectively. We find that, although annual, global mean temperature cancellation is accomplished, there is over-cooling on land in Arctic summer, but residual warming in Arctic winter, which is largely due to atmospheric circulation changes. Furthermore, the spatial extent of these features and their concurrent impacts on sea-ice properties are modified by the inclusion of ocean dynamical feedbacks.

Selected physical, biological and biogeochemical implications of a rapidly changing Arctic Marginal Ice Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barber, David G.; Hop, Haakon; Mundy, Christopher J.; Else, Brent; Dmitrenko, Igor A.; Tremblay, Jean-Eric; Ehn, Jens K.; Assmy, Philipp; Daase, Malin; Candlish, Lauren M.; Rysgaard, Søren

2015-12-01

The Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) of the Arctic Ocean is changing rapidly due to a warming Arctic climate with commensurate reductions in sea ice extent and thickness. This Pan-Arctic review summarizes the main changes in the Arctic ocean-sea ice-atmosphere (OSA) interface, with implications for primary- and secondary producers in the ice and the underlying water column. Changes in the Arctic MIZ were interpreted for the period 1979-2010, based on best-fit regressions for each month. Trends of increasingly open water were statistically significant for each month, with quadratic fit for August-November, illustrating particularly strong seasonal feedbacks in sea-ice formation and decay. Geographic interpretations of physical and biological changes were based on comparison of regions with significant changes in sea ice: (1) The Pacific Sector of the Arctic Ocean including the Canada Basin and the Beaufort, Chukchi and East Siberian seas; (2) The Canadian Arctic Archipelago; (3) Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay; and (4) the Barents and Kara seas. Changes in ice conditions in the Barents sea/Kara sea region appear to be primarily forced by ocean heat fluxes during winter, whereas changes in the other sectors appear to be more summer-autumn related and primarily atmospherically forced. Effects of seasonal and regional changes in OSA-system with regard to increased open water were summarized for photosynthetically available radiation, nutrient delivery to the euphotic zone, primary production of ice algae and phytoplankton, ice-associated fauna and zooplankton, and gas exchange of CO2. Changes in the physical factors varied amongst regions, and showed direct effects on organisms linked to sea ice. Zooplankton species appear to be more flexible and likely able to adapt to variability in the onset of primary production. The major changes identified for the ice-associated ecosystem are with regard to production timing and abundance or biomass of ice flora and fauna, which are related to regional changes in sea-ice conditions.

Atlantic water heat transfer through the Arctic Gateway (Fram Strait) during the Last Interglacial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuravleva, Anastasia; Bauch, Henning A.; Spielhagen, Robert F.

2017-10-01

The Last Interglacial in the Arctic region is often described as a time with warmer conditions and significantly less summer sea ice than today. The role of Atlantic water (AW) as the main oceanic heat flux agent into the Arctic Ocean remains, however, unclear. Using high-resolution stable isotope and faunal records from the only deep Arctic Gateway, the Fram Strait, we note for the upper water column a diminished influence of AW and generally colder-than-Holocene surface ocean conditions. After the main Saalian deglaciation had terminated, a first intensification of northward-advected AW happened ( 124 ka). However, an intermittent sea surface cooling, triggered by meltwater release at 122 ka, caused a regional delay in the further development towards peak interglacial conditions. Maximum AW heat advection occurred during late MIS 5e (118.5-116 ka) and interrupted a longer-term cooling trend at the sea surface that started from about 120 ka on. Such a late occurrence of the major AW-derived near-surface warming in the Fram Strait - this is in stark contrast to an early warm peak in the Holocene - compares well in time with upstream records from the Norwegian Sea, altogether implying a coherent development of south-to-north ocean heat transfer through the eastern Nordic Seas and into the high Arctic during the Last Interglacial.

A High-resolution Palaeomagnetic Secular Variation Record from the Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean for the Last 4200 Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, G.; O'Regan, M.; Jakobsson, M.; Nilsson, A.; Pearce, C.; Snowball, I.; Wiers, S.

2017-12-01

The lack of high-temporal resolution and well-dated palaeomagnetic records from the Arctic Ocean hinders our understanding of geomagnetic field behaviour in the region, and limits the applicability of these records in the development of accurate age models for Arctic Ocean sediments. We present a palaeomagnetic secular variation (PSV) record from a sediment core recovered from the Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean during the SWERUS-C3 Leg 2 Expedition. The 8.24-metre-long core was collected at 57 m water depth in the Herald Canyon (72.52° N 175.32° W), and extends to 4200 years BP based on 14 AMS 14C dates and a tephra layer associated with the 3.6 cal ka BP Aniakchak eruption. Palaeomagnetic measurements and magnetic analyses of discrete samples reveal stable characteristic remanent magnetisation directions, and a magnetic mineralogy dominated by magnetite. Centennial to millennial scale declination and inclination features, which correlate well to other Western Arctic records, can be readily identified. The relative palaeointensity record of the core matches well with spherical harmonic field model outputs of pfm9k (Nilsson et al., 2014) and CALS10k.2 (Constable et al. 2016) for the site location. Supported by a robust chronology, the presented high-resolution PSV record can potentially play a key role in constructing a well-dated master chronology for the region.

Mapping of the air-sea CO2 flux in the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas: Basin-wide distribution and seasonal to interannual variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasunaka, Sayaka; Murata, Akihiko; Watanabe, Eiji; Chierici, Melissa; Fransson, Agneta; van Heuven, Steven; Hoppema, Mario; Ishii, Masao; Johannessen, Truls; Kosugi, Naohiro; Lauvset, Siv K.; Mathis, Jeremy T.; Nishino, Shigeto; Omar, Abdirahman M.; Olsen, Are; Sasano, Daisuke; Takahashi, Taro; Wanninkhof, Rik

2016-09-01

We produced 204 monthly maps of the air-sea CO2 flux in the Arctic north of 60°N, including the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas, from January 1997 to December 2013 by using a self-organizing map technique. The partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in surface water data were obtained by shipboard underway measurements or calculated from alkalinity and total inorganic carbon of surface water samples. Subsequently, we investigated the basin-wide distribution and seasonal to interannual variability of the CO2 fluxes. The 17-year annual mean CO2 flux shows that all areas of the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas were net CO2 sinks. The estimated annual CO2 uptake by the Arctic Ocean was 180 TgC yr-1. The CO2 influx was strongest in winter in the Greenland/Norwegian Seas (>15 mmol m-2 day-1) and the Barents Sea (>12 mmol m-2 day-1) because of strong winds, and strongest in summer in the Chukchi Sea (∼10 mmol m-2 day-1) because of the sea-ice retreat. In recent years, the CO2 uptake has increased in the Greenland/Norwegian Sea and decreased in the southern Barents Sea, owing to increased and decreased air-sea pCO2 differences, respectively.

The impact of 21st Century sea ice decline on the hydrological budget of the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, J. J.; Bamber, J. L.; Valdes, P. J.; Kohler, J.

2009-12-01

The Arctic is a region particularly susceptible to rapid climate change. GCMs suggest a polar amplification of any global warming signal by about 1.5 due, largely, to sea ice feedbacks. The dramatic recent decline in multi-year ice cover lies outside the standard deviation of the ensemble GCM predictions and has lead to the suggestion that the Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer as soon as ~2014. Sea ice acts as a barrier between cold air and warmer oceans during winter, as well as inhibiting evaporation from the water below during the summer. An ice free Arctic would likely have an altered hydrological cycle with more evaporation from the ocean surface leading to changes in precipitation distribution and amount. For example, changes in sea ice cover are thought to have caused changes in the mass balance of Europe’s largest ice cap, Austfona, Svalbard, by increasing accumulation. Using the U.K. Met Office Regional Climate Model (RCM), HadRM3, the atmospheric effects of the observed and projected reduction in Arctic sea ice are investigated. The RCM is driven by the atmosphere only general circulation model HadAM3. Both models are forced with sea surface temperature and sea ice obtained by extrapolating recent changes into the future using bootstrapping based on the HadISST climatology. Here we use an RCM at 25km resolution over the Arctic which captures well the present-day pattern of precipitation and provides a detailed picture of the projected changes in the behaviour of the oceanic-atmosphere moisture fluxes and how they affect precipitation.

On the Flow of Atlantic Water Towards the Arctic Ocean; a Synergy Between Altimetry and Hydrography.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chafik, L.; Nilsson, J.; Skagseth, O.; Lundberg, P.

2015-12-01

The Arctic climate is strongly influenced by the inflow of warm Atlantic water conveyed by the Norwegian Atlantic Slope Current (NwASC); the main heat conveyor into the Arctic Ocean. Based on sea surface height (SSH) data from altimetry, we develop a dynamical measure of the NwASC transport to diagnose its spatio-temporal variability. This supports a dynamical division of the NwASC into two flow regimes; the Svinøy Branch (SvB) in the Norwegian Sea, and the Fram Strait Branch (FSB) west of Spitsbergen. The SvB transport is well correlated with the SSH and atmospheric variability within the Nordic Seas, factors that also affect the inflow to the Barents Sea. In contrast, the FSB is regulated by regional atmospheric patterns around Svalbard and northern Barents Sea. We further relate anomalous flow events to temperature fluctuations of Atlantic water. A warm anomaly is found to propagate northwards, with a tendency to amplify enroute, after events of strong flow in the Norwegian Sea. A roughly 12-months delayed temperature signal is identified in the FSB. This suggests that hydrographic anomalies both upstream from the North Atlantic, and locally generated in the Norwegian Sea, are important for the oceanic heat and salt transport that eventually enters into the Arctic. We believe that the combination of the flow from altimetry and temperature fluctuations in the Nordic Seas can be used to qualitatively predict warm anomalies towards the Arctic Ocean, which could be a valuable addition to the forecast skill of the statistical Arctic sea-ice models.

Bathymetric controls on Pliocene North Atlantic and Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, M.M.; Valdes, P.J.; Haywood, A.M.; Dowsett, H.J.; Hill, D.J.; Jones, S.M.

2011-01-01

The mid-Pliocene warm period (MPWP; ~. 3.3 to 3.0. Ma) is the most recent interval in Earth's history in which global temperatures reached and remained at levels similar to those projected for the near future. The distribution of global warmth, however, was different than today in that the high latitudes warmed more than the tropics. Multiple temperature proxies indicate significant sea surface warming in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans during the MPWP, but predictions from a fully coupled ocean-atmosphere model (HadCM3) have so far been unable to fully predict the large scale of sea surface warming in the high latitudes. If climate proxies accurately represent Pliocene conditions, and if no weakness exists in the physics of the model, then model boundary conditions may be in error. Here we alter a single boundary condition (bathymetry) to examine if Pliocene high latitude warming was aided by an increase in poleward heat transport due to changes in the subsidence of North Atlantic Ocean ridges. We find an increase in both Arctic sea surface temperature and deepwater production in model experiments that incorporate a deepened Greenland-Scotland Ridge. These results offer both a mechanism for the warming in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans indicated by numerous proxies and an explanation for the apparent disparity between proxy data and model simulations of Pliocene northern North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean conditions. Determining the causes of Pliocene warmth remains critical to fully understanding comparisons of the Pliocene warm period to possible future climate change scenarios. ?? 2011.

Observations of Recent Arctic Sea Ice Volume Loss and Its Impact on Ocean-Atmosphere Energy Exchange and Ice Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurtz, N. T.; Markus, T.; Farrell, S. L.; Worthen, D. L.; Boisvert, L. N.

2011-01-01

Using recently developed techniques we estimate snow and sea ice thickness distributions for the Arctic basin through the combination of freeboard data from the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) and a snow depth model. These data are used with meteorological data and a thermodynamic sea ice model to calculate ocean-atmosphere heat exchange and ice volume production during the 2003-2008 fall and winter seasons. The calculated heat fluxes and ice growth rates are in agreement with previous observations over multiyear ice. In this study, we calculate heat fluxes and ice growth rates for the full distribution of ice thicknesses covering the Arctic basin and determine the impact of ice thickness change on the calculated values. Thinning of the sea ice is observed which greatly increases the 2005-2007 fall period ocean-atmosphere heat fluxes compared to those observed in 2003. Although there was also a decline in sea ice thickness for the winter periods, the winter time heat flux was found to be less impacted by the observed changes in ice thickness. A large increase in the net Arctic ocean-atmosphere heat output is also observed in the fall periods due to changes in the areal coverage of sea ice. The anomalously low sea ice coverage in 2007 led to a net ocean-atmosphere heat output approximately 3 times greater than was observed in previous years and suggests that sea ice losses are now playing a role in increasing surface air temperatures in the Arctic.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ocean sediments from the North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Ma, Yuxin; Halsall, Crispin J; Xie, Zhiyong; Koetke, Danijela; Mi, Wenying; Ebinghaus, Ralf; Gao, Guoping

2017-08-01

Eighteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in surficial sediments along a marine transect from the North Pacific into the Arctic Ocean. The highest average Σ 18 PAHs concentrations were observed along the continental slope of the Canada Basin in the Arctic (68.3 ± 8.5 ng g -1 dw), followed by sediments in the Chukchi Sea shelf (49.7 ± 21.2 ng g -1 dw) and Bering Sea (39.5 ± 11.3 ng g -1 dw), while the Bering Strait (16.8 ± 7.1 ng g -1 dw) and Central Arctic Ocean sediments (13.1 ± 9.6 ng g -1 dw) had relatively lower average concentrations. The use of principal components analysis with multiple linear regression (PCA/MLR) indicated that on average oil related or petrogenic sources contributed ∼42% of the measured PAHs in the sediments and marked by higher concentrations of two methylnaphthalenes over the non-alkylated parent PAH, naphthalene. Wood and coal combustion contributed ∼32%, and high temperature pyrogenic sources contributing ∼26%. Petrogenic sources, such as oil seeps, allochthonous coal and coastally eroded material such as terrigenous sediments particularly affected the Chukchi Sea shelf and slope of the Canada Basin, while biomass and coal combustion sources appeared to have greater influence in the central Arctic Ocean, possibly due to the effects of episodic summertime forest fires. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Moderate-resolution sea surface temperature data and seasonal pattern analysis for the Arctic Ocean ecoregions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Payne, Meredith C.; Reusser, Deborah A.; Lee, Henry

2012-01-01

Sea surface temperature (SST) is an important environmental characteristic in determining the suitability and sustainability of habitats for marine organisms. In particular, the fate of the Arctic Ocean, which provides critical habitat to commercially important fish, is in question. This poses an intriguing problem for future research of Arctic environments - one that will require examination of long-term SST records. This publication describes and provides access to an easy-to-use Arctic SST dataset for ecologists, biogeographers, oceanographers, and other scientists conducting research on habitats and/or processes in the Arctic Ocean. The data cover the Arctic ecoregions as defined by the "Marine Ecoregions of the World" (MEOW) biogeographic schema developed by The Nature Conservancy as well as the region to the north from approximately 46°N to about 88°N (constrained by the season and data coverage). The data span a 29-year period from September 1981 to December 2009. These SST data were derived from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instrument measurements that had been compiled into monthly means at 4-kilometer grid cell spatial resolution. The processed data files are available in ArcGIS geospatial datasets (raster and point shapefiles) and also are provided in text (.csv) format. All data except the raster files include attributes identifying latitude/longitude coordinates, and realm, province, and ecoregion as defined by the MEOW classification schema. A seasonal analysis of these Arctic ecoregions reveals a wide range of SSTs experienced throughout the Arctic, both over the course of an annual cycle and within each month of that cycle. Sea ice distribution plays a major role in SST regulation in all Arctic ecoregions.

Comprehensive analysis of Curie-point depths and lithospheric effective elastic thickness at Arctic Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Y.; Li, C. F.

2017-12-01

Arctic Ocean remains at the forefront of geological exploration. Here we investigate its deep geological structures and geodynamics on the basis of gravity, magnetic and bathymetric data. We estimate Curie-point depth and lithospheric effective elastic thickness to understand deep geothermal structures and Arctic lithospheric evolution. A fractal exponent of 3.0 for the 3D magnetization model is used in the Curie-point depth inversion. The result shows that Curie-point depths are between 5 and 50 km. Curie depths are mostly small near the active mid-ocean ridges, corresponding well to high heat flow and active shallow volcanism. Large curie depths are distributed mainly at continental marginal seas around the Arctic Ocean. We present a map of effective elastic thickness (Te) of the lithosphere using a multitaper coherence technique, and Te are between 5 and 110 km. Te primarily depends on geothermal gradient and composition, as well as structures in the lithosphere. We find that Te and Curie-point depths are often correlated. Large Te are distributed mainly at continental region and small Te are distributed at oceanic region. The Alpha-Mendeleyev Ridge (AMR) and The Svalbard Archipelago (SA) are symmetrical with the mid-ocean ridge. AMR and SA were formed before an early stage of Eurasian basin spreading, and they are considered as conjugate large igneous provinces, which show small Te and Curie-point depths. Novaya Zemlya region has large Curie-point depths and small Te. We consider that fault and fracture near the Novaya Zemlya orogenic belt cause small Te. A series of transform faults connect Arctic mid-ocean ridge with North Atlantic mid-ocean ridge. We can see large Te near transform faults, but small Curie-point depths. We consider that although temperature near transform faults is high, but mechanically the lithosphere near transform faults are strengthened.

New data from cold war treasure trove

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlowicz, Michael

For half a century, the Russian and United States navies competed for tactical advantage in the Arctic Ocean, mapping seafloor and floating ice sheets, measuring temperatures and reckoning chemistry. But with old enemies becoming new friends, data once collected for the sake of war now are being shared in the name of scientific cooperation.In mid-January, the U.S. and Russian governments announced the release of the first of four volumes of a new atlas of the Arctic Ocean. The previously classified data it contains will effectively double the amount of Arctic data that is available to the scientific community. The set includes more than 1.3 million temperature and salinity observations collected from 1948 to 1993 by drifting ice camps and stations, icebreaking ships, land—and airborne expeditions, and buoys. Approximately 70% of the observations for the Arctic Ocean and shelf seas were derived from Russian archives of formerly restricted data, with the other 30% coming from comparable sources in the U.S., Canada, and other Western nations.

Assessing the potential and side effects of ocean albedo modification in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mengis, N.; Oschlies, A.; Keller, D. P.; Martin, T.

2015-12-01

The ice albedo feedbacks in the Arctic are a key factor of the positive feedback mechanisms, which amplify climate change in the high northern latitudes. This study assesses the potential and side effects of an idealised Arctic ocean albedo modification (AOAM) experiment under varying emissions scenarios. A first finding is the fact that the decreasing trend in the Arctic summer sea ice extent could only be offset rather than reversed by the implementation of AOAM under increasing atmospheric CO2 emissions. What becomes evident in this study is that the Earth system regulates its internal heat budgets. Therefore a local cooling at the high northern latitudes causes compensatory heat fluxes in the atmosphere and the ocean. Meaning that firstly, the effectiveness of local scale climate intervention will, in the long term, be lowered by these compensatory fluxes and secondly that there are consequences, such as the subsurface warming signal found in this study, which are unexpected and unintended.

Arctic geodynamics: Continental shelf and deep ocean geophysics. ERS-1 satellite altimetry: A first look

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Allen Joel; Sandwell, David T.; Marquart, Gabriele; Scherneck, Hans-Georg

1993-01-01

An overall review of the Arctic Geodynamics project is presented. A composite gravity field model of the region based upon altimetry data from ERS-1, Geosat, and Seasat is made. ERS-1 altimetry covers unique Arctic and Antarctic latitudes above 72 deg. Both areas contain large continental shelf areas, passive margins, as well as recently formed deep ocean areas. Until ERS-1 it was not possible to study these areas with satellite altimetry. Gravity field solutions for the Barents sea, portions of the Arctic ocean, and the Norwegian sea north of Iceland are shown. The gravity anomalies around Svalbard (Spitsbergen) and Bear island are particularly large, indicating large isostatic anomalies which remain from the recent breakup of Greenland from Scandinavian. Recently released gravity data from the Armed Forces Topographic Service of Russia cover a portion of the Barents and Kara seas. A comparison of this data with the ERS-1 produced gravity field is shown.

Aerosol Microphysical Effects on Cloud Fraction over the Nighttime Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamora, L. M.; Kahn, R. A.; Stohl, A.; Eckhardt, S.

2017-12-01

Cloud fraction is a key component affecting the surface energy balance in the Arctic. Aerosol microphysical processes can affect cloud fraction, for example through cloud lifetime effects. However, the importance of aerosol impacts on cloud fraction is not well constrained on a regional scale at high latitudes. Here we discuss a new method for identifying and comparing clean and aerosol-influenced cloud characteristics using a combination of multi-year remote sensing data (CALIPSO, CloudSat) and the FLEXPART aerosol model. We use this method to investigate a variety of aerosol microphysical impacts on nighttime Arctic Ocean clouds on regional and local scales. We observe differences in factors that can impact cloud lifetime, including cloud thickness and phase, within a subset of clean vs. polluted clouds. We will also discuss cumulative cloud fraction differences in clean and non-clean environments, as well as their likely impact on longwave cloud radiative effects at the Arctic Ocean surface during polar night.

Contemporary Arctic Sea Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cazenave, A. A.

2017-12-01

During recent decades, the Arctic region has warmed at a rate about twice the rest of the globe. Sea ice melting is increasing and the Greenland ice sheet is losing mass at an accelerated rate. Arctic warming, decrease in the sea ice cover and fresh water input to the Arctic ocean may eventually impact the Arctic sea level. In this presentation, we review our current knowledge of contemporary Arctic sea level changes. Until the beginning of the 1990s, Arctic sea level variations were essentially deduced from tide gauges located along the Russian and Norwegian coastlines. Since then, high inclination satellite altimetry missions have allowed measuring sea level over a large portion of the Arctic Ocean (up to 80 degree north). Measuring sea level in the Arctic by satellite altimetry is challenging because the presence of sea ice cover limits the full capacity of this technique. However adapted processing of raw altimetric measurements significantly increases the number of valid data, hence the data coverage, from which regional sea level variations can be extracted. Over the altimetry era, positive trend patterns are observed over the Beaufort Gyre and along the east coast of Greenland, while negative trends are reported along the Siberian shelf. On average over the Arctic region covered by satellite altimetry, the rate of sea level rise since 1992 is slightly less than the global mea sea level rate (of about 3 mm per year). On the other hand, the interannual variability is quite significant. Space gravimetry data from the GRACE mission and ocean reanalyses provide information on the mass and steric contributions to sea level, hence on the sea level budget. Budget studies show that regional sea level trends over the Beaufort Gyre and along the eastern coast of Greenland, are essentially due to salinity changes. However, in terms of regional average, the net steric component contributes little to the observed sea level trend. The sea level budget in the Arctic indicates a dominant mass contribution, especially in the Greenland, Norwegian, and Barents Seas sector.

Constraining Aggregate-Scale Solar Energy Partitioning in Arctic Sea Ice Through Synthesis of Remote Sensing and Autonomous In-Situ Observations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, N.; Polashenski, C. M.; Deeb, E. J.; Morriss, B. F.; Song, A.; Chen, J.

2015-12-01

One of the key processes controlling sea ice mass balance in the Arctic is the partitioning of solar energy between reflection back to the atmosphere and absorption into the ice and upper ocean. We investigate the solar energy balance in the ice-ocean system using in-situ data collected from Arctic Observing Network (AON) sea ice sites and imagery from high resolution optical satellites. AON assets, including ice mass balance buoys and ice tethered profilers, monitor the storage and fluxes of heat in the ice-ocean system. High resolution satellite imagery, processed using object-based image classification techniques, allows us to quantify the evolution of surrounding ice conditions, including melt pond coverage and floe size distribution, at aggregate scale. We present results from regionally representative sites that constrain the partitioning of absorbed solar energy between ice melt and ocean storage, and quantify the strength of the ice-albedo feedback. We further demonstrate how the results can be used to validate model representations of the physical processes controlling ice-albedo feedbacks. The techniques can be extended to understand solar partitioning across the Arctic basin using additional sites and model based data integration.

Mid-Cenozoic tectonic and paleoenvironmental setting of the central Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Regan, M.; Moran, K.; Backman, J.; Jakobsson, M.; Sangiorgi, F.; Brinkhuis, Henk; Pockalny, Rob; Skelton, Alasdair; Stickley, Catherine E.; Koc, N.; Brumsack, Hans-Juergen; Willard, Debra A.

2008-01-01

Drilling results from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program's Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX) to the Lomonosov Ridge (LR) document a 26 million year hiatus that separates freshwater-influenced biosilica-rich deposits of the middle Eocene from fossil-poor glaciomarine silty clays of the early Miocene. Detailed micropaleontological and sedimentological data from sediments surrounding this mid-Cenozoic hiatus describe a shallow water setting for the LR, a finding that conflicts with predrilling seismic predictions and an initial postcruise assessment of its subsidence history that assumed smooth thermally controlled subsidence following rifting. A review of Cenozoic tectonic processes affecting the geodynamic evolution of the central Arctic Ocean highlights a prolonged phase of basin-wide compression that ended in the early Miocene. The coincidence in timing between the end of compression and the start of rapid early Miocene subsidence provides a compelling link between these observations and similarly accounts for the shallow water setting that persisted more than 30 million years after rifting ended. However, for much of the late Paleogene and early Neogene, tectonic reconstructions of the Arctic Ocean describe a landlocked basin, adding additional uncertainty to reconstructions of paleodepth estimates as the magnitude of regional sea level variations remains unknown.

The effects of mixed layer dynamics on ice growth in the central Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitchen, Bruce R.

1992-09-01

The thermodynamic model of Thorndike (1992) is coupled to a one dimensional, two layer ocean entrainment model to study the effect of mixed layer dynamics on ice growth and the variation in the ocean heat flux into the ice due to mixed layer entrainment. Model simulations show the existence of a negative feedback between the ice growth and the mixed layer entrainment, and that the underlying ocean salinity has a greater effect on the ocean beat flux than does variations in the underlying ocean temperature. Model simulations for a variety of surface forcings and initial conditions demonstrate the need to include mixed layer dynamics for realistic ice prediction in the arctic.

The Impact of a Lower Sea Ice Extent on Arctic Greenhouse Gas Exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parmentier, Frans-Jan W.; Christensen, Torben R.; Lotte Sørensen, Lise; Rysgaard, Søren; McGuire, A. David; Miller, Paul A.; Walker, Donald A.

2013-04-01

Arctic sea ice extent hit a new record low in September 2012, when it fell to a level about two times lower than the 1979-2000 average. Record low sea ice extents such as these are often hailed as an obvious example of the impact of climate change on the Arctic. Less obvious, however, are the further implications of a lower sea ice extent on Arctic greenhouse gas exchange. For example, a reduction in sea ice, in consort with a lower snow cover, has been connected to higher surface temperatures in the terrestrial part of the Arctic (Screen et al., 2012). These higher temperatures and longer growing seasons have the potential to alter the CO2 balance of Arctic tundra through enhanced photosynthesis and respiration, as well as the magnitude of methane emissions. In fact, large changes are already observed in terrestrial ecosystems (Post et al., 2009), and concerns have been raised of large releases of carbon through permafrost thaw (Schuur et al., 2011). While these changes in the greenhouse gas balance of the terrestrial Arctic are described in numerous studies, a connection with a decline in sea ice extent is nonetheless seldom made. In addition to these changes on land, a lower sea ice extent also has a direct effect on the exchange of greenhouse gases between the ocean and the atmosphere. For example, due to sea ice retreat, more ocean surface remains in contact with the atmosphere, and this has been suggested to increase the oceanic uptake of CO2 (Bates et al., 2006). However, the sustainability of this increased uptake is uncertain (Cai et al., 2010), and carbon fluxes related directly to the sea ice itself add much uncertainty to the oceanic uptake of CO2 (Nomura et al., 2006; Rysgaard et al., 2007). Furthermore, significant emissions of methane from the Arctic Ocean have been observed (Kort et al., 2012; Shakhova et al., 2010), but the consequence of a lower sea ice extent thereon is still unclear. Overall, the decline in sea ice that has been seen in recent years has the potential to influence greenhouse gas exchange across terrestrial ecosystems and the Arctic Ocean, but the overall impact remains unclear. In this study, we therefore try to reduce this uncertainty by addressing the influence of the decline in sea ice extent on all affected greenhouse gas fluxes in the high latitudes. Also, we will address the need for more research, on the ocean and on the land, to understand the impact of a lower sea ice extent on Arctic greenhouse gas exchange. References: Bates, N. R., Moran, S. B., Hansell, D. A. and Mathis, J. T.: An increasing CO2 sink in the Arctic Ocean due to sea-ice loss, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L23609, doi:10.1029/2006GL027028, 2006. Cai, W.-J., Chen, L., Chen, B., Gao, Z., Lee, S. H., Chen, J., Pierrot, D., Sullivan, K., Wang, Y., Hu, X., Huang, W.-J., et al.: Decrease in the CO2 Uptake Capacity in an Ice-Free Arctic Ocean Basin, Science, 329(5991), 556-559, doi:10.1126/science.1189338, 2010. Kort, E. A., Wofsy, S. C., Daube, B. C., Diao, M., Elkins, J. W., Gao, R. S., Hintsa, E. J., Hurst, D. F., Jimenez, R., Moore, F. L., Spackman, J. R., et al.: Atmospheric observations of Arctic Ocean methane emissions up to 82 degrees north, Nature Geosci., 5(5), 318-321, doi:10.1038/NGEO1452, 2012. Nomura, D., Yoshikawa-Inoue, H. and Toyota, T.: The effect of sea-ice growth on air-sea CO2 flux in a tank experiment, vol. 58, pp. 418-426. 2006. Post, E., Forchhammer, M. C., Bret-Harte, M. S., Callaghan, T. V., Christensen, T. R., Elberling, B., Fox, A. D., Gilg, O., Hik, D. S., Høye, T. T., Ims, R. A., et al.: Ecological Dynamics Across the Arctic Associated with Recent Climate Change, Science, 325(5946), 1355-1358, doi:10.1126/science.1173113, 2009. Rysgaard, S., Glud, R. N., Sejr, M. K., Bendtsen, J. and Christensen, P. B.: Inorganic carbon transport during sea ice growth and decay: A carbon pump in polar seas, J. Geophys. Res., 112, C03016, doi:10.1029/2006JC003572, 2007. Schuur, E. A. G., Abbott, B. and Network, P. C.: High risk of permafrost thaw, Nature, 480(7375), 32-33, 2011. Screen, J. A., Deser, C. and Simmonds, I.: Local and remote controls on observed Arctic warming, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L10709, doi:10.1029/2012GL051598, 2012. Shakhova, N., Semiletov, I., Salyuk, A., Yusupov, V., Kosmach, D. and Gustafsson, O.: Extensive Methane Venting to the Atmosphere from Sediments of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, Science, 327(5970), 1246-1250, doi:10.1126/science.1182221, 2010.

The melting sea ice of Arctic polar cap in the summer solstice month and the role of ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S.; Yi, Y.

2014-12-01

The Arctic sea ice is becoming smaller and thinner than climatological standard normal and more fragmented in the early summer. We investigated the widely changing Arctic sea ice using the daily sea ice concentration data. Sea ice data is generated from brightness temperature data derived from the sensors: Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)-F13 Special Sensor Microwave/Imagers (SSM/Is), the DMSP-F17 Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) instrument on the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua satellite. We tried to figure out appearance of arctic sea ice melting region of polar cap from the data of passive microwave sensors. It is hard to explain polar sea ice melting only by atmosphere effects like surface air temperature or wind. Thus, our hypothesis explaining this phenomenon is that the heat from deep undersea in Arctic Ocean ridges and the hydrothermal vents might be contributing to the melting of Arctic sea ice.

In Brief: Arctic Report Card

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2009-11-01

The 2009 annual update of the Arctic Report Card, issued on 22 October, indicates that “warming of the Arctic continues to be widespread, and in some cases dramatic. Linkages between air, land, sea, and biology are evident.” The report, a collaborative effort of 71 national and international scientists initiated in 2006 by the Climate Program Office of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), highlights several concerns, including a change in large-scale wind patterns affected by the loss of summer sea ice; the replacement of multiyear sea ice by first-year sea ice; warmer and fresher water in the upper ocean linked to new ice-free areas; and the effects of the loss of sea ice on Arctic plant, animal, and fish species. “Climate change is happening faster in the Arctic than any other place on Earth-and with wide-ranging consequences,” said NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco. “This year“s Arctic Report Card underscores the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas pollution and adapting to climate changes already under way.”

Downscaled ice-ocean simulations for the Chukchi and Eastern Siberian Seas from an oceanic re-analysis product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujisaki-Manome, A.; Wang, J.

2016-12-01

Arctic summer sea ice has been declining at the rate that is much faster than any climate models predict. While the accelerated sea ice melting in the recent few decades could be attributed to several mechanisms such as the Arctic temperature amplification and the ice-albedo feedback, this does not necessarily explain why climate models underestimate the observed rate of summer sea ice loss. Clearly, an improved understanding is needed in what processes could be missed in climate models and could play roles in unprecedented loss of sea ice. This study evaluates contributions of sub-mesoscale processes in the ice edge (i.e. the boundary region between open water and ice covered area), which include eddies, ice bands, and the vertical mixing associated with ice bands, to the melting of sea ice and how they explain the underestimation of sea ice loss in the current state-of-art climate models. The focus area is in the pacific side of the Arctic Ocean. First, several oceanic re-analysis products including NCEP-Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) and Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) are evaluated in comparison with the in-situ observations from the Russian-American Long-term Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA) project. Second, the downscaled ice-ocean simulations are conducted for the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas with initial and open boundary conditions provided from a selected oceanic re-analysis product.

The spatial and interannual dynamics of the surface water carbonate system and air-sea CO2 fluxes in the outer shelf and slope of the Eurasian Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pipko, Irina I.; Pugach, Svetlana P.; Semiletov, Igor P.; Anderson, Leif G.; Shakhova, Natalia E.; Gustafsson, Örjan; Repina, Irina A.; Spivak, Eduard A.; Charkin, Alexander N.; Salyuk, Anatoly N.; Shcherbakova, Kseniia P.; Panova, Elena V.; Dudarev, Oleg V.

2017-11-01

The Arctic is undergoing dramatic changes which cover the entire range of natural processes, from extreme increases in the temperatures of air, soil, and water, to changes in the cryosphere, the biodiversity of Arctic waters, and land vegetation. Small changes in the largest marine carbon pool, the dissolved inorganic carbon pool, can have a profound impact on the carbon dioxide (CO2) flux between the ocean and the atmosphere, and the feedback of this flux to climate. Knowledge of relevant processes in the Arctic seas improves the evaluation and projection of carbon cycle dynamics under current conditions of rapid climate change. Investigation of the CO2 system in the outer shelf and continental slope waters of the Eurasian Arctic seas (the Barents, Kara, Laptev, and East Siberian seas) during 2006, 2007, and 2009 revealed a general trend in the surface water partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) distribution, which manifested as an increase in pCO2 values eastward. The existence of this trend was defined by different oceanographic and biogeochemical regimes in the western and eastern parts of the study area; the trend is likely increasing due to a combination of factors determined by contemporary change in the Arctic climate, each change in turn evoking a series of synergistic effects. A high-resolution in situ investigation of the carbonate system parameters of the four Arctic seas was carried out in the warm season of 2007; this year was characterized by the next-to-lowest historic sea-ice extent in the Arctic Ocean, on satellite record, to that date. The study showed the different responses of the seawater carbonate system to the environment changes in the western vs. the eastern Eurasian Arctic seas. The large, open, highly productive water area in the northern Barents Sea enhances atmospheric CO2 uptake. In contrast, the uptake of CO2 was strongly weakened in the outer shelf and slope waters of the East Siberian Arctic seas under the 2007 environmental conditions. The surface seawater appears in equilibrium or slightly supersaturated by CO2 relative to atmosphere because of the increasing influence of river runoff and its input of terrestrial organic matter that mineralizes, in combination with the high surface water temperature during sea-ice-free conditions. This investigation shows the importance of processes that vary on small scales, both in time and space, for estimating the air-sea exchange of CO2. It stresses the need for high-resolution coverage of ocean observations as well as time series. Furthermore, time series must include multi-year studies in the dynamic regions of the Arctic Ocean during these times of environmental change.

Seasonal and Interannual Variability of the Arctic Sea Ice: A Comparison between AO-FVCOM and Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Chen, C.; Beardsley, R. C.; Gao, G.; Qi, J.; Lin, H.

2016-02-01

A high-resolution (up to 2 km), unstructured-grid, fully ice-sea coupled Arctic Ocean Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (AO-FVCOM) was used to simulate the Arctic sea ice over the period 1978-2014. Good agreements were found between simulated and observed sea ice extent, concentration, drift velocity and thickness, indicating that the AO-FVCOM captured not only the seasonal and interannual variability but also the spatial distribution of the sea ice in the Arctic in the past 37 years. Compared with other six Arctic Ocean models (ECCO2, GSFC, INMOM, ORCA, NAME and UW), the AO-FVCOM-simulated ice thickness showed a higher correlation coefficient and a smaller difference with observations. An effort was also made to examine the physical processes attributing to the model-produced bias in the sea ice simulation. The error in the direction of the ice drift velocity was sensitive to the wind turning angle; smaller when the wind was stronger, but larger when the wind was weaker. This error could lead to the bias in the near-surface current in the fully or partially ice-covered zone where the ice-sea interfacial stress was a major driving force.

Land Ice Freshwater Budget of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans: 1. Data, Methods, and Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bamber, J. L.; Tedstone, A. J.; King, M. D.; Howat, I. M.; Enderlin, E. M.; van den Broeke, M. R.; Noel, B.

2018-03-01

The freshwater budget of the Arctic and sub-polar North Atlantic Oceans has been changing due, primarily, to increased river runoff, declining sea ice and enhanced melting of Arctic land ice. Since the mid-1990s this latter component has experienced a pronounced increase. We use a combination of satellite observations of glacier flow speed and regional climate modeling to reconstruct the land ice freshwater flux from the Greenland ice sheet and Arctic glaciers and ice caps for the period 1958-2016. The cumulative freshwater flux anomaly exceeded 6,300 ± 316 km3 by 2016. This is roughly twice the estimate of a previous analysis that did not include glaciers and ice caps outside of Greenland and which extended only to 2010. From 2010 onward, the total freshwater flux is about 1,300 km3/yr, equivalent to 0.04 Sv, which is roughly 40% of the estimated total runoff to the Arctic for the same time period. Not all of this flux will reach areas of deep convection or Arctic and Sub-Arctic seas. We note, however, that the largest freshwater flux anomalies, grouped by ocean basin, are located in Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. The land ice freshwater flux displays a strong seasonal cycle with summer time values typically around five times larger than the annual mean. This will be important for understanding the impact of these fluxes on fjord circulation, stratification, and the biogeochemistry of, and nutrient delivery to, coastal waters.

Increasing cloudiness in Arctic damps the increase in phytoplankton primary production due to sea ice receding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bélanger, S.; Babin, M.; Tremblay, J.-É.

2013-06-01

The Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas are among the marine regions most affected by climate change. Here we present the results of a diagnostic model used to assess the primary production (PP) trends over the 1998-2010 period at pan-Arctic, regional and local (i.e. 9.28 km resolution) scales. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) above and below the sea surface was estimated using precomputed look-up tables of spectral irradiance, taking as input satellite-derived cloud optical thickness and cloud fraction parameters from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) and sea ice concentration from passive microwaves data. A spectrally resolved PP model, designed for optically complex waters, was then used to assess the PP trends at high spatial resolution. Results show that PP is rising at a rate of +2.8 TgC yr-1 (or +14% decade-1) in the circum-Arctic and +5.1 TgC yr-1 when sub-Arctic seas are considered. In contrast, incident PAR above the sea surface (PAR(0+)) has significantly decreased over the whole Arctic and sub-Arctic Seas, except over the perennially sea-ice covered waters of the Central Arctic Ocean. This fading of PAR(0+) (-8% decade-1) was caused by increasing cloudiness during summer. Meanwhile, PAR penetrating the ocean (PAR(0-)) increased only along the sea ice margin over the large Arctic continental shelf where sea ice concentration declined sharply since 1998. Overall, PAR(0-) slightly increased in the circum-Arctic (+3.4% decade-1), while it decreased when considering both Arctic and sub-Arctic Seas (-3% decade-1). We showed that rising phytoplankton biomass (i.e. chlorophyll a) normalized by the diffuse attenuation of photosynthetically usable radiation (PUR), accounted for a larger proportion of the rise in PP than did the increase in light availability due to sea-ice loss in several sectors, and particularly in perennially and seasonally open waters. Against a general backdrop of rising productivity over Arctic shelves, significant negative PP trends and the timing of phytoplankton spring-summer bloom were observed in regions known for their great biological importance such as the coastal polynyas of northern Greenland.

Arctic sea-ice decline weakens the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sévellec, Florian; Fedorov, Alexey V.; Liu, Wei

2017-08-01

The ongoing decline of Arctic sea ice exposes the ocean to anomalous surface heat and freshwater fluxes, resulting in positive buoyancy anomalies that can affect ocean circulation. In this study, we use an optimal flux perturbation framework and comprehensive climate model simulations to estimate the sensitivity of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) to such buoyancy forcing over the Arctic and globally, and more generally to sea-ice decline. It is found that on decadal timescales, flux anomalies over the subpolar North Atlantic have the largest impact on the AMOC, while on multi-decadal timescales (longer than 20 years), flux anomalies in the Arctic become more important. These positive buoyancy anomalies spread to the North Atlantic, weakening the AMOC and its poleward heat transport. Therefore, the Arctic sea-ice decline may explain the suggested slow-down of the AMOC and the `Warming Hole’ persisting in the subpolar North Atlantic.

Future sea ice conditions and weather forecasts in the Arctic: Implications for Arctic shipping.

PubMed

Gascard, Jean-Claude; Riemann-Campe, Kathrin; Gerdes, Rüdiger; Schyberg, Harald; Randriamampianina, Roger; Karcher, Michael; Zhang, Jinlun; Rafizadeh, Mehrad

2017-12-01

The ability to forecast sea ice (both extent and thickness) and weather conditions are the major factors when it comes to safe marine transportation in the Arctic Ocean. This paper presents findings focusing on sea ice and weather prediction in the Arctic Ocean for navigation purposes, in particular along the Northeast Passage. Based on comparison with the observed sea ice concentrations for validation, the best performing Earth system models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) program (CMIP5-Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5) were selected to provide ranges of potential future sea ice conditions. Our results showed that, despite a general tendency toward less sea ice cover in summer, internal variability will still be large and shipping along the Northeast Passage might still be hampered by sea ice blocking narrow passages. This will make sea ice forecasts on shorter time and space scales and Arctic weather prediction even more important.

Pan-Arctic Distribution of Bioavailable Dissolved Organic Matter and Linkages With Productivity in Ocean Margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yuan; Benner, Ronald; Kaiser, Karl; Fichot, Cédric G.; Whitledge, Terry E.

2018-02-01

Rapid environmental changes in the Arctic Ocean affect plankton productivity and the bioavailability of dissolved organic matter (DOM) that supports microbial food webs. We report concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and yields of amino acids (indicators of labile DOM) in surface waters across major Arctic margins. Concentrations of DOC and bioavailability of DOM showed large pan-Arctic variability that corresponded to varying hydrological conditions and ecosystem productivity, respectively. Widespread hot spots of labile DOM were observed over productive inflow shelves (Chukchi and Barents Seas), in contrast to oligotrophic interior margins (Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, and Beaufort Seas). Amino acid yields in outflow gateways (Canadian Archipelago and Baffin Bay) indicated the prevalence of semilabile DOM in sea ice covered regions and sporadic production of labile DOM in ice-free waters. Comparing these observations with surface circulation patterns indicated varying shelf subsidies of bioavailable DOM to Arctic deep basins.

Understanding Arctic Surface Temperature Differences in Reanalyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cullather, Richard; Zhao, Bin; Shuman, Christopher; Nowicki, Sophie

2017-01-01

Reanalyses in the Arctic are widely used for model evaluation and for understanding contemporary climate change. Nevertheless, differences among reanalyses in fundamental meteorological variables including surface air temperature are large. A review of surface temperature differences is presented with a particular focus on differences in contemporary reanalyses. An important consideration is the significant differences in Arctic surfaces, including the central Arctic Ocean, the Greenland Ice Sheet, and non-glaciated land. While there is significant correlation among reanalyses in annual time series, there is substantial disagreement in mean values. For the period 1980-2013, the trend in annual temperature ranges from 0.3 to 0.7K per decade. Over the central Arctic Ocean, differences in mean values and trends are larger. Most of the uncertainty is associated with winter months. This is likely associated with the constraint imposed by melting processes (i.e. 0 deg. Celsius), rather than seasonal changes to the observing system.

How robust is the atmospheric circulation response to Arctic sea-ice loss in isolation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushner, P. J.; Hay, S. E.; Blackport, R.; McCusker, K. E.; Oudar, T.

2017-12-01

It is now apparent that active dynamical coupling between the ocean and atmosphere determines a good deal of how Arctic sea-ice loss changes the large-scale atmospheric circulation. In coupled ocean-atmosphere models, Arctic sea-ice loss indirectly induces a 'mini' global warming and circulation changes that extend into the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere. Ocean-atmosphere coupling also amplifies by about 50% Arctic free-tropospheric warming arising from sea-ice loss (Deser et al. 2015, 2016). The mechanisms at work and how to separate the response to sea-ice loss from the rest of the global warming process remain poorly understood. Different studies have used distinctive numerical approaches and coupled ocean-atmosphere models to address this problem. We put these studies on comparable footing using pattern scaling (Blackport and Kushner 2017) to separately estimate the part of the circulation response that scales with sea-ice loss in the absence of low-latitude warming from the part that scales with low-latitude warming in the absence of sea-ice loss. We consider well-sampled simulations from three different coupled ocean-atmosphere models (CESM1, CanESM2, CNRM-CM5), in which greenhouse warming and sea-ice loss are driven in different ways (sea ice albedo reduction/transient RCP8.5 forcing for CESM1, nudged sea ice/CO2 doubling for CanESM2, heat-flux forcing/constant RCP8.5-derived forcing for CNRM-CM5). Across these different simulations, surprisingly robust influences of Arctic sea-ice loss on atmospheric circulation can be diagnosed using pattern scaling. For boreal winter, the isolated sea-ice loss effect acts to increase warming in the North American Sub-Arctic, decrease warming of the Eurasian continent, enhance precipitation over the west coast of North America, and strengthen the Aleutian Low and the Siberian High. We will also discuss how Arctic free tropospheric warming might be enhanced via midlatitude ocean surface warming induced by sea-ice loss. Less robust is the part of the response that scales with low-latitude warming, which, depending on the model, can reinforce or cancel the response to sea-ice loss. The extent to which a "tug of war" exists between tropical and high-latitude influences on the general circulation might thus be model dependent.

Collaborative Research: Improving Decadal Prediction of Arctic Climate Variability and Change Using a Regional Arctic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gutowski, William J.

This project developed and applied a regional Arctic System model for enhanced decadal predictions. It built on successful research by four of the current PIs with support from the DOE Climate Change Prediction Program, which has resulted in the development of a fully coupled Regional Arctic Climate Model (RACM) consisting of atmosphere, land-hydrology, ocean and sea ice components. An expanded RACM, a Regional Arctic System Model (RASM), has been set up to include ice sheets, ice caps, mountain glaciers, and dynamic vegetation to allow investigation of coupled physical processes responsible for decadal-scale climate change and variability in the Arctic. RASMmore » can have high spatial resolution (~4-20 times higher than currently practical in global models) to advance modeling of critical processes and determine the need for their explicit representation in Global Earth System Models (GESMs). The pan-Arctic region is a key indicator of the state of global climate through polar amplification. However, a system-level understanding of critical arctic processes and feedbacks needs further development. Rapid climate change has occurred in a number of Arctic System components during the past few decades, including retreat of the perennial sea ice cover, increased surface melting of the Greenland ice sheet, acceleration and thinning of outlet glaciers, reduced snow cover, thawing permafrost, and shifts in vegetation. Such changes could have significant ramifications for global sea level, the ocean thermohaline circulation and heat budget, ecosystems, native communities, natural resource exploration, and commercial transportation. The overarching goal of the RASM project has been to advance understanding of past and present states of arctic climate and to improve seasonal to decadal predictions. To do this the project has focused on variability and long-term change of energy and freshwater flows through the arctic climate system. The three foci of this research are: - Changes in the freshwater flux between arctic climate system components resulting from decadal changes in land and sea ice, seasonal snow, vegetation, and ocean circulation. - Changing energetics due to decadal changes in ice mass, vegetation, and air-sea interactions. - The role of small-scale atmospheric and oceanic processes that influence decadal variability. This research has been addressing modes of natural climate variability as well as extreme and rapid climate change. RASM can facilitate studies of climate impacts (e.g., droughts and fires) and of ecosystem adaptations to these impacts.« less

Anthropogenic iodine-129 in seawater along a transect from the Norwegian coastal current to the North Pole.

PubMed

Alfimov, V; Aldahan, A; Possnert, G; Winsor, P

2004-12-01

Variation in the concentrations of iodine-129 (129I, T1/2=15.7 Myr), a low-level radioactive component of nuclear fuel waste, is documented in surface waters and depth profiles collected during 2001 along a transect from the Norwegian Coastal Current to the North Pole. The surface waters near the Norwegian coast are found to have 20 times higher 129I concentration than the surface waters of the Arctic Ocean. The depth profiles of 129I taken in the Arctic Ocean reveal a sharp decline in the concentration to a depth of about 300-500 m followed by a weaker gradient extending down to the bottom. A twofold increase in the 129I concentration is observed in the upper 1000 m since 1996. Based on known estimates of marine transient time from the release sources (the nuclear reprocessing facilities at La Hague, France, and Sellafield, UK), a doubling in the 129I inventory of the top 1000 m of the Arctic Ocean is expected to occur between the years 2001 and 2006. As 129I of polar mixed layer and Atlantic layer of the Arctic Ocean is ventilated by the East Greenland Current into the Nordic Seas and North Atlantic Ocean, further dispersal and increase of the isotope concentration in these regions will be encountered in the near future.

Arctic in Rapid Transition: Priorities for the future of marine and coastal research in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, Kirstin; Fritz, Michael; Morata, Nathalie; Keil, Kathrin; Pavlov, Alexey; Peeken, Ilka; Nikolopoulos, Anna; Findlay, Helen S.; Kędra, Monika; Majaneva, Sanna; Renner, Angelika; Hendricks, Stefan; Jacquot, Mathilde; Nicolaus, Marcel; O'Regan, Matt; Sampei, Makoto; Wegner, Carolyn

2016-09-01

Understanding and responding to the rapidly occurring environmental changes in the Arctic over the past few decades require new approaches in science. This includes improved collaborations within the scientific community but also enhanced dialogue between scientists and societal stakeholders, especially with Arctic communities. As a contribution to the Third International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARPIII), the Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) network held an international workshop in France, in October 2014, in order to discuss high-priority requirements for future Arctic marine and coastal research from an early-career scientists (ECS) perspective. The discussion encompassed a variety of research fields, including topics of oceanographic conditions, sea-ice monitoring, marine biodiversity, land-ocean interactions, and geological reconstructions, as well as law and governance issues. Participants of the workshop strongly agreed on the need to enhance interdisciplinarity in order to collect comprehensive knowledge about the modern and past Arctic Ocean's geo-ecological dynamics. Such knowledge enables improved predictions of Arctic developments and provides the basis for elaborate decision-making on future actions under plausible environmental and climate scenarios in the high northern latitudes. Priority research sheets resulting from the workshop's discussions were distributed during the ICARPIII meetings in April 2015 in Japan, and are publicly available online.

Circumpolar measurements of speciated mercury, ozone and carbon monoxide in the boundary layer of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sommar, J.; Andersson, M. E.; Jacobi, H.-W.

2010-06-01

Using the Swedish icebreaker Oden as a platform, continuous measurements of airborne mercury (gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0), divalent gaseous mercury species HgIIX2(g) (acronym RGM) and mercury attached to particles (PHg)) and some long-lived trace gases (carbon monoxide CO and ozone O3) were performed over the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. The measurements were performed for nearly three months (July-September 2005) during the Beringia 2005 expedition (from Göteborg, Sweden via the proper Northwest Passage to the Beringia region Alaska - Chukchi Penninsula - Wrangel Island and in-turn via a north-polar transect to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen). The Beringia 2005 expedition was the first time that these species have been measured during summer over the Arctic Ocean going from 60° to 90° N. During the North Atlantic transect, concentration levels of Hg0, CO and O3 were measured comparable to typical levels for the ambient mid-hemispheric average. However, a rapid increase of Hg0 in air and surface water was observed when entering the ice-covered waters of the Canadian Arctic archipelago. Large parts of the measured waters were supersaturated with respect to Hg0, reflecting a strong disequilibrium. Heading through the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean, a fraction of the strong Hg0 pulse in the water was transferred with some time-delay into the air samples collected ~20 m above sea level. Several episodes of elevated Hg0 in air were encountered along the sea ice route with higher mean concentration (1.81±0.43 ng m-3) compared to the marine boundary layer over ice-free Arctic oceanic waters (1.55±0.21 ng m-3). In addition, the bulk of the variance in the temporal series of Hg0 concentrations was observed during July. The Oden Hg0 observations compare in this aspect very favourably with those at the coastal station Alert. Atmospheric boundary layer O3 mixing ratios decreased when initially sailing northward. In the Arctic, an O3 minimum around 15-20 ppbV was observed during summer (July-August). Alongside the polar transect during the beginning of autumn, a steady trend of increasing O3 mixing ratios was measured returning to initial levels of the expedition (>30 ppbV). Ambient CO was fairly stable (84±12 ppbV) during the expedition. However, from the Beaufort Sea and moving onwards steadily increasing CO mixing ratios were observed (0.3 ppbV day-1). On a comparison with coeval archived CO and O3 data from the Arctic coastal strip monitoring sites Barrow and Alert, the observations from Oden indicate these species to be homogeneously distributed over the Arctic Ocean. Neither correlated low ozone and Hg0 events nor elevated concentrations of RGM and PHg were at any extent sampled, suggesting that atmospheric mercury deposition to the Arctic basin is low during the Polar summer and autumn.

Sedimentation in the Lena river delta and adjacent part of the Laptev Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charkin, A.; Dudarev, O.; Semiletov, I.; Vonk, J.; Sanchez-Garcia, L.; Gustafsson, Ö.; Andersson, P.; Shakhova, N.

2009-04-01

Any attempt to understand the effects of the Arctic Ocean on global change or the effect of global change on the Arctic Ocean requires a thorough understanding of coastal processes. The major transport of freshwater, dissolved and solid materials into the Arctic ocean is determined by riverine discharge and coastal erosion from Eurasia . The Lena River drains almost 3 mill. km2 of the vast Siberian hinterland (which is now under strong warming impact), and discharge up to 720 km3 per year, making it the second largest river draining into the Arctic Ocean. Thus, it is extremely important to perform a base-line study in the key area of the near-shore Arctic ocean which integrates Lena River discharge, which is a product o permafrost degradation in the Lena watershed, and off-shore export of eroded material, which is mostly induced by retreatment of the coastal ice-complex. Since 1999, the Buor-Khaya Gulf was chosen for detailed investigation by Laboratory of the Arctic Research (LAR) of the Pacific Oceanological Institute as a key area which accepts both eroded carbon and solid discharge from the Bykovsky and Bol'shay/Malaya Trofimovsky channels of the Lena delta. The intention of this report is to present a first comprehensive interpretation of the modern depositional environment in the Lena river delta and Buor-Khaya Gulf considering all the geochemical data obtained both in the International Siberian Shelf Study2008 (ISSS-08) and 11 previous summertime and wintertime LAR expeditions (1999-2007), accomplished in cooperation with the International Arctic Research Center of the University Alaska Fairbanks. Set of samples was studied in cooperation with the Stockholm University and Swedish Museum of Natural History. Detailed transects and maps of the particulate material distribution, particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) as well as CN stable isotopes in both suspended particles and underlying surface sediment, and its sizing are discussed in connection with changing hydrometeorological conditions with a special emphasis on the area surrounding Muostakh Island, which exhibits rates of coastal erosion up to 15-20 m during couple summertime weeks.

Quaternary paleoceanography of the deep Arctic Ocean based on quantitative analysis of Ostracoda

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronin, T. M.; Holtz, T.R.; Whatley, R.C.

1994-01-01

Ostracodes were studied from deep Arctic Ocean cores obtained during the Arctic 91 expedition of the Polarstern to the Nansen, Amundsen and Makarov Basins, the Lomonosov Ridge, Morris Jesup Rise and Yermak Plateau, in order to investigate their distribution in Arctic Ocean deep water (AODW) and apply these data to paleoceanographic reconstruction of bottom water masses during the Quaternary. Analyses of coretop assemblages from Arctic 91 boxcores indicate the following: ostracodes are common at all depths between 1000 and 4500 m, and species distribution is strongly influenced by water mass characteristics and bathymetry; quantitative analyses comparing Eurasian and Canada Basin assemblages indicate that distinct assemblages inhabit regions east and west of the Lomonosov Ridge, a barrier especially important to species living in lower AODW; deep Eurasian Basin assemblages are more similar to those living in Greenland Sea deep water (GSDW) than those in Canada Basin deep water; two upper AODW assemblages were recognized throughout the Arctic Ocean, one living between 1000 and 1500 m, and the other, having high species diversity, at 1500-3000 m. Downcore quantitative analyses of species' abundances and the squared chord distance coefficient of similarity reveals a distinct series of abundance peaks in key indicator taxa interpreted to signify the following late Quaternary deep water history of the Eurasian Basin. During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), a GSDW/AODW assemblage, characteristic of cold, well oxygenated deep water > 3000 m today, inhabited the Lomonosov Ridge to depths as shallow as 1000 m, perhaps indicating the influence of GSDW at mid-depths in the central Arctic Ocean. During Termination 1, a period of high organic productivity associated with a strong inflowing warm North Atlantic layer occurred. During the mid-Holocene, several key faunal events indicate a period of warming and/or enhanced flow between the Canada and Eurasian Basins. A long-term record of ostracode assemblages from kastenlot core PS2200-5 (1073 m water depth) from the Morris Jesup Rise indicates a quasi-cyclic pattern of water mass changes during the last 300 kyr. Interglacial ostracode assemblages corresponding to oxygen isotope stages 1, 5, and 7 indicate rapid changes in dissolved oxygen and productivity during glacial-interglacial transitions. ?? 1994.

Interglacial climates and the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation: is there an Arctic controversy?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauch, Henning A.

2013-03-01

Arctic palaeorecords are important to understand the "natural range" of forcing and feedback mechanisms within the context of past and present climate change in this temperature-sensitive region. A wide array of methods and archives now provide a robust understanding of the Holocene climate evolution. By comparison rather little is still known about older interglacials, and in particular, on the effects of the northward propagation of heat transfer via the Atlantic meridional ocean circulation (AMOC) into the Arctic. Terrestrial records from this area often indicate a warmer and moister climate during past interglacials than in the Holocene implying a more vigorous AMOC activity. This is in conflict with marine data. Although recognized as very prominent interglacials in Antarctic ice cores, cross-latitudinal surface ocean temperature reconstructions show that little of the surface ocean warmth still identified in the Northeast Atlantic during older interglacial peaks (e.g., MIS5e, 9, 11) was further conveyed into the polar latitudes, and that each interglacial developed its own specific palaeoclimate features. Interactive processes between water mass overturning and the hydrological system of the Arctic, and how both developed together out of a glacial period with its particular ice sheet configuration and relative sea-level history, determined the efficiency of an evolving interglacial AMOC. Because of that glacial terminations developed some very specific water mass characteristics, which also affected the climate evolution of the ensuing interglacial periods. Moreover, the observed contrasts in the Arctic-directed meridional ocean heat flux between past interglacials have implications for the palaeoclimatic evaluation of this polar region. Crucial environmental factors of the Arctic climate system, such as the highly dynamical interactions between deep water mass flow, surface ocean temperature/salinity, sea ice, and atmosphere, exert strong feedbacks on interglacial climate regionality that goes well beyond the Arctic. A sound interpretation of such processes from palaeoarchives requires a good understanding of the applied proxies. Fossils, in particular, are often key to the reconstruction of past conditions. But the tremendously flexible adaptation strategies of biota sometimes hampers further in-depth interpretations, especially when considering their palaeoenvironmental meaning in the context of rapid palaeoclimatic changes and long-term Pleistocene evolution.

Determination of a Critical Sea Ice Thickness Threshold for the Central Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, V.; Frauenfeld, O. W.; Nowotarski, C. J.

2017-12-01

While sea ice extent is readily measurable from satellite observations and can be used to assess the overall survivability of the Arctic sea ice pack, determining the spatial variability of sea ice thickness remains a challenge. Turbulent and conductive heat fluxes are extremely sensitive to ice thickness but are dominated by the sensible heat flux, with energy exchange expected to increase with thinner ice cover. Fluxes over open water are strongest and have the greatest influence on the atmosphere, while fluxes over thick sea ice are minimal as heat conduction from the ocean through thick ice cannot reach the atmosphere. We know that turbulent energy fluxes are strongest over open ocean, but is there a "critical thickness of ice" where fluxes are considered non-negligible? Through polar-optimized Weather Research and Forecasting model simulations, this study assesses how the wintertime Arctic surface boundary layer, via sensible heat flux exchange and surface air temperature, responds to sea ice thinning. The region immediately north of Franz Josef Land is characterized by a thickness gradient where sea ice transitions from the thickest multi-year ice to the very thin marginal ice seas. This provides an ideal location to simulate how the diminishing Arctic sea ice interacts with a warming atmosphere. Scenarios include both fixed sea surface temperature domains for idealized thickness variability, and fixed ice fields to detect changes in the ocean-ice-atmosphere energy exchange. Results indicate that a critical thickness threshold exists below 1 meter. The threshold is between 0.4-1 meters thinner than the critical thickness for melt season survival - the difference between first year and multi-year ice. Turbulent heat fluxes and surface air temperature increase as sea ice thickness transitions from perennial ice to seasonal ice. While models predict a sea ice free Arctic at the end of the warm season in future decades, sea ice will continue to transform seasonally during Polar winter. However, despite seasonal sea ice change, if and where its thickness remains below this critical threshold, the Arctic Ocean will continue interacting with the overlying atmosphere and contributing to Arctic amplification during the cold season.

Reconstruction of Plio-Pleistocene paleoceanographic conditions in the western Arctic Ocean based on a Northwind Ridge sediment record.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dipre, G.; Polyak, L.; Ortiz, J. D.; Oti, E.; Kuznetsov, A.

2017-12-01

The rapid loss of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is expected to result in major climatic and hydrographic changes, some of which are already being observed. To better understand these changes, it is necessary to investigate paleoclimatic conditions during times when the Arctic had similarly reduced sea-ice cover. The Pliocene to early Pleistocene period ( 1-5 Ma) may represent the best analog, as the modern Arctic geography had developed with the opening of the Bering Strait (ca. 5-6 Ma), but major Northern Hemisphere glaciations other than Greenland had not fully begun. Here we present an investigation of sediment core HLY0503-03JPC from top of the Northwind Ridge, western Arctic Ocean. This sedimentary record contains uniquely preserved calcareous microfossils through the early Pleistocene according to strontium isotope ages. Based on extrapolation of these ages, the record extends to at least the late Pliocene. We evaluate paleo-sea ice conditions using benthic foraminifera assemblages, similar to a prior study of a nearby core (Polyak et al., 2013), along with physical (sediment optical properties, density, grain size) and chemical (XRF, δ18O, δ13C) proxies to reconstruct paleo-circulation and sediment transport processes. Based on these proxies, the record exhibits a distinct tripartite stratigraphic division. The top unit, recovering the middle to late Quaternary, shows sedimentary impacts of major glaciations and mostly perennial sea ice conditions. The second unit, dated to the early Pleistocene, indicates reduced glacial inputs, mostly seasonal sea ice, and potentially intensified current conditions. Finally, preliminary results for the oldest unit, presumably representing the late Pliocene, suggest a more acidic ocean characterized by low, if any, sea ice presence and increased current activity. As similar conditions (acidification, storminess) are starting to be observed in the changing modern environment, this third unit may provide especially valuable insight for understanding the projected changes for the western Arctic Ocean.

Wide Distribution of Closely Related, Antibiotic-Producing Arthrobacter Strains throughout the Arctic Ocean

PubMed Central

Wietz, Matthias; Månsson, Maria; Bowman, Jeff S.; Blom, Nikolaj; Ng, Yin

2012-01-01

We isolated 16 antibiotic-producing bacterial strains throughout the central Arctic Ocean, including seven Arthrobacter spp. with almost identical 16S rRNA gene sequences. These strains were numerically rare, as revealed using 454 pyrosequencing libraries. Arthrobacter spp. produced arthrobacilins A to C under different culture conditions, but other, unidentified compounds likely contributed to their antibiotic activity. PMID:22247128

Alaska North Shore Ocean Acoustics Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

effects of changing ice cover, wind patterns and circulation/upwelling on underwater sound propagation and ambient noise in the areas of continental ...noise field along the edge of Arctic continental shelf. Underwater sound propagation in Arctic oceans with ice cover is influenced by the elastic...von der Heydt has been implmenting the following system upgrades: 1. Replacing the existing Seascan timebase ( drift 2 to 3ms/day) with a

Continental Margins of the Arctic Ocean: Implications for Law of the Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosher, David

2016-04-01

A coastal State must define the outer edge of its continental margin in order to be entitled to extend the outer limits of its continental shelf beyond 200 M, according to article 76 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The article prescribes the methods with which to make this definition and includes such metrics as water depth, seafloor gradient and thickness of sediment. Note the distinction between the "outer edge of the continental margin", which is the extent of the margin after application of the formula of article 76, and the "outer limit of the continental shelf", which is the limit after constraint criteria of article 76 are applied. For a relatively small ocean basin, the Arctic Ocean reveals a plethora of continental margin types reflecting both its complex tectonic origins and its diverse sedimentation history. These factors play important roles in determining the extended continental shelves of Arctic coastal States. This study highlights the critical factors that might determine the outer edge of continental margins in the Arctic Ocean as prescribed by article 76. Norway is the only Arctic coastal State that has had recommendations rendered by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). Russia and Denmark (Greenland) have made submissions to the CLCS to support their extended continental shelves in the Arctic and are awaiting recommendations. Canada has yet to make its submission and the US has not yet ratified the Convention. The various criteria that each coastal State has utilized or potentially can utilize to determine the outer edge of the continental margin are considered. Important criteria in the Arctic include, 1) morphological continuity of undersea features, such as the various ridges and spurs, with the landmass, 2) the tectonic origins and geologic affinities with the adjacent land masses of the margins and various ridges, 3) sedimentary processes, particularly along continental slopes, and 4) thickness and continuity of the sediment stratigraphy within the basins. The enclosed nature of the Arctic basin and the undersea ridges that transect the width of the basin result in complex geographies for the coastal States. The relevant fact, therefore, is that the five coastal States surrounding the ocean should have a common understanding of the geological and morphological features and the use of these features in determining the outer edge of the continental margin.

Quantifying the Bering Strait Oceanic Fluxes and their Impacts on Sea-Ice and Water Properties in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas and Western Arctic Ocean for 2013-2014

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

Right) Sea Surface Temperature (SST) MODIS/Aqua level 1 image from 26th August 2004 (courtesy of Ocean Color Data Processing Archive, NASA/Goddard...was extremely good. The ADCPs and lower level temperature and salinity sensors all returned complete records. All 3 moorings also carried upper... Pavlov , and M. Kulakov (1999), The Siberian Coastal Current: a wind- and buoyancy-forced Arctic coastal current, J. Geophys. Res., 104(C12), 29697

Investigation of 2-Dimensional Isotropy of Under-Ice Roughness in the Beaufort Gyre and Implications for Mixed Layer Ocean Turbulence

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

this roughness is important for numerical modeling and prediction of the Arctic air-ice-ocean system, which will play a significant role as the US Navy...is important for numerical modeling and prediction of the Arctic air-ice-ocean system, which will play a significant role as the US Navy increases... Model 1 is based on a sequence of plane parallel layers each with a constant gradient whereas Model 2 is based on a series of flat layers of

Ocean Dynamics in the Key Regions of North Atlantic-Arctic Exchanges: Evaluation of Global Multi-Resolution FESOM and CMIP-type INMCM Models with Long-Term Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beszczynska-Moeller, A.; Gürses, Ö.; Sidorenko, D.; Goessling, H.; Volodin, E. M.; Gritsun, A.; Iakovlev, N. G.; Andrzejewski, J.

2017-12-01

Enhancing the fidelity of climate models in the Arctic and North Atlantic in order to improve Arctic predictions requires better understanding of the underlying causes of common biases. The main focus of the ERA.Net project NAtMAP (Amending North Atlantic Model Biases to Improve Arctic Predictions) is on the dynamics of the key regions connecting the Arctic and the North Atlantic climate. The study aims not only at increased model realism, but also at a deeper understanding of North Atlantic-Arctic links and their contribution to Arctic predictability. Two complementary approaches employing different global coupled climate models, ECHAM6-FESOM and INMCM4/5, were adopted. The first approach is based on a recent development of climate models with ocean components based on unstructured meshes, allowing to resolve eddies and narrow boundary currents in the most crucial regions while keeping a moderate resolution elsewhere. The multi-resolution sea ice-ocean component of ECHAM6-FESOM allows studying the benefits of very high resolution in key areas of the North Atlantic. An alternative approach to address the North Atlantic and Arctic biases is also tried by tuning the performance of the relevant sub-grid-scale parameterizations in eddy resolving version the CMIP5 climate model INMCM4. Using long-term in situ and satellite observations and available climatologies we attempt to evaluate to what extent a higher resolution, allowing the explicit representation of eddies and narrow boundary currents in the North Atlantic and Nordic Seas, can alleviate the common model errors. The effects of better resolving the Labrador Sea area on reducing the model bias in surface hydrography and improved representation of ocean currents are addressed. Resolving eddy field in the Greenland Sea is assessed in terms of reducing the deep thermocline bias. The impact of increased resolution on the modeled characteristics of Atlantic water transport into the Arctic is examined with a special focus on separation of Atlantic inflow between Fram Strait and the Barents Sea, lateral exchanges in the Nordic Seas, and a role of eddies in modulating the poleward flow of Atlantic water. We also explore the effects of resolving boundary currents in the Arctic basin on the representation of the adjacent sea ice.

Global Warming Threatens National Interests in the Arctic

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-26

Global warming has impacted the Arctic Ocean by significantly reducing the extent of the summer ice cover allowing greater access to the region...increased operations in the Arctic region, and DoD must continue to research and develop new and alternate energy sources for its forces. Global warming is

FIRE III ACE

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-01-23

FIRE III ACE Data Sets The First International Satellite Cloud ... Regional Experiment (FIRE) - Arctic Cloud Experiment (ACE) was conducted April through July of 1998. It was held in conjunction with ... Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) Experiment. The FIRE-ACE focused on all aspects of Arctic cloud systems. The main facility was ...

Interactions of the Greenland Petermann Glacier with the ocean: An initial perspective (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falkner, K. K.; Johnson, H. L.; Melling, H.; Muenchow, A.; Samelson, R. M.; Friends Of Petermann

2010-12-01

Petermann Glacier is major outlet glacier that drains 6% of the area of the Greenland Ice Sheet in western North Greenland. It is one of four major outlet glaciers on Greenland with a grounding line substantially below sea level (about 500m) and one of two such glaciers to retain a substantial floating tongue. The floating ice tongue of Petermann glacier is thought to lose at least 80% of its mass through ocean interaction. Based on three opportunistic ocean surveys in Petermann Fjord, we present an overview of circulation at the fjord mouth, hydrographic structure beneath the ice tongue, oceanic heat delivered to the under-ice cavity and the fate of the resulting melt water. We also present an historical perspective on the August 2010 major calving event. The 1100m-deep fjord is separated from neighboring Hall Basin by a sill that is inferred to lie between 350m and 450m deep. Hall Basin is a section of Nares Strait that connects the Arctic Ocean (at the Lincoln Sea proceeding southward through Robeson Channel, Hall Basin, Kennedy Channel, Kane Basin and Smith Sound) to Baffin Bay. Sills in the Lincoln Sea (290m) and in Kane Basin (220m) restrict communication with the Arctic Ocean and Baffin Bay. The net flux of seawater through Nares Strait is southward and relatively fresh, conditioned by sources and processes within the Arctic Ocean and locally. Within Petermann Fjord, glacial melt water appears on the northeast side at 200-600m. A cyclonic gyre occurs within the fjord mouth, with outflow on the northeast side. Oceanic heat fluxes into the fjord are sufficient to account for the observed rate of basal melting. Cold, low salinity water intrudes far under the ice and likely limits basal melting to the inland half of the tongue. The recent major calving event resulted in a loss of 300 km2 or about 20% of the total area of the floating tongue, most of which remained intact as an ice island that garnered much media attention. Available observations show calving to be sporadic on a decadal timescale. Multiple factors likely contribute to calving events. These include the geometry of the fjord, absence of sea ice, preconditioning of the glacier by crevassing and melt related cracking and occurrence of strong katabatic or orographically channeled winds. The recent event falls within the realm of previously documented calving rates but the remaining tongue length is the shortest ever directly observed. Gaps in the 134 year record preclude final judgment about whether the recent calving is entirely unprecedented. Rising surface temperature trends and changed sea ice and ocean circulation patterns in the Arctic could render the tongue susceptible to collapse. As this could contribute to accelerated ice mass flux from Greenland, it is important to continue to observe and clarify processes operative in this system.

Proceedings of the Conference Arctic '85; Civil Engineering in the Artic offshore

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bennett, F.L.; Machemehl, J.L.

1985-01-01

Topics of the 1985 Conference included: Arctic construction, Arctic foundation, Arctic structures, and ocean effects. Arctic terminals and coastal offshore bases, protecting the Arctic environment, and probabilistic methods in Arctic offshore engineering were also discussed. Ice mechanics, marine pipelines in the Arctic, and the role of universities in training civil engineers for Arctic offshore development were highlighted. Sessions on remote sensing, surveying, and mapping were included, and offshore installations in the Bering Sea were discussed. Another topic of discussion was research in Civil Engineering for development of the Arctic offshore. The overall thrust of the conference was the application ofmore » Arctic offshore engineering principles and research in the field of oil and gas exploration and exploitation activity.« less

Marine Corps Equities in the Arctic

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-18

reduces the shipping time from Yokohama, Japan, to Hamburg , Germany, by 11 days as compared to the Suez Canal. Ships average approximately a 20...areas within the Arctic Circle. 10 Warming ocean water is causing fisheries to shift north as well. Fish populations usually found in the...people live in the Arctic region. Commercial fishing fleets are following these populations. 29 Russia holds the majority of the Arctic population

Late winter under ice pelagic microbial communities in the high Arctic Ocean and the impact of short-term exposure to elevated CO2 levels

PubMed Central

Monier, Adam; Findlay, Helen S.; Charvet, Sophie; Lovejoy, Connie

2014-01-01

Polar Oceans are natural CO2 sinks because of the enhanced solubility of CO2 in cold water. The Arctic Ocean is at additional risk of accelerated ocean acidification (OA) because of freshwater inputs from sea ice and rivers, which influence the carbonate system. Winter conditions in the Arctic are of interest because of both cold temperatures and limited CO2 venting to the atmosphere when sea ice is present. Earlier OA experiments on Arctic microbial communities conducted in the absence of ice cover, hinted at shifts in taxa dominance and diversity under lowered pH. The Catlin Arctic Survey provided an opportunity to conduct in situ, under-ice, OA experiments during late Arctic winter. Seawater was collected from under the sea ice off Ellef Ringnes Island, and communities were exposed to three CO2 levels for 6 days. Phylogenetic diversity was greater in the attached fraction compared to the free-living fraction in situ, in the controls and in the treatments. The dominant taxa in all cases were Gammaproteobacteria but acidification had little effect compared to the effects of containment. Phylogenetic net relatedness indices suggested that acidification may have decreased the diversity within some bacterial orders, but overall there was no clear trend. Within the experimental communities, alkalinity best explained the variance among samples and replicates, suggesting subtle changes in the carbonate system need to be considered in such experiments. We conclude that under ice communities have the capacity to respond either by selection or phenotypic plasticity to heightened CO2 levels over the short term. PMID:25324832

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in pore water of Arctic Ocean sediments: linking DOM molecular composition with microbial community structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossel, P. E.; Bienhold, C.; Boetius, A.; Dittmar, T.

2016-02-01

Marine organic matter (OM) that sinks from surface waters to the seafloor is the energy and carbon source for benthic communities. These communities produce dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the process of remineralization, enriching the sediment porewater with fresh DOM compounds. In the Arctic Ocean, primary production is limited by nutrients and light and is thus strongly influenced by sea ice cover. Ice cover is expected to further decrease due to global warming, which may have important consequences for primary production and the quantity and quality of OM exported to the seafloor. This study focused on: 1) the molecular composition of the DOM in sediment pore waters of the deep Eurasian Arctic basins, 2) whether there is any relation between Arctic Ocean ice cover and DOM composition and 3) whether the DOM composition correlates with microbial community structure. Molecular data, obtained via 15 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, were statistically correlated with environmental parameters. The productive ice margin stations showed higher abundances of molecular formulae of peptides, unsaturated aliphatics and saturated fatty acids. This molecular trend is indicative of fresh OM and phytodetritus deposition, compared to the northernmost, ice-covered stations which had stronger aromatic signals. Benthic bacterial community structure, as assessed with the fingerprinting method ARISA, was significantly correlated with DOM molecular composition. Further analyses using Illumina next-generation sequencing will enable the taxonomic identification of specific bacterial groups and their interdependence with DOM compounds. This study contributes to the understanding of the coupling between Arctic Ocean productivity and its depositional regime, and provides first insights into potential links between microbial community structure and DOM molecular composition in Arctic sediments

The Holocene history of Nares Strait: Transition from glacial bay to Arctic-Atlantic throughflow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jennings, Anne E.; Sheldon, Christina; Cronin, Thomas M.; Francus, Pierre; Stoner, Joseph; Andrews, John

2011-01-01

Retreat of glacier ice from Nares Strait and other straits in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago after the end of the last Ice Age initiated an important connection between the Arctic and the North Atlantic Oceans, allowing development of modern ocean circulation in Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea. As low-salinity, nutrient-rich Arctic Water began to enter Baffin Bay, it contributed to the Baffin and Labrador currents flowing southward. This enhanced freshwater inflow must have influenced the sea ice regime and likely is responsible for poor calcium carbonate preservation that characterizes the Baffin Island margin today. Sedimentologic and paleoceanographic data from radiocarbon-dated core HLY03-05GC, Hall Basin, northern Nares Strait, document the timing and paleoenvironments surrounding the retreat of waning ice sheets from Nares Strait and opening of this connection between the Arctic Ocean and Baffin Bay. Hall Basin was deglaciated soon before 10,300 cal BP (calibrated years before present) and records ice-distal sedimentation in a glacial bay facing the Arctic Ocean until about 9,000 cal BP. Atlantic Water was present in Hall Basin during deglaciation, suggesting that it may have promoted ice retreat. A transitional unit with high ice-rafted debris content records the opening of Nares Strait at approximately 9,000 cal BP. High productivity in Hall Basin between 9,000 and 6,000 cal BP reflects reduced sea ice cover and duration as well as throughflow of nutrient-rich Pacific Water. The later Holocene is poorly resolved in the core, but slow sedimentation rates and heavier carbon isotope values support an interpretation of increased sea ice cover and decreased productivity during the Neoglacial period.

An Assessment of State-of-the-Art Mean Sea Surface and Geoid Models of the Arctic Ocean: Implications for Sea Ice Freeboard Retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skourup, Henriette; Farrell, Sinéad Louise; Hendricks, Stefan; Ricker, Robert; Armitage, Thomas W. K.; Ridout, Andy; Andersen, Ole Baltazar; Haas, Christian; Baker, Steven

2017-11-01

State-of-the-art Arctic Ocean mean sea surface (MSS) models and global geoid models (GGMs) are used to support sea ice freeboard estimation from satellite altimeters, as well as in oceanographic studies such as mapping sea level anomalies and mean dynamic ocean topography. However, errors in a given model in the high-frequency domain, primarily due to unresolved gravity features, can result in errors in the estimated along-track freeboard. These errors are exacerbated in areas with a sparse lead distribution in consolidated ice pack conditions. Additionally model errors can impact ocean geostrophic currents, derived from satellite altimeter data, while remaining biases in these models may impact longer-term, multisensor oceanographic time series of sea level change in the Arctic. This study focuses on an assessment of five state-of-the-art Arctic MSS models (UCL13/04 and DTU15/13/10) and a commonly used GGM (EGM2008). We describe errors due to unresolved gravity features, intersatellite biases, and remaining satellite orbit errors, and their impact on the derivation of sea ice freeboard. The latest MSS models, incorporating CryoSat-2 sea surface height measurements, show improved definition of gravity features, such as the Gakkel Ridge. The standard deviation between models ranges 0.03-0.25 m. The impact of remaining MSS/GGM errors on freeboard retrieval can reach several decimeters in parts of the Arctic. While the maximum observed freeboard difference found in the central Arctic was 0.59 m (UCL13 MSS minus EGM2008 GGM), the standard deviation in freeboard differences is 0.03-0.06 m.

Holocene Paleoceanographic Environments at the Chukchi-Alaskan Margin: Implications for Future Changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polyak, L.; Nam, S. I.; Dipre, G.; Kim, S. Y.; Ortiz, J. D.; Darby, D. A.

2017-12-01

The impacts of the North Pacific oceanic and atmospheric system on the Arctic Ocean result in accelerated sea-ice retreat and related changes in hydrography and biota in the western Arctic. Paleoclimatic records from the Pacific sector of the Arctic are key for understanding the long-term history of these interactions. As opposed to stratigraphically long but strongly compressed sediment cores recovered from the deep Arctic Ocean, sediment depocenters on the Chukchi-Alaskan margin yield continuous, medium to high resolution records formed since the last deglaciation. While early Holocene conditions were non-analogous to modern environments due to the effects of prolonged deglaciation and insufficiently high sea levels, mid to late Holocene sediments are more relevant for recent and modern climate variability. Notably, a large depocenter at the Alaskan margin has sedimentation rates estimated as high as a few millimeters per year, thus providing a decadal to near-annual resolution. This high accumulation can be explained by sediment delivery via the Alaskan Coastal Current originating from the Bering Sea and supposedly controlled by the Aleutian Low pressure center. Preliminary results from sediment cores recovering the last several centuries, along with a comparison with other paleoclimatic proxy records from the Arctic-North Pacific region, indicate a persistent role of the Aleutian Low in the Bering Strait inflow and attendant deposition. More proxy studies are underway to reconstruct the history of this circulation system and its relationship with sea ice extent. The expected results will improve our understanding of natural variability in oceanic and atmospheric conditions at the Chukchi-Alaskan margin, a critical area for modulating the Arctic climate change.

The delivery of organic contaminants to the Arctic food web: why sea ice matters.

PubMed

Pućko, Monika; Stern, Gary A; Macdonald, Robie W; Jantunen, Liisa M; Bidleman, Terry F; Wong, Fiona; Barber, David G; Rysgaard, Søren

2015-02-15

For decades sea ice has been perceived as a physical barrier for the loading of contaminants to the Arctic Ocean. We show that sea ice, in fact, facilitates the delivery of organic contaminants to the Arctic marine food web through processes that: 1) are independent of contaminant physical-chemical properties (e.g. 2-3-fold increase in exposure to brine-associated biota), and 2) depend on physical-chemical properties and, therefore, differentiate between contaminants (e.g. atmospheric loading of contaminants to melt ponds over the summer, and their subsequent leakage to the ocean). We estimate the concentrations of legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and current-use pesticides (CUPs) in melt pond water in the Beaufort Sea, Canadian High Arctic, in 2008, at near-gas exchange equilibrium based on Henry's law constants (HLCs), air concentrations and exchange dynamics. CUPs currently present the highest risk of increased exposures through melt pond loading and drainage due to the high ratio of melt pond water to seawater concentration (Melt pond Enrichment Factor, MEF), which ranges from 2 for dacthal to 10 for endosulfan I. Melt pond contaminant enrichment can be perceived as a hypothetical 'pump' delivering contaminants from the atmosphere to the ocean under ice-covered conditions, with 2-10% of CUPs annually entering the Beaufort Sea via this input route compared to the standing stock in the Polar Mixed Layer of the ocean. The abovementioned processes are strongly favored in first-year ice compared to multi-year ice and, therefore, the dynamic balance between contaminant inventories and contaminant deposition to the surface ocean is being widely affected by the large-scale icescape transition taking place in the Arctic. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biopolymers form a gelatinous microlayer at the air-sea interface when Arctic sea ice melts

PubMed Central

Galgani, Luisa; Piontek, Judith; Engel, Anja

2016-01-01

The interface layer between ocean and atmosphere is only a couple of micrometers thick but plays a critical role in climate relevant processes, including the air-sea exchange of gas and heat and the emission of primary organic aerosols (POA). Recent findings suggest that low-level cloud formation above the Arctic Ocean may be linked to organic polymers produced by marine microorganisms. Sea ice harbors high amounts of polymeric substances that are produced by cells growing within the sea-ice brine. Here, we report from a research cruise to the central Arctic Ocean in 2012. Our study shows that microbial polymers accumulate at the air-sea interface when the sea ice melts. Proteinaceous compounds represented the major fraction of polymers supporting the formation of a gelatinous interface microlayer and providing a hitherto unrecognized potential source of marine POA. Our study indicates a novel link between sea ice-ocean and atmosphere that may be sensitive to climate change. PMID:27435531

Anomalous Structure of Oceanic Lithosphere in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans: A Preliminary Analysis Based on Bathymetry, Gravity and Crustal Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barantsrva, O.

2014-12-01

We present a preliminary analysis of the crustal and upper mantle structure for off-shore regions in the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. These regions have anomalous oceanic lithosphere: the upper mantle of the North Atlantic ocean is affected by the Iceland plume, while the Arctic ocean has some of the slowest spreading rates. Our specific goal is to constrain the density structure of the upper mantle in order to understand the links between the deep lithosphere dynamics, ocean spreading, ocean floor bathymetry, heat flow and structure of the oceanic lithosphere in the regions where classical models of evolution of the oceanic lithosphere may not be valid. The major focus is on the oceanic lithosphere, but the Arctic shelves with a sufficient data coverage are also included into the analysis. Out major interest is the density structure of the upper mantle, and the analysis is based on the interpretation of GOCE satellite gravity data. To separate gravity anomalies caused by subcrustal anomalous masses, the gravitational effect of water, crust and the deep mantle is removed from the observed gravity field. For bathymetry we use the global NOAA database ETOPO1. The crustal correction to gravity is based on two crustal models: (1) global model CRUST1.0 (Laske, 2013) and, for a comparison, (2) a regional seismic model EUNAseis (Artemieva and Thybo, 2013). The crustal density structure required for the crustal correction is constrained from Vp data. Previous studies have shown that a large range of density values corresponds to any Vp value. To overcome this problem and to reduce uncertainty associated with the velocity-density conversion, we account for regional tectonic variations in the Northern Atlantics as constrained by numerous published seismic profiles and potential-field models across the Norwegian off-shore crust (e.g. Breivik et al., 2005, 2007), and apply different Vp-density conversions for different parts of the region. We present preliminary results, which we use to examine factors that control variations in bathymetry, sedimentary and crustal thicknesses in these anomalous oceanic domains.

Anthropogenic 129I in the North Pacific, Bering and Chukchi Seas, and Arctic Ocean in 2012-2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagai, H.; Hasegawa, A.; Yamagata, T.; Kumamoto, Y.; Nishino, S.; Matsuzaki, H.

2015-10-01

Most of anthropogenic 129I in marine environment are due to discharge from the nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities at Sellafield (U.K.) and La Hague (France) for past few decades. The discharge raised 129I concentration in seawaters in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans to more than 109 atoms L-1, which is two orders of magnitude higher than that in other region. Recently, in March 2011, a large quantity of 129I was released into the western North Pacific due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (F1NPP) accident. To evaluate the influence of these events, we have measured 129I concentration in seawaters in the northern North Pacific Ocean, Bering and Chukchi Seas, and Arctic Ocean in 2012-2013. The 129I concentrations were 1.0-1.8 × 107 atoms L-1 in the surface waters in the vicinity of 47°N 150°E-130°W North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Chukchi Sea (<74°N), which are equal to or lower than the 129I concentration level in surface water in the North Pacific Ocean before the F1NPP accident. The vertical profiles in the North Pacific were almost same as that observed in the western North Pacific before the F1NPP accident. The 129I distribution in seawater in the North Pacific to the Chukchi Sea revealed no significant increase of 129I concentration caused by the F1NPP accident. The 129I concentrations were 13-14 × 107 atoms L-1 in surface waters and 80 × 107 atoms L-1 at depths of 300 and 800 m in the Arctic Ocean.

Investigating the role of wind in generating surface currents over the slope area of the Laptev Sea, Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patteson, R. N.

2017-12-01

Mixing mechanisms of the Arctic Ocean have profound impacts on sea ice, global ocean dynamics, and arctic communities. This project used a two-year long time series of ocean current velocities collected from eight moorings located on the Eurasian basin, as well as ERA-interim wind data, to compare and assess relationships between current and wind velocities at different depths. Determining the strength of these correlations will further scientific understanding of the degree to which wind influences mixing, with implications for heat flux, diffusion, and sea ice changes. Using statistical analysis, I calculated whether a significant relationship between wind velocity and ocean currents existed beginning at the surface level ( 50m) .The final correlation values, ranging from R = 0.11 to R = 0.28, indicated a weak relationship between wind velocity and ocean currents at the surface for all eight mooring sites. The results for the surface depth imply that correlation likely decreases with increasing depths, and thus further testing of deeper depth levels was unnecessary. This finding suggests that there is another dominant factor at play in the ocean; we postulate that topography exerts a significant influence on subsurface mixing. This study highlights the need for further research of the different mechanisms and their importance in influencing the dynamic structure of the ocean.

Greater role for Atlantic inflows on sea-ice loss in the Eurasian Basin of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polyakov, Igor V.; Pnyushkov, Andrey V.; Alkire, Matthew B.; Ashik, Igor M.; Baumann, Till M.; Carmack, Eddy C.; Goszczko, Ilona; Guthrie, John; Ivanov, Vladimir V.; Kanzow, Torsten; Krishfield, Richard; Kwok, Ronald; Sundfjord, Arild; Morison, James; Rember, Robert; Yulin, Alexander

2017-04-01

Arctic sea-ice loss is a leading indicator of climate change and can be attributed, in large part, to atmospheric forcing. Here, we show that recent ice reductions, weakening of the halocline, and shoaling of the intermediate-depth Atlantic Water layer in the eastern Eurasian Basin have increased winter ventilation in the ocean interior, making this region structurally similar to that of the western Eurasian Basin. The associated enhanced release of oceanic heat has reduced winter sea-ice formation at a rate now comparable to losses from atmospheric thermodynamic forcing, thus explaining the recent reduction in sea-ice cover in the eastern Eurasian Basin. This encroaching “atlantification” of the Eurasian Basin represents an essential step toward a new Arctic climate state, with a substantially greater role for Atlantic inflows.

Regional and inter-annual variability in Atlantic zooplankton en route to the Arctic Ocean: potential effects of multi-path Atlantic water advection through Fram Strait and the Barents Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwasniewski, Slawomir; Gluchowska, Marta; Trudnowska, Emilia; Ormanczyk, Mateusz; Walczowski, Waldemar; Beszczynska-Moeller, Agnieszka

2016-04-01

The Arctic is among the regions where the climate change effects on ecosystem will be the most rapid and consequential, with Arctic amplification recognized as an integral part of the process. Great part of the changes are forced by advection of warm waters from the North Atlantic and the expected modifications of Arctic marine ecosystem will be induced not only by changing environmental conditions but also as a result of introducing Atlantic biota. Thus, the knowledge of physical and biological heterogeneity of Atlantic inflow is requisite for understanding the effects of climate change on biological diversity and ecosystem functioning in the Arctic. The complex and variable two-branched structure of the Atlantic Water flow via Fram Strait and the Barents Sea most likely has a strong influence on the ocean biology in these regions, especially in the pelagic realm. Zooplankton are key components of marine ecosystems which form essential links between primary producers and grazer/predator consumers, thus they are important for functioning of the biological carbon pump. Changes in zooplankton distribution and abundance may have cascading effects on ecosystem functioning, with regulatory effects on climate. Based on data collected in summers of 2012-2014, within the scope of the Polish-Norwegian PAVE research project, we investigate zooplankton distribution, abundance and selected structural characteristics of communities, in relation to water mass properties in the Atlantic Water complex flow to the Arctic Ocean. The main questions addressed here are: what are the differences in zooplankton patterns between the Fram Strait and Barents Sea branches, and how does the inter-annual variability of Atlantic Water advection relate to changes in zooplankton? The results of the investigation are precondition for foreseeing changes in the pelagic realm in the Arctic Ocean and are necessary for constructing and tuning plankton components of ecosystem models.

Climate of the Arctic marine environment.

PubMed

Walsh, John E

2008-03-01

The climate of the Arctic marine environment is characterized by strong seasonality in the incoming solar radiation and by tremendous spatial variations arising from a variety of surface types, including open ocean, sea ice, large islands, and proximity to major landmasses. Interannual and decadal-scale variations are prominent features of Arctic climate, complicating the distinction between natural and anthropogenically driven variations. Nevertheless, climate models consistently indicate that the Arctic is the most climatically sensitive region of the Northern Hemisphere, especially near the sea ice margins. The Arctic marine environment has shown changes over the past several decades, and these changes are part of a broader global warming that exceeds the range of natural variability over the past 1000 years. Record minima of sea ice coverage during the past few summers and increased melt from Greenland have important implications for the hydrographic regime of the Arctic marine environment. The recent changes in the atmosphere (temperature, precipitation, pressure), sea ice, and ocean appear to be a coordinated response to systematic variations of the large-scale atmospheric circulation, superimposed on a general warming that is likely associated with increasing greenhouse gases. The changes have been sufficiently large in some sectors (e.g., the Bering/Chukchi Seas) that consequences for marine ecosystems appear to be underway. Global climate models indicate an additional warming of several degrees Celsius in much of the Arctic marine environment by 2050. However, the warming is seasonal (largest in autumn and winter), spatially variable, and closely associated with further retreat of sea ice. Additional changes predicted for 2050 are a general decrease of sea level pressure (largest in the Bering sector) and an increase of precipitation. While predictions of changes in storminess cannot be made with confidence, the predicted reduction of sea ice cover will almost certainly lead to increased oceanic mixing, ocean wave generation, and coastal flooding.

The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolaus, M.; Rex, M.; Dethloff, K.; Shupe, M.; Sommerfeld, A.

2016-12-01

The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) is a key international flagship initiative under the auspices of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). The main aim of MOSAiC is to improve our understanding of the functioning of the Arctic coupled system with a complex interplay between processes in the atmosphere, ocean, sea ice and ecosystem coupled through bio-geochemical interactions. The main objective of MOSAiC is to develop a better understanding of these important coupled-system processes so they can be more accurately represented in regional- and global-scale weather- and climate models. Observations covering a full annual cycle over the Arctic Ocean of many critical parameters such as cloud properties, surface energy fluxes, atmospheric aerosols, small-scale sea-ice and oceanic processes, biological feedbacks with the sea-ice ice and ocean, and others have never been made in the central Arctic in all seasons, and certainly not in a coupled system fashion. The main scientific goals focus on data assimilation for numerical weather prediction models, improved sea ice forecasts and climate models, ground truth for satellite remote sensing, energy budget and fluxes through interfaces, sources, sinks and cycles of chemical species, boundary layer processes, habitat conditions and primary productivity and stakeholder services. The MOSAiC Observatory will be deployed in, and drift with, the Arctic sea-ice pack for a full annual cycle, starting in fall 2019 and ending in fall 2020. Initial drift plans are to start in the newly forming fall sea-ice in the East Siberian Sea and follow the Transpolar Drift. The German Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research will made a huge contribution with the icebreaker Polarstern to serve as the central drifting observatory for this year long drift, and the US Department of Energy has committed a comprehensive atmospheric measurement suite. Many other nations and agencies have expressed interest in participation and in gaining access to this unprecedented observational dataset.

Monocarboxylic and dicarboxylic acids over oceans from the East China Sea to the Arctic Ocean: Roles of ocean emissions, continental input and secondary formation.

PubMed

Hu, Qihou; Xie, Zhouqing; Wang, Xinming; Kang, Hui; Zhang, Yuqing; Ding, Xiang; Zhang, Pengfei

2018-05-30

Organic acids are major components in marine organic aerosols. Many studies on the occurrence, sources and sinks of organic acids over oceans in the low and middle latitudes have been conducted. However, the understanding of relative contributions of specific sources to organic acids over oceans, especially in the high latitudes, is still inadequate. This study measured organic acids, including C 14:0 - C 32:0 saturated monocarboxylic acids (MCAs), C 16:1 , C 18:1 and C 18:2 unsaturated MCAs, and di-C 4 - di-C 10 dicarboxylic acids (DCAs), in the marine boundary layer from the East China Sea to the Arctic Ocean during the 3rd Chinese Arctic Research Expedition (CHINARE 08). The average concentrations were 18 ± 16 ng/m 3 and 11 ± 5.4 ng/m 3 for ΣMCA and ΣDCA, respectively. The levels of saturated MCAs were much higher than those of unsaturated DCAs, with peaks at C 16:0 , C 18:0 and C 14:0 . DCAs peaked at di-C 4 , followed by di-C 9 and di-C 8 . Concentrations of MCAs and DCAs generally decreased with increasing latitudes. Sources of MCAs and DCAs were further investigated using principal component analysis with a multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR) model. Overall, carboxylic acids originated from ocean emissions, continental input (including biomass burning, anthropogenic emissions and terrestrial plant emissions), and secondary formation. All the five sources contributed to MCAs with ocean emissions as the predominant source (48%), followed by biomass burning (20%). In contrast, only 3 sources (i.e., secondary formation (50%), anthropogenic emissions (41%) and biomass burning (9%)) contributed to DCAs. Furthermore, the sources varied with regions. Over the Arctic Ocean, only secondary formation and anthropogenic emissions contributed to MCAs and DCAs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Is Ice-Rafted Sediment in a North Pole Marine Record Evidence for Perennial Sea-ice Cover?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tremblay, L.B.; Schmidt, G.A.; Pfirman, S.; Newton, R.; DeRepentigny, P.

2015-01-01

Ice-rafted sediments of Eurasian and North American origin are found consistently in the upper part (13 Ma BP to present) of the Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX) ocean core from the Lomonosov Ridge, near the North Pole (approximately 88 degrees N). Based on modern sea-ice drift trajectories and speeds, this has been taken as evidence of the presence of a perennial sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean from the middle Miocene onwards. However, other high latitude land and marine records indicate a long-term trend towards cooling broken by periods of extensive warming suggestive of a seasonally ice-free Arctic between the Miocene and the present. We use a coupled sea-ice slab-ocean model including sediment transport tracers to map the spatial distribution of ice-rafted deposits in the Arctic Ocean. We use 6 hourly wind forcing and surface heat fluxes for two different climates: one with a perennial sea-ice cover similar to that of the present day and one with seasonally ice-free conditions, similar to that simulated in future projections. Model results confirm that in the present-day climate, sea ice takes more than 1 year to transport sediment from all its peripheral seas to the North Pole. However, in a warmer climate, sea-ice speeds are significantly faster (for the same wind forcing) and can deposit sediments of Laptev, East Siberian and perhaps also Beaufort Sea origin at the North Pole. This is primarily because of the fact that sea-ice interactions are much weaker with a thinner ice cover and there is less resistance to drift. We conclude that the presence of ice-rafted sediment of Eurasian and North American origin at the North Pole does not imply a perennial sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean, reconciling the ACEX ocean core data with other land and marine records.

Arctic Ocean outflow and glacier-ocean interactions modify water over the Wandel Sea shelf (northeastern Greenland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dmitrenko, Igor A.; Kirillov, Sergey A.; Rudels, Bert; Babb, David G.; Toudal Pedersen, Leif; Rysgaard, Søren; Kristoffersen, Yngve; Barber, David G.

2017-12-01

The first-ever conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) observations on the Wandel Sea shelf in northeastern Greenland were collected in April-May 2015. They were complemented by CTDs taken along the continental slope during the Norwegian FRAM 2014-2015 drift. The CTD profiles are used to reveal the origin of water masses and interactions with ambient water from the continental slope and the tidewater glacier outlet. The subsurface water is associated with the Pacific water outflow from the Arctic Ocean. The underlying halocline separates the Pacific water from a deeper layer of polar water that has interacted with the warm Atlantic water outflow through the Fram Strait, recorded below 140 m. Over the outer shelf, the halocline shows numerous cold density-compensated intrusions indicating lateral interaction with an ambient polar water mass across the continental slope. At the front of the tidewater glacier outlet, colder and turbid water intrusions were observed at the base of the halocline. On the temperature-salinity plots these stations indicate a mixing line that is different from the ambient water and seems to be conditioned by the ocean-glacier interaction. Our observations of Pacific water are set within the context of upstream observations in the Beaufort Sea and downstream observations from the Northeast Water Polynya, and clearly show the modification of Pacific water during its advection across the Arctic Ocean. Moreover, ambient water over the Wandel Sea slope shows different thermohaline structures indicating the different origin and pathways of the on-shore and off-shore branches of the Arctic Ocean outflow through the western Fram Strait.

Biogeography and Photosynthetic Biomass of Arctic Marine Pico-Eukaroytes during Summer of the Record Sea Ice Minimum 2012

PubMed Central

Metfies, Katja; von Appen, Wilken-Jon; Kilias, Estelle; Nicolaus, Anja; Nöthig, Eva-Maria

2016-01-01

Information on recent photosynthetic biomass distribution and biogeography of Arctic marine pico-eukaryotes (0.2–3 μm) is needed to better understand consequences of environmental change for Arctic marine ecosystems. We analysed pico-eukaryote biomass and community composition in Fram Strait and large parts of the Central Arctic Ocean (Nansen Basin, Amundsen Basin) using chlorophyll a (Chl a) measurements, automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) and 454-pyrosequencing. Samples were collected during summer 2012, the year with the most recent record sea ice minimum. Chl a concentrations were highest in eastern Fram Strait and pico-plankton accounted for 60–90% of Chl a biomass during the observation period. ARISA-patterns and 454-pyrosequencing revealed that pico-eukaryote distribution is closely related to water mass distribution in the euphotic zone of the Arctic Ocean. Phaeocystaceae, Micromonas sp., Dinophyceae and Syndiniales constitute a high proportion of sequence reads, while sequence abundance of autotrophic Phaeocystaceae and mixotrophic Micromonas sp. was inversely correlated. Highest sequence abundances of Phaeocystaceae were observed in the warm Atlantic Waters in Fram Strait, while Micromonas sp. dominated the abundant biosphere in the arctic halocline. Our results are of particular interest considering existing hypotheses that environmental conditions in Nansen Basin might become more similar to the current conditions in Fram Strait. We propose that in response, biodiversity and biomass of pico-eukaryotes in Nansen Basin could resemble those currently observed in Fram Strait in the future. This would significantly alter biogeochemical cycles in a large part of the Central Arctic Ocean. PMID:26895333

The Arctic Ocean as a dead end for floating plastics in the North Atlantic branch of the Thermohaline Circulation

PubMed Central

Cózar, Andrés; Martí, Elisa; Duarte, Carlos M.; García-de-Lomas, Juan; van Sebille, Erik; Ballatore, Thomas J.; Eguíluz, Victor M.; González-Gordillo, J. Ignacio; Pedrotti, Maria L.; Echevarría, Fidel; Troublè, Romain; Irigoien, Xabier

2017-01-01

The subtropical ocean gyres are recognized as great marine accummulation zones of floating plastic debris; however, the possibility of plastic accumulation at polar latitudes has been overlooked because of the lack of nearby pollution sources. In the present study, the Arctic Ocean was extensively sampled for floating plastic debris from the Tara Oceans circumpolar expedition. Although plastic debris was scarce or absent in most of the Arctic waters, it reached high concentrations (hundreds of thousands of pieces per square kilometer) in the northernmost and easternmost areas of the Greenland and Barents seas. The fragmentation and typology of the plastic suggested an abundant presence of aged debris that originated from distant sources. This hypothesis was corroborated by the relatively high ratios of marine surface plastic to local pollution sources. Surface circulation models and field data showed that the poleward branch of the Thermohaline Circulation transfers floating debris from the North Atlantic to the Greenland and Barents seas, which would be a dead end for this plastic conveyor belt. Given the limited surface transport of the plastic that accumulated here and the mechanisms acting for the downward transport, the seafloor beneath this Arctic sector is hypothesized as an important sink of plastic debris. PMID:28439534

The Arctic Ocean as a dead end for floating plastics in the North Atlantic branch of the Thermohaline Circulation.

PubMed

Cózar, Andrés; Martí, Elisa; Duarte, Carlos M; García-de-Lomas, Juan; van Sebille, Erik; Ballatore, Thomas J; Eguíluz, Victor M; González-Gordillo, J Ignacio; Pedrotti, Maria L; Echevarría, Fidel; Troublè, Romain; Irigoien, Xabier

2017-04-01

The subtropical ocean gyres are recognized as great marine accummulation zones of floating plastic debris; however, the possibility of plastic accumulation at polar latitudes has been overlooked because of the lack of nearby pollution sources. In the present study, the Arctic Ocean was extensively sampled for floating plastic debris from the Tara Oceans circumpolar expedition. Although plastic debris was scarce or absent in most of the Arctic waters, it reached high concentrations (hundreds of thousands of pieces per square kilometer) in the northernmost and easternmost areas of the Greenland and Barents seas. The fragmentation and typology of the plastic suggested an abundant presence of aged debris that originated from distant sources. This hypothesis was corroborated by the relatively high ratios of marine surface plastic to local pollution sources. Surface circulation models and field data showed that the poleward branch of the Thermohaline Circulation transfers floating debris from the North Atlantic to the Greenland and Barents seas, which would be a dead end for this plastic conveyor belt. Given the limited surface transport of the plastic that accumulated here and the mechanisms acting for the downward transport, the seafloor beneath this Arctic sector is hypothesized as an important sink of plastic debris.

Diversity of Arctic Pelagic Prokaryotes with an emphasis on photoheterotrophic bacteria: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boeuf, D.; Humily, F.; Jeanthon, C.

2014-02-01

The Arctic Ocean is a unique marine environment with respect to seasonality of light, temperature, perennial ice cover and strong stratification. Other important distinctive features are the influence of extensive continental shelves and its interactions with Atlantic and Pacific water masses and freshwater from sea ice melt and rivers. These characteristics have major influence on the biological and biogeochemical processes occurring in this complex natural system. Heterotrophic bacteria are crucial components of marine food webs and have key roles in controlling carbon fluxes in the oceans. Although it was previously thought that these organisms relied on the organic carbon in seawater for all of their energy needs, several recent discoveries now suggest that pelagic bacteria can depart from a strictly heterotrophic lifestyle by obtaining energy through unconventional mechanisms that are linked to the penetration of sunlight into surface waters. These photoheterotrophic mechanisms may play a significant role in the energy budget in the euphotic zone of marine environments. We can suspect that this role could be of greater importance in the Arctic Ocean where environmental changes triggered by climate change could favor the photoheterotrophic lifestyle. Here we review advances in our knowledge of the diversity of marine photoheterotrophic bacteria and discuss their significance in the Arctic Ocean gained in the framework of the Malina cruise.

Coordination, Data Management and Enhancement of the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP), A US Interagency Arctic Buoy Programme (USIABP) Contribution to the IABP

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-30

International Arctic Buoy Programme ( IABP ) A US Interagency Arctic Buoy Programme (USIABP) contribution to the IABP Dr. Ignatius G. Rigor Polar...observations of surface meteorology and ice motion. These observations are assimilated into Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models that are used to...distribution of sea ice. Over the Arctic Ocean, this fundamental observing network is maintained by the IABP , and is a critical component of the

A Comprehensive Modeling Approach Towards Understanding and Prediction of the Alaskan Coastal System Response to Changes in an Ice-diminished Arctic

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

to generate the 3 member ensembles). In total we’ve run 120 months of simulations as part of the pan-Arctic WRF evaluation. Results from the...2009: Polar atmospheric modeling in an Arctic system model, IAMAS-IAPSO-IACS MOCA-09 Joint Assembly , Montreal, Canada. Higgins, M.E. and J.J...W., and J. Clement Kinney, 2009: Oceanic Heat Contribution to Arctic Sea Ice Melt, EGU , Vienna, Austria. Maslowski, W., 2009: State of Arctic

Does Arctic sea ice reduction foster shelf-basin exchange?

PubMed

Ivanov, Vladimir; Watanabe, Eiji

2013-12-01

The recent shift in Arctic ice conditions from prevailing multi-year ice to first-year ice will presumably intensify fall-winter sea ice freezing and the associated salt flux to the underlying water column. Here, we conduct a dual modeling study whose results suggest that the predicted catastrophic consequences for the global thermohaline circulation (THC), as a result of the disappearance of Arctic sea ice, may not necessarily occur. In a warmer climate, the substantial fraction of dense water feeding the Greenland-Scotland overflow may form on Arctic shelves and cascade to the deep basin, thus replenishing dense water, which currently forms through open ocean convection in the sub-Arctic seas. We have used a simplified model for estimating how increased ice production influences shelf-basin exchange associated with dense water cascading. We have carried out case studies in two regions of the Arctic Ocean where cascading was observed in the past. The baseline range of buoyancy-forcing derived from the columnar ice formation was calculated as part of a 30-year experiment of the pan-Arctic coupled ice-ocean general circulation model (GCM). The GCM results indicate that mechanical sea ice divergence associated with lateral advection accounts for a significant part of the interannual variations in sea ice thermal production in the coastal polynya regions. This forcing was then rectified by taking into account sub-grid processes and used in a regional model with analytically prescribed bottom topography and vertical stratification in order to examine specific cascading conditions in the Pacific and Atlantic sectors of the Arctic Ocean. Our results demonstrate that the consequences of enhanced ice formation depend on geographical location and shelf-basin bathymetry. In the Pacific sector, strong density stratification in slope waters impedes noticeable deepening of shelf-origin water, even for the strongest forcing applied. In the Atlantic sector, a 1.5x increase of salt flux leads to a threefold increase of shelf-slope volume flux below the warm core of Atlantic water. This threefold increase would be a sufficient substitute for a similar amount of dense water that currently forms in the Greenland, Iceland, and Norwegian (GIN) seas but is expected to decrease in a warming climate.

Pliocene cooling enhanced by flow of low-salinity Bering Sea water to the Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Horikawa, Keiji; Martin, Ellen E; Basak, Chandranath; Onodera, Jonaotaro; Seki, Osamu; Sakamoto, Tatsuhiko; Ikehara, Minoru; Sakai, Saburo; Kawamura, Kimitaka

2015-06-29

Warming of high northern latitudes in the Pliocene (5.33-2.58 Myr ago) has been linked to the closure of the Central American Seaway and intensification of North Atlantic Deep Water. Subsequent cooling in the late Pliocene may be related to the effects of freshwater input from the Arctic Ocean via the Bering Strait, disrupting North Atlantic Deep Water formation and enhancing sea ice formation. However, the timing of Arctic freshening has not been defined. Here we present neodymium and lead isotope records of detrital sediment from the Bering Sea for the past 4.3 million years. Isotopic data suggest the presence of Alaskan glaciers as far back as 4.2 Myr ago, while diatom and C37:4 alkenone records show a long-term trend towards colder and fresher water in the Bering Sea beginning with the M2 glaciation (3.3 Myr ago). We argue that the introduction of low-salinity Bering Sea water to the Arctic Ocean by 3.3 Myr ago preconditioned the climate system for global cooling.

Arctic Contribution to Upper-Ocean Variability in the North Atlantic.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, John E.; Chapman, William L.

1990-12-01

Because much of the deep water of the world's oceans forms in the high-latitude North Atlantic, the potential climatic leverage of salinity and temperature anomalies in this region is large. Substantial variations of sea ice have accompanied North Atlantic salinity and temperature anomalies, especially the extreme and long-lived `Great Salinity Anomaly' of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Atmospheric pressure data are used hem to show that the local forcing of high-latitude North Atlantic Ocean fluctuations is augmented by antecedent atmospheric circulation anomalies over the central Arctic. These circulation anomalies are consistent with enhanced wind-forcing of thicker, older ice into the Transpolar Drift Stream and an enhanced export of sea ice (fresh water) from the Arctic into the Greenland Sea prior to major episodes of ice severity in the Greenland and Iceland seas. An index of the pressure difference between southern Greenland and the Arctic-Asian coast reached its highest value of the twentieth century during the middle-to-late 1960s, the approximate time of the earliest observation documentation of the Great Salinity Anomaly.

Extreme natural acidification in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf: Effects of permafrost thawing and seawater freshening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semiletov, I. P.; Pipko, I.; Gustafsson, O.; Anderson, L. G.; Sergienko, V.; Pugach, S.; Dudarev, O.; Charkin, A. N.; Gukov, A.; Bröder, L.; Andersson, A.; Shakhova, N. E.

2015-12-01

Ocean acidification (OA) is a direct, fast, and strong effect of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2), which is challenging marine ecosystems and carbon cycling. The Arctic Ocean is particularly sensitive and exhibits the highest levels of OA (lowest pH) because more CO2 can dissolve in cold water. We here use decadal data to show that extreme and extensive OA in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) is caused not by direct uptake of atmospheric CO2 but rather by naturally-driven processes: carbon mobilization from thawing coastal permafrost/coastal ice complexes, and freshening due to growing Arctic river runoff and ice melt, which transport carbon along with freshwater to the ESAS. These processes compose a unique acidifying phenomenon that causes persistent, and potentially increasing, aragonite under-saturation of the entire water column. Extreme aragonite under-saturation in the western near-shore ESAS is associated with >80% depression of the total calcifying benthic biomass. Massive OA on the ESAS, the largest sea shelf system of the World Ocean, illustrates the complexity of the Earth system interacting with increasing anthropogenic pressure.

Pliocene cooling enhanced by flow of low-salinity Bering Sea water to the Arctic Ocean

PubMed Central

Horikawa, Keiji; Martin, Ellen E.; Basak, Chandranath; Onodera, Jonaotaro; Seki, Osamu; Sakamoto, Tatsuhiko; Ikehara, Minoru; Sakai, Saburo; Kawamura, Kimitaka

2015-01-01

Warming of high northern latitudes in the Pliocene (5.33–2.58 Myr ago) has been linked to the closure of the Central American Seaway and intensification of North Atlantic Deep Water. Subsequent cooling in the late Pliocene may be related to the effects of freshwater input from the Arctic Ocean via the Bering Strait, disrupting North Atlantic Deep Water formation and enhancing sea ice formation. However, the timing of Arctic freshening has not been defined. Here we present neodymium and lead isotope records of detrital sediment from the Bering Sea for the past 4.3 million years. Isotopic data suggest the presence of Alaskan glaciers as far back as 4.2 Myr ago, while diatom and C37:4 alkenone records show a long-term trend towards colder and fresher water in the Bering Sea beginning with the M2 glaciation (3.3 Myr ago). We argue that the introduction of low-salinity Bering Sea water to the Arctic Ocean by 3.3 Myr ago preconditioned the climate system for global cooling. PMID:26119338

Oceanography: A sea butterfly flaps its wings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ries, Justin B.

2012-12-01

Ocean acidification is predicted to harm the ocean's shell-building organisms over the coming centuries. Sea butterflies, an ecologically important group of molluscs in the Arctic and Southern oceans, are already suffering the effects.

The phenology of Arctic Ocean surface warming.

PubMed

Steele, Michael; Dickinson, Suzanne

2016-09-01

In this work, we explore the seasonal relationships (i.e., the phenology) between sea ice retreat, sea surface temperature (SST), and atmospheric heat fluxes in the Pacific Sector of the Arctic Ocean, using satellite and reanalysis data. We find that where ice retreats early in most years, maximum summertime SSTs are usually warmer, relative to areas with later retreat. For any particular year, we find that anomalously early ice retreat generally leads to anomalously warm SSTs. However, this relationship is weak in the Chukchi Sea, where ocean advection plays a large role. It is also weak where retreat in a particular year happens earlier than usual, but still relatively late in the season, primarily because atmospheric heat fluxes are weak at that time. This result helps to explain the very different ocean warming responses found in two recent years with extreme ice retreat, 2007 and 2012. We also find that the timing of ice retreat impacts the date of maximum SST, owing to a change in the ocean surface buoyancy and momentum forcing that occurs in early August that we term the Late Summer Transition (LST). After the LST, enhanced mixing of the upper ocean leads to cooling of the ocean surface even while atmospheric heat fluxes are still weakly downward. Our results indicate that in the near-term, earlier ice retreat is likely to cause enhanced ocean surface warming in much of the Arctic Ocean, although not where ice retreat still occurs late in the season.

MOSAiC - Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shupe, M.; Persson, O. P.; Tjernstrom, M. K.; Dethloff, K.

2012-12-01

The climate in the Arctic is changing faster than in other regions of the Earth, with near surface temperatures rising more than twice as fast as the global average and the perennial sea-ice cover shrinking fast, especially in summer. The Arctic is transitioning towards a new climate regime dominated by first year sea-ice. At the same time, the scientific understanding of processes and feedbacks causing this rapid change is poor and climate modeling in the Arctic remains problematic. Furthermore, the key physical processes and process-interactions in this new emerging Arctic system are likely different from those in the old system that was dominated by multi-year ice. Our understanding of this complex climate system, and ability to improve climate and weather models, is limited by the lack of observations in the extreme and remote central Arctic. Multi-year, detailed and comprehensive measurements, extending from the atmosphere through the sea-ice and into the ocean in the central Arctic Basin are needed to provide process-level understanding of the central Arctic climate system. To address this need, a manned, international drifting station will be installed in the young sea-ice of the western Arctic and follow the evolution of the ice pack as it proceeds through the transpolar drift towards the Fram Strait over the course of 1-2 years. The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC), proposed to start in autumn 2017, will be guided by the broad theme: What are the causes and consequences of diminished Arctic sea-ice coverage? To address this theme requires a number of interdisciplinary investigations that target more specific science questions. *How do ongoing changes in the Arctic ice-ocean-atmosphere system drive heat and mass transfers of importance to climate and ecosystems? *What are the processes and feedbacks affecting sea ice cover, atmosphere-ocean stratification and energy budget in the Arctic? *Will an ice reduced Arctic become more biologically productive and what are the consequences of this to other components of the system? *How do the different scales of heterogeneity within the atmosphere ice and ocean interact to impact the linkages or feedbacks within the system? *How do interfacial exchange rates, biology and chemistry couple to regulate the major elemental cycles? MOSAiC will address these multi-disciplinary questions using intensive observations and modeling of processes that transfer energy, mass, and momentum through the atmosphere-ice-ocean system. The centerpiece of the observatory will be an icebreaker-based station to serve as a hub for intensive and comprehensive observations of climatically-significant physical, chemical, and biological processes through the vertical column. To provide important spatial context and horizontal variability, this facility will be the focal point for a constellation of coordinated observations made by drifting buoys, unmanned aerial and underwater vehicles, aircraft, ships, and satellites. These MOSAiC observational activities will serve as a testbed for evaluation and development of models at scales ranging from high-resolution, process models to regional and global climate models. MOSAiC observational and modeling activities will be linked at the outset, such that model needs will be integral in observational design, implementation, and analysis.

The Arctic's sea ice cover: trends, variability, predictability, and comparisons to the Antarctic.

PubMed

Serreze, Mark C; Meier, Walter N

2018-05-28

As assessed over the period of satellite observations, October 1978 to present, there are downward linear trends in Arctic sea ice extent for all months, largest at the end of the melt season in September. The ice cover is also thinning. Downward trends in extent and thickness have been accompanied by pronounced interannual and multiyear variability, forced by both the atmosphere and ocean. As the ice thins, its response to atmospheric and oceanic forcing may be changing. In support of a busier Arctic, there is a growing need to predict ice conditions on a variety of time and space scales. A major challenge to providing seasonal scale predictions is the 7-10 days limit of numerical weather prediction. While a seasonally ice-free Arctic Ocean is likely well within this century, there is much uncertainty in the timing. This reflects differences in climate model structure, the unknown evolution of anthropogenic forcing, and natural climate variability. In sharp contrast to the Arctic, Antarctic sea ice extent, while highly variable, has increased slightly over the period of satellite observations. The reasons for this different behavior remain to be resolved, but responses to changing atmospheric circulation patterns appear to play a strong role. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

AMBON - the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Observing Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iken, K.; Danielson, S. L.; Grebmeier, J. M.; Cooper, L. W.; Hopcroft, R. R.; Kuletz, K.; Stafford, K.; Mueter, F. J.; Collins, E.; Bluhm, B.; Moore, S. E.; Bochenek, R. J.

2016-02-01

The goal of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Observing Network (AMBON) is to build an operational and sustainable marine biodiversity observing network for the US Arctic Chukchi Sea continental shelf. The AMBON has four main goals: 1. To close current gaps in taxonomic biodiversity observations from microbes to whales, 2. To integrate results of past and ongoing research programs on the US Arctic shelf into a biodiversity observation network, 3. To demonstrate at a regional level how an observing network could be developed, and 4. To link with programs on the pan-Arctic to global scale. The AMBON fills taxonomic (from microbes to mammals), functional (food web structure), spatial and temporal (continuing time series) gaps, and includes new technologies such as state-of-the-art genomic tools, with biodiversity and environmental observations linked through central data management through the Alaska Ocean Observing System. AMBON is a 5-year partnership between university and federal researchers, funded through the National Ocean Partnership Program (NOPP), with partners in the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM), and Shell industry. AMBON will allow us to better coordinate, sustain, and synthesize biodiversity research efforts, and make data available to a broad audience of users, stakeholders, and resource managers.

Altimeter Observations of Wave Climate in the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babanin, A. V.; Liu, Q.; Zieger, S.

2016-02-01

Wind waves are a new physical phenomenon to the Arctic Seas, which in the past were covered with ice. Now, over summer months, ice coverage retreats up to high latitudes and waves are generated. The marginal open seas provide new opportunities and new problems. Navigation and other maritime activities become possible, but wave heights, storm surges and coastal erosion will likely increase. Air-sea interactions enter a completely new regime, with momentum, energy, heat, gas and moisture fluxes being moderated or produced by the waves, and impacting on upper-ocean mixing. All these issues require knowledge of the wave climate. We will report results of investigation of wave climate and its trends by means of satellite altimetry. This is a challenging, but important topic. On one hand, no statistical approach is possible since in the past for most of the Arctic Ocean there was limited wave activity. Extrapolations of the current observations into the future are not feasible, because ice cover and wind patterns in the Arctic are changing. On the other hand, information on the mean and extreme wave properties, such as wave height, period, direction, on the frequency of occurrence and duration of the storms is of great importance for oceanographic, meteorological, climate, naval and maritime applications in the Arctic Seas.

Pathways of PFOA to the Arctic: variabilities and contributions of oceanic currents and atmospheric transport and chemistry sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stemmler, I.; Lammel, G.

2010-10-01

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other perfluorinated compounds are industrial chemicals in use for decades which resist degradation in the environment and seem to accumulate in polar regions. Transport of PFOA was modeled using a spatially resolved global multicompartment model including fully coupled three-dimensional ocean and atmosphere general circulation models, and two-dimensional top soil, vegetation surfaces, and sea ice compartments. In addition to primary emissions, the formation of PFOA in the atmosphere from degradation of 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol was included as a PFOA source. Oceanic transport, delivered 14.8±5.0 (8-23) t a-1 to the Arctic, strongly influenced by changes in water transport, which determined its interannual variability. This pathway constituted the dominant source of PFOA to the Arctic. Formation of PFOA in the atmosphere led to episodic transport events (timescale of days) into the Arctic with small spatial extent. Deposition in the polar region was found to be dominated by wet deposition over land, and shows maxima in boreal winter. The total atmospheric deposition of PFOA in the Arctic in the 1990s was ≈1 t a-1, much higher than previously estimated, and is dominated by primary emissions rather than secondary formation.

Pathways of PFOA to the Arctic: variabilities and contributions of oceanic currents and atmospheric transport and chemistry sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stemmler, I.; Lammel, G.

2010-05-01

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other perfluorinated compounds are industrial chemicals in use since decades which resist degradation in the environment and seem to accumulate in polar regions. Transport of PFOA was modeled using a spatially resolved global multicompartment model including fully coupled three-dimensional ocean and atmosphere general circulation models, and two-dimensional top soil, vegetation surfaces, and sea ice compartments. In addition to primary emissions, the formation of PFOA in the atmosphere from degradation of 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol was included as a PFOA source. Oceanic transport, delivered 14.8±5.0 (8-23) t a-1 to the Arctic, strongly influenced by changes in water transport, which determined its interannual variability. This pathway constituted the dominant source of PFOA to the Arctic. Formation of PFOA in the atmosphere lead to episodic transport events (timescale of days) into the Arctic with small spatial extent. Deposition in the polar region was found to be dominated by wet deposition over land, and shows maxima in boreal winter. The total atmospheric deposition of PFOA in the Arctic in the 1990s was ≍1 t a-1, much higher than previously estimated, and is dominated by primary emissions rather than secondarily formed.

Arctic landscapes in transition: responses to thawing permafrost

Treesearch

J.C. Rowland; C.E. Jones; G. Altmann; R. Bryan; B.T. Crosby; G.L. Geernaert; L.D. Hinzman; D.L. Kane; D.M. Lawrence; A. Mancino; P. Marsh; J.P. McNamara; V.E. Romanovsky; H. Toniolo; B.J. Travis; E. Trochim; C.J. Wilson

2010-01-01

Observations indicate that over the past several decades, geomorphic processes in the Arctic have been changing or intensifying. Coastal erosion, which currently supplies most of the sediment and carbon to the Arctic Ocean, may have doubled since 1955. Further inland, expansion of channel networks and increased river bank erosion has been attributed to warming. Lakes,...

Calcareous microfossil-based orbital cyclostratigraphy in the Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marzen, Rachel; DeNinno, Lauren H.; Cronin, Thomas M.

2016-01-01

Microfaunal and geochemical proxies from marine sediment records from central Arctic Ocean (CAO) submarine ridges suggest a close relationship over the last 550 thousand years (kyr) between orbital-scale climatic oscillations, sea-ice cover, marine biological productivity and other parameters. Multiple paleoclimate proxies record glacial to interglacial cycles. To understand the climate-cryosphere-productivity relationship, we examined the cyclostratigraphy of calcareous microfossils and constructed a composite Arctic Paleoclimate Index (API) "stack" from benthic foraminiferal and ostracode density from 14 sediment cores. Following the hypothesis that API is driven mainly by changes in sea-ice related productivity, the API stack shows the Arctic experienced a series of highly productive interglacials and interstadials every ∼20 kyr. These periods signify minimal ice shelf and sea-ice cover and maximum marine productivity. Rapid transitions in productivity are seen during shifts from interglacial to glacial climate states. Discrepancies between the Arctic API curves and various global climatic, sea-level and ice-volume curves suggest abrupt growth and decay of Arctic ice shelves related to climatic and sea level oscillations.

Closing the loop - Approaches to monitoring the state of the Arctic Mediterranean during the International Polar Year 2007-2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mauritzen, C.; Hansen, E.; Andersson, M.; Berx, B.; Beszczynska-Möller, A.; Burud, I.; Christensen, K. H.; Debernard, J.; de Steur, L.; Dodd, P.; Gerland, S.; Godøy, Ø.; Hansen, B.; Hudson, S.; Høydalsvik, F.; Ingvaldsen, R.; Isachsen, P. E.; Kasajima, Y.; Koszalka, I.; Kovacs, K. M.; Køltzow, M.; LaCasce, J.; Lee, C. M.; Lavergne, T.; Lydersen, C.; Nicolaus, M.; Nilsen, F.; Nøst, O. A.; Orvik, K. A.; Reigstad, M.; Schyberg, H.; Seuthe, L.; Skagseth, Ø.; Skarðhamar, J.; Skogseth, R.; Sperrevik, A.; Svensen, C.; Søiland, H.; Teigen, S. H.; Tverberg, V.; Wexels Riser, C.

2011-07-01

During the 4th International Polar Year 2007-2009 (IPY), it has become increasingly obvious that we need to prepare for a new era in the Arctic. IPY occurred during the time of the largest retreat of Arctic sea ice since satellite observations started in 1979. This minimum in September sea ice coverage was accompanied by other signs of a changing Arctic, including the unexpectedly rapid transpolar drift of the Tara schooner, a general thinning of Arctic sea ice and a double-dip minimum of the Arctic Oscillation at the end of 2009. Thanks to the lucky timing of the IPY, those recent phenomena are well documented as they have been scrutinized by the international research community, taking advantage of the dedicated observing systems that were deployed during IPY. However, understanding changes in the Arctic System likely requires monitoring over decades, not years. Many IPY projects have contributed to the pilot phase of a future, sustained, observing system for the Arctic. We now know that many of the technical challenges can be overcome. The Norwegian projects iAOOS-Norway, POLEWARD and MEOP were significant ocean monitoring/research contributions during the IPY. A large variety of techniques were used in these programs, ranging from oceanographic cruises to animal-borne platforms, autonomous gliders, helicopter surveys, surface drifters and current meter arrays. Our research approach was interdisciplinary from the outset, merging ocean dynamics, hydrography, biology, sea ice studies, as well as forecasting. The datasets are tremendously rich, and they will surely yield numerous findings in the years to come. Here, we present a status report at the end of the official period for IPY. Highlights of the research include: a quantification of the Meridional Overturning Circulation in the Nordic Seas (“ the loop”) in thermal space, based on a set of up to 15-year-long series of current measurements; a detailed map of the surface circulation as well as characterization of eddy dispersion based on drifter data; transport monitoring of Atlantic Water using gliders; a view of the water mass exchanges in the Norwegian Atlantic Current from both Eulerian and Lagrangian data; an integrated physical-biological view of the ice-influenced ecosystem in the East Greenland Current, showing for instance nutrient-limited primary production as a consequence of decreasing ice cover for larger regions of the Arctic Ocean. Our sea ice studies show that the albedo of snow on ice is lower when snow cover is thinner and suggest that reductions in sea ice thickness, without changes in sea ice extent, will have a significant impact on the arctic atmosphere. We present up-to-date freshwater transport numbers for the East Greenland Current in the Fram Strait, as well as the first map of the annual cycle of freshwater layer thickness in the East Greenland Current along the east coast of Greenland, from data obtained by CTDs mounted on seals that traveled back and forth across the Nordic Seas. We have taken advantage of the real-time transmission of some of these platforms and demonstrate the use of ice-tethered profilers in validating satellite products of sea ice motion, as well as the use of Seagliders in validating ocean forecasts, and we present a sea ice drift product - significantly improved both in space and time - for use in operational ice-forecasting applications. We consider real-time acquisition of data from the ocean interior to be a vital component of a sustained Arctic Ocean Observing System, and we conclude by presenting an outline for an observing system for the European sector of the Arctic Ocean.

SEARCH: Study of Environmental Arctic Change—A System-scale, Cross-disciplinary Arctic Research Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiggins, H. V.; Eicken, H.; Fox, S. E.

2012-12-01

SEARCH is an interdisciplinary and interagency program that works with academic and government agency scientists to plan, conduct, and synthesize studies of arctic change. The vision of SEARCH is to provide scientific understanding of arctic environmental change to help society understand and respond to a rapidly changing Arctic. Towards this end, SEARCH: 1. Generates and synthesizes research findings and promotes arctic science and scientific discovery across disciplines and among agencies. 2. Identifies emerging issues in arctic environmental change. 3. Provides information resources to arctic stakeholders, policy-makers, and the public to help them respond to arctic environmental change. 4. Coordinates with national arctic science programs integral to SEARCH goals. 5. Facilitates research activities across local-to-global scales with stakeholder concerns incorporated from the start of the planning process. 6. Represents the U.S. arctic environmental change science community in international and global change research initiatives. Specific current activities include: Arctic Observing Network (AON) - coordinating a system of atmospheric, land- and ocean-based environmental monitoring capabilities that will significantly advance our observations of arctic environmental conditions. Arctic Sea Ice Outlook ¬- an international effort that provides monthly summer reports synthesizing community estimates of the expected sea ice minimum. Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook - a resource for Alaska Native subsistence hunters, coastal communities, and others that provides weekly reports with information on sea ice conditions relevant to walrus in Alaska waters. In April, the SEARCH Science Steering Committee (SSC) released a set of draft 5-year goals and objectives for review by the broader arctic science community. The goals and objectives will direct the SEARCH program in the next five years. The draft SEARCH goals focus on four areas: ice-diminished Arctic Ocean, warming permafrost, land ice and sea level, and societal and policy implications. Together, the goals will provide significant insight into arctic system change as a whole. The SEARCH SSC will release the goals in their revised form and then work closely with agency representatives to implement the goals through research opportunities and community activities. SEARCH is guided by a Science Steering Committee and several panels and working groups, with broad representation of the research community. SEARCH is sponsored by eight U.S. agencies, including: the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Smithsonian Institution, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The U.S. Arctic Research Commission participates as an agency observer. For further information, please visit the website: http://www.arcus.org/search or contact: Helen V. Wiggins: helen@arcus.org, SEARCH Project Office, Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS).

AURORA BOREALIS: a polar-dedicated European Research Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolff-Boenisch, Bonnie; Egerton, Paul; Thiede, Joern; Roberto, Azzolini; Lembke-Jene, Lester

2010-05-01

Polar research and in particular the properties of northern and southern high latitude oceans are currently a subject of intense scientific debate and investigations, because they are subject to rapid and dramatic climatic variations. Polar regions react more rapidly and intensively to global change than other regions of the earth. A shrinking of the Arctic sea-ice cover, potentially leading to an opening of sea passages to the north of North America and Eurasia, on the long to a "blue" Arctic Ocean would additionally have a strong impact on transport, commerce and tourism bearing potential risk for humans and complex ecosystems in the future. In spite of their critical role processes and feedbacks, especially in winter but not exclusively, are virtually unknown: The Arctic Ocean for example, it is the only basin of the world's oceans that has essentially not been sampled by the drill ships of the Deep-Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) or the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) and its long-term environmental history and tectonic structure is therefore poorly known. Exceptions are the ODP Leg 151 and the more recent very successful ACEX-expedition of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) in 2004. To help to address the most pressing questions regarding climate change and related processes, a Pan-European initiative in the field of Earth system science has been put in place: AURORA BOREALIS is the largest environmental research infrastructure on the ESFRI roadmap of the European Community. AURORA BOREALIS is a very powerful research icebreaker, which will enable year-round operations in the Arctic and the Antarctic as well as in the adjacent ocean basins. Equipped with its drilling rig, the vessel is also capable to explore the presently completely unknown Arctic deep-sea floor. Last but not least, the ship is a floating observatory and mobile monitoring platform that permits to measure on a long-term basis comprehensive time series in all research fields relevant to global climate change. Chances and challenges rest in securing the construction and operation costs that need a dedicated consortium of interested countries and institutions to help tackling the biggest challenges of the next decades.

A new collective view of oceanography of the Arctic and North Atlantic basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yashayaev, Igor; Seidov, Dan; Demirov, Entcho

2015-03-01

We review some historical aspects of the major observational programs in the North Atlantic and adjacent regions that contributed to establishing and maintaining the global ocean climate monitoring network. The paper also presents the oceanic perspectives of climate change and touches the important issues of ocean climate variability on time scales from years to decades. Some elements of the improved understanding of the causes and mechanisms of variability in the subpolar North Atlantic and adjacent seas are discussed in detail. The sophistication of current oceanographic analysis, especially in connection with the most recent technological breakthroughs - notably the launch of the global array of profiling Argo floats - allows us to approach new challenges in ocean research. We demonstrate how the ocean-climate changes in the subpolar basins and polar seas correlate with variations in the major climate indices such as the North Atlantic Oscillation and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and discuss possible connections between the unprecedented changes in the Arctic and Greenland ice-melt rates observed over the past decade and variability of hydrographic conditions in the Labrador Sea. Furthermore, a synthesis of shipboard and Argo measurements in the Labrador Sea reveals the effects of the regional climate trends such as freshening of the upper layer - possible causes of which are also discussed - on the winter convection in the Labrador Sea including its strength, duration and spatial extent. These changes could have a profound impact on the regional and planetary climates. A section with the highlights of all papers comprising the Special Issue concludes the Preface.

Circumpolar measurements of speciated mercury, ozone and carbon monoxide in the boundary layer of the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sommar, J.; Andersson, M. E.; Jacobi, H.-W.

2009-10-01

Using the Swedish icebreaker Oden as a platform, continuous measurements of airborne mercury (gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0), divalent mercury HgII(g) (acronym RGM) and mercury attached to particles (PHg)) and some long-lived trace gases (carbon monoxide CO and ozone O3) were performed over the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. The measurements were performed for nearly three months (July-September, 2005) during the Beringia 2005 expedition (from Göteborg, Sweden via the proper Northwest Passage to the Beringia region Alaska - Chukchi Penninsula - Wrangel Island and in-turn via a north-polar transect to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen). The Beringia 2005 expedition was the first time that these species have been measured during summer over the Arctic Ocean going from 60° to 90° N. During the North Atlantic transect, concentration levels of Hg0, CO and O3 were measured comparable to typical levels for the ambient mid-hemispheric average. However, a rapid increase of Hg0 in air and surface water was observed when entering the ice-covered waters of the Canadian Arctic archipelago. Large parts of the measured waters were supersaturated with respect to Hg0, reflecting a strong disequilibrium. Heading through the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean, a fraction of the strong Hg0} pulse in the water was spilled with some time-delay into the air samples collected 20 m a.s.l. Several episodes of elevated Hg0(g) were encountered along the sea ice route with higher mean concentration (1.81±0.43 ng m-3) compared to the marine boundary layer over ice-free oceanic waters (1.55±0.21 ng m-3). In addition, an overall majority of the variance in the temporal series of Hg0 concentrations was observed during July. Atmospheric boundary layer {O3} mixing ratios decreased when initially sailing northward. In the Arctic, an O3 minimum around 15-20 ppbv was observed during summer (July-August). Alongside the polar transect during the beginning of autumn, a steady trend of increasing O3 mixing ratios was measured returning to initial levels of the expedition (>30 ppbv). Ambient CO was fairly stable (84±12 ppbv) during the expedition. However, from the Beaufort Sea and moving onwards steadily increasing CO mixing ratios were observed (0.3 ppbv day-1). On a comparison with coeval archived CO and O3 data from the Arctic coastal strip monitoring sites Barrow and Alert, the observations from Oden indicate these species to be homogeneously distributed over the Arctic Ocean. Neither correlated low ozone and GEM events nor elevated concentrations of RGM and PHg were at any extent sampled, suggesting that atmospheric mercury deposition to the Arctic basin is low during the Polar summer and autumn. Elevated levels of Hg0 and CO were episodically observed in air along the Chukchi Peninsula indicating transport of regional pollution.

Status and Impacts of Arctic Freshwater Export

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haine, T. W. N.

2017-12-01

Large freshwater anomalies clearly exist in the Arctic Ocean. For example, liquid freshwater has accumulated in the Beaufort Gyre in the decade of the 2000s compared to 1980-2000, with an extra ≈5000 km3—about 25%—being stored. The sources of freshwater to the Arctic from precipitation and runoff have increased between these periods (most of the evidence comes from models). Despite flux increases from 2001 to 2011, it is uncertain if the marine freshwater source through Bering Strait for the 2000s has changed, as observations in the 1980s and 1990s are incomplete. The marine freshwater fluxes draining the Arctic through Fram and Davis straits are also insignificantly different. In this way, the balance of sources and sinks of freshwater to the Arctic, Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA), and Baffin Bay shifted to about 1200±730 km3yr-1 freshening the region, on average, during the 2000s. The observed accumulation of liquid freshwater is consistent with this increased supply and the loss of freshwater from sea ice (Figure, right). Evidence exists that such discharges can impact the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, and hence Atlantic sector climate. Nevertheless, it appears that the observed AMOC variability since 2004, when high quality measurements began, is not attributable to anthropogenic influence. This work is based on, and updated from, Haine et al. (2015), Carmack et al. (2016), and Haine (2016). Haine, T. W. N. Ocean science: Vagaries of Atlantic overturning. Nature Geoscience, 9, 479-480, 10.1038/ngeo2748, 2016. T. W. N. Haine et al., Arctic Freshwater Export: Status, Mechanisms, and Prospects, Global Planetary Change, 125, 13-35, 10.1016/j.glopacha.2014.11.013, 2015. E. Carmack et al., Fresh water and its role in the Arctic Marine System: sources, disposition, storage, export, and physical and biogeochemical consequences in the Arctic and global oceans. J. G. Res. Biogeosciences, 10.1002/2015JG003140, 2016.

Amplified North Atlantic Warming in the Late Pliocene by Changes in Arctic Gateways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otto-Bliesner, B. L.; Jahn, A.; Feng, R.; Brady, E. C.; Hu, A.; Lofverstrom, M.

2017-12-01

Reconstructions of the late Pliocene (mid-Piacenzian, 3.3 - 3.0 million years ago) sea surface temperature (SST) find much warmer conditions in the North Atlantic than modern. The much warmer SSTs, up to 8.8°C from sites with good dating and replicates from several different types of proxies, have been difficult for climate models to reproduce. Even with the slow feedbacks of a reduced Greenland ice sheet and expansion of boreal forests to the Arctic Ocean over Canada and Eurasia, models cannot warm the North Atlantic sufficiently to match the reconstructed SSTs. An enhancement of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) during the late Pliocene, proposed as a possible mechanism based on ocean core records of δ13C, also is not present in the model simulations. Here, we present CESM simulations using a new reconstruction of late Pliocene paleogeography that has the Bering Strait (BS) and Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) Straits closed. We find that the closure of these small Arctic gateways strengthens the AMOC, by inhibiting freshwater (FW) transport from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean and from the Arctic Ocean to the Labrador Sea, leading to warmer sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic. The cutoff of the short export route through the CAA results in a more saline Labrador and south Greenland Sea with increased deep convection. At the same time, as all FW now leaves the Arctic east of Greenland, there is a freshening of and decreased deepwater formation in the Norwegian Sea. Overall, the AMOC strengthens. This past time period has implications for a future Earth under more responsible scenarios of emissions. Late Pliocene atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are estimated to have ranged between 350 and 450 ppmv and the paleogeography is relatively similar to modern. Our study indicates that the state of the Arctic gateways may influence the sensitivity of the North Atlantic climate in complex ways, and better understanding of the state of these Arctic gateways for past time periods is needed. The late Pliocene may be a better process than geologic analogue to study the ability of models to realize the full sensitivity to processes and feedbacks that may affect the Earth system sensitivity in the future.

Influence of Sea Ice on the Thermohaline Circulation in the Arctic-North Atlantic Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mauritzen, Cecilie; Haekkinen, Sirpa

1997-01-01

A fully prognostic coupled ocean-ice model is used to study the sensitivity of the overturning cell of the Arctic-North-Atlantic system to sea ice forcing. The strength of the thermohaline cell will be shown to depend on the amount of sea ice transported from the Arctic to the Greenland Sea and further to the subpolar gyre. The model produces a 2-3 Sv increase of the meridional circulation cell at 25N (at the simulation year 15) corresponding to a decrease of 800 cu km in the sea ice export from the Arctic. Previous modeling studies suggest that interannual and decadal variability in sea ice export of this magnitude is realistic, implying that sea ice induced variability in the overturning cell can reach 5-6 Sv from peak to peak.

Basin-scale observations of isoprene and monoterpenes in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpenter, L.; Hackenberg, S.; Andrews, S.; Minaeian, J.; Chance, R.; Arnold, S.; Spracklen, D. V.; Walker, H.; Brewin, R. J.; Tarran, G.; Tilstone, G.; Small, A.; Bouman, H. A.

2016-12-01

We report surface ocean concentrations, atmospheric mixing ratios and calculated sea-to-air fluxes of isoprene and six monoterpenes (α- and β-pinene, myrcene, Δ 3-carene, ocimene, and limonene) spanning approximately 130 degrees of latitude (80 °N- 50 °S) in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. Oceanic isoprene concentrations showed covariance with a number of concurrently monitored biological parameters, and these relationships were dependent on sea surface temperatures. Parameterisations of isoprene seawater concentrations based on linear regression analyses of these relationships perform well for Arctic and Atlantic data. Levels of all monoterpenes were generally low, with oceanic concentrations ranging from below the detection limit of <1 pmol L-1 to 5 pmol L-1 . In air, monoterpene mixing ratios varied from below the detection limit ( 1 pptv) to 5 pptv, after careful filtering for ship-related contamination. Unlike in previous studies, no clear trends or relationships of the monoterpenes with biological data were found. Limonene showed generally the highest levels in water (up to 84 pmol L-1 in the Atlantic Ocean) and air; however this was attributed mostly to shipborne contamination. We calculate global sea-air fluxes of isoprene and monoterpenes based on this data and compare to previous estimates.

Vulnerability of polar oceans to anthropogenic acidification: comparison of arctic and antarctic seasonal cycles.

PubMed

Shadwick, E H; Trull, T W; Thomas, H; Gibson, J A E

2013-01-01

Polar oceans are chemically sensitive to anthropogenic acidification due to their relatively low alkalinity and correspondingly weak carbonate buffering capacity. Here, we compare unique CO2 system observations covering complete annual cycles at an Arctic (Amundsen Gulf) and Antarctic site (Prydz Bay). The Arctic site experiences greater seasonal warming (10 vs 3°C), and freshening (3 vs 2), has lower alkalinity (2220 vs 2320 μmol/kg), and lower summer pH (8.15 vs 8.5), than the Antarctic site. Despite a larger uptake of inorganic carbon by summer photosynthesis, the Arctic carbon system exhibits smaller seasonal changes than the more alkaline Antarctic system. In addition, the excess surface nutrients in the Antarctic may allow mitigation of acidification, via CO2 removal by enhanced summer production driven by iron inputs from glacial and sea-ice melting. These differences suggest that the Arctic system is more vulnerable to anthropogenic change due to lower alkalinity, enhanced warming, and nutrient limitation.

Vulnerability of Polar Oceans to Anthropogenic Acidification: Comparison of Arctic and Antarctic Seasonal Cycles

PubMed Central

Shadwick, E. H.; Trull, T. W.; Thomas, H.; Gibson, J. A. E.

2013-01-01

Polar oceans are chemically sensitive to anthropogenic acidification due to their relatively low alkalinity and correspondingly weak carbonate buffering capacity. Here, we compare unique CO2 system observations covering complete annual cycles at an Arctic (Amundsen Gulf) and Antarctic site (Prydz Bay). The Arctic site experiences greater seasonal warming (10 vs 3°C), and freshening (3 vs 2), has lower alkalinity (2220 vs 2320 μmol/kg), and lower summer pH (8.15 vs 8.5), than the Antarctic site. Despite a larger uptake of inorganic carbon by summer photosynthesis, the Arctic carbon system exhibits smaller seasonal changes than the more alkaline Antarctic system. In addition, the excess surface nutrients in the Antarctic may allow mitigation of acidification, via CO2 removal by enhanced summer production driven by iron inputs from glacial and sea-ice melting. These differences suggest that the Arctic system is more vulnerable to anthropogenic change due to lower alkalinity, enhanced warming, and nutrient limitation. PMID:23903871

What Drives the Variability of the Atlantic Water Circulation in the Arctic Ocean?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lique, C.; Johnson, H. L.

2016-02-01

The Atlantic Water (AW) layer in the Arctic Basin is isolated from the atmosphere by the overlaying surface layer; yet observations of the AW pan-Arctic boundary current have revealed that the velocities in this layer exhibit significant variations on all timescales. Here, analysis of a global ocean/sea ice model hindcast, complemented by experiments performed with an idealized process model, are used to investigate what controls the variability of AW circulation, with a focus on the role of wind forcing. The AW circulation carries the imprint of wind variations, both remotely over the Nordic and Barents seas where they force variability on the AW inflow to the Arctic Basin, and locally over the Arctic Basin through the forcing of the wind-driven Beaufort gyre, which modulates and transfers the wind variability to the AW layer. Our results further suggest that understanding variability in the large amount of heat contained within the AW layer requires a better understanding of the circulation within both AW and surface layers.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in Beluga whales from the Arctic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mathieu, A.; Payne, J.F.; Fancey, L.L.

1997-09-01

The Arctic is still relatively pristine in nature, but it is also vulnerable to pollution because contaminants originating from midlatitudes are transported to the Arctic by atmospheric processes, ocean currents, and river. Recognition of this fact of Arctic vulnerability has resulted in a Declaration on the Protection of the Arctic Environment by eight Arctic countries. A manifest aim of this declaration is to develop an Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program. We report here on the presence of measurable levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts, including relatively high levels in Arctic beluga (Delphinapterus leucas). These results lend support to the valuemore » of developing biological assessment programs for Arctic wildlife. 15 refs., 1 tab.« less

The North Slope of Alaska and Adjacent Arctic Ocean (NSA/AAO) cart site begins operation: Collaboration with SHEBA and FIRE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zak, D. B.; Church, H.; Ivey, M.

2000-04-04

Since the 1997 Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Science Team Meeting, the North Slope of Alaska and Adjacent Arctic Ocean (NSA/AAO) Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site has come into being. Much has happened even since the 1998 Science Team Meeting at which this paper was presented. To maximize its usefulness, this paper has been updated to include developments through July 1998.

Quaternary Sea-ice history in the Arctic Ocean based on a new Ostracode sea-ice proxy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronin, T. M.; Gemery, L.; Briggs, W.M.; Jakobsson, M.; Polyak, L.; Brouwers, E.M.

2010-01-01

Paleo-sea-ice history in the Arctic Ocean was reconstructed using the sea-ice dwelling ostracode Acetabulastoma arcticum from late Quaternary sediments from the Mendeleyev, Lomonosov, and Gakkel Ridges, the Morris Jesup Rise and the Yermak Plateau. Results suggest intermittently high levels of perennial sea ice in the central Arctic Ocean during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (25-45 ka), minimal sea ice during the last deglacial (16-11 ka) and early Holocene thermal maximum (11-5 ka) and increasing sea ice during the mid-to-late Holocene (5-0 ka). Sediment core records from the Iceland and Rockall Plateaus show that perennial sea ice existed in these regions only during glacial intervals MIS 2, 4, and 6. These results show that sea ice exhibits complex temporal and spatial variability during different climatic regimes and that the development of modern perennial sea ice may be a relatively recent phenomenon. ?? 2010.

Glimpses of Arctic Ocean shelf-basin interaction from submarine-borne radium sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadko, David; Aagaard, Knut

2009-01-01

Evidence of shelf-water transfer from temperature, salinity, and 228Ra/ 226Ra sampling from the nuclear submarine USS L. Mendel Rivers SCICEX cruise in October, 2000 demonstrates the heterogeneity of the Arctic Ocean with respect to halocline ventilation. This likely reflects both time-dependent events on the shelves and the variety of dispersal mechanisms within the ocean, including boundary currents and eddies, at least one of which was sampled in this work. Halocline waters at the 132 m sampling depth in the interior Eurasian Basin are generally not well connected to the shelves, consonant with their ventilation within the deep basins, rather than on the shelves. In the western Arctic, steep gradients in 228Ra/ 226Ra ratio and age since shelf contact are consistent with very slow exchange between the Chukchi shelf and the interior Beaufort Gyre. These are the first radium measurements from a nuclear submarine.

Introduction to the 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal (CARA) professional paper

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gautier, Donald L.; Moore, Thomas E.; Moore, Thomas E.; Gautier, D.L.

2017-11-15

The amount of yet-to-find oil and gas in the high northern latitudes is one of the great uncertainties of future energy supply. The possibility of extensive new petroleum developments in the Arctic Ocean is of interest to the Arctic nations, to petroleum companies, and to those concerned with the delicate and changing Arctic environment. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal (CARA) had the express purpose of conducting a geologically based assessment of undiscovered petroleum north of the Arctic Circle, thereby providing an initial evaluation of resource potential. 

Sensitivity of open-water ice growth and ice concentration evolution in a coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea ice model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Xiaoxu; Lohmann, Gerrit

2017-09-01

A coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea ice model is applied to investigate to what degree the area-thickness distribution of new ice formed in open water affects the ice and ocean properties. Two sensitivity experiments are performed which modify the horizontal-to-vertical aspect ratio of open-water ice growth. The resulting changes in the Arctic sea-ice concentration strongly affect the surface albedo, the ocean heat release to the atmosphere, and the sea-ice production. The changes are further amplified through a positive feedback mechanism among the Arctic sea ice, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and the surface air temperature in the Arctic, as the Fram Strait sea ice import influences the freshwater budget in the North Atlantic Ocean. Anomalies in sea-ice transport lead to changes in sea surface properties of the North Atlantic and the strength of AMOC. For the Southern Ocean, the most pronounced change is a warming along the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), owing to the interhemispheric bipolar seasaw linked to AMOC weakening. Another insight of this study lies on the improvement of our climate model. The ocean component FESOM is a newly developed ocean-sea ice model with an unstructured mesh and multi-resolution. We find that the subpolar sea-ice boundary in the Northern Hemisphere can be improved by tuning the process of open-water ice growth, which strongly influences the sea ice concentration in the marginal ice zone, the North Atlantic circulation, salinity and Arctic sea ice volume. Since the distribution of new ice on open water relies on many uncertain parameters and the knowledge of the detailed processes is currently too crude, it is a challenge to implement the processes realistically into models. Based on our sensitivity experiments, we conclude a pronounced uncertainty related to open-water sea ice growth which could significantly affect the climate system sensitivity.

Implications of fractured Arctic perennial ice cover on thermodynamic and dynamic sea ice processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asplin, Matthew G.; Scharien, Randall; Else, Brent; Howell, Stephen; Barber, David G.; Papakyriakou, Tim; Prinsenberg, Simon

2014-04-01

Decline of the Arctic summer minimum sea ice extent is characterized by large expanses of open water in the Siberian, Laptev, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas, and introduces large fetch distances in the Arctic Ocean. Long waves can propagate deep into the pack ice, thereby causing flexural swell and failure of the sea ice. This process shifts the floe size diameter distribution smaller, increases floe surface area, and thereby affects sea ice dynamic and thermodynamic processes. The results of Radarsat-2 imagery analysis show that a flexural fracture event which occurred in the Beaufort Sea region on 6 September 2009 affected ˜40,000 km2. Open water fractional area in the area affected initially decreased from 3.7% to 2.7%, but later increased to ˜20% following wind-forced divergence of the ice pack. Energy available for lateral melting was assessed by estimating the change in energy entrainment from longwave and shortwave radiation in the mixed-layer of the ocean following flexural fracture. 11.54 MJ m-2 of additional energy for lateral melting of ice floes was identified in affected areas. The impact of this process in future Arctic sea ice melt seasons was assessed using estimations of earlier occurrences of fracture during the melt season, and is discussed in context with ocean heat fluxes, atmospheric mixing of the ocean mixed layer, and declining sea ice cover. We conclude that this process is an important positive feedback to Arctic sea ice loss, and timing of initiation is critical in how it affects sea ice thermodynamic and dynamic processes.

Late Quaternary stratigraphy and sedimentation patterns in the western Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Polyak, L.; Bischof, J.; Ortiz, J.D.; Darby, D.A.; Channell, J.E.T.; Xuan, C.; Kaufman, D.S.; Lovlie, R.; Schneider, D.A.; Eberl, D.D.; Adler, R.E.; Council, E.A.

2009-01-01

Sediment cores from the western Arctic Ocean obtained on the 2005 HOTRAX and some earlier expeditions have been analyzed to develop a stratigraphic correlation from the Alaskan Chukchi margin to the Northwind and Mendeleev-Alpha ridges. The correlation was primarily based on terrigenous sediment composition that is not affected by diagenetic processes as strongly as the biogenic component, and paleomagnetic inclination records. Chronostratigraphic control was provided by 14C dating and amino-acid racemization ages, as well as correlation to earlier established Arctic Ocean stratigraphies. Distribution of sedimentary units across the western Arctic indicates that sedimentation rates decrease from tens of centimeters per kyr on the Alaskan margin to a few centimeters on the southern ends of Northwind and Mendeleev ridges and just a few millimeters on the ridges in the interior of the Amerasia basin. This sedimentation pattern suggests that Late Quaternary sediment transport and deposition, except for turbidites at the basin bottom, were generally controlled by ice concentration (and thus melt-out rate) and transportation distance from sources, with local variances related to subsurface currents. In the long term, most sediment was probably delivered to the core sites by icebergs during glacial periods, with a significant contribution from sea ice. During glacial maxima very fine-grained sediment was deposited with sedimentation rates greatly reduced away from the margins to a hiatus of several kyr duration as shown for the Last Glacial Maximum. This sedimentary environment was possibly related to a very solid ice cover and reduced melt-out over a large part of the western Arctic Ocean.

50 CFR Figure 24 to Part 679 - Arctic Management Area

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Arctic Management Area 24 Figure 24 to Part 679 Wildlife and Fisheries FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC..., Fig. 24 Figure 24 to Part 679—Arctic Management Area ER03NO09.035 [74 FR 56746, Nov. 3, 2009] ...

50 CFR Figure 24 to Part 679 - Arctic Management Area

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 11 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Arctic Management Area 24 Figure 24 to Part 679 Wildlife and Fisheries FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC..., Fig. 24 Figure 24 to Part 679—Arctic Management Area ER03NO09.035 [74 FR 56746, Nov. 3, 2009] ...

Observed microphysical changes in Arctic mixed-phase clouds when transitioning from sea-ice to open ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Gillian; Jones, Hazel M.; Crosier, Jonathan; Bower, Keith N.; Darbyshire, Eoghan; Taylor, Jonathan W.; Liu, Dantong; Allan, James D.; Williams, Paul I.; Gallagher, Martin W.; Choularton, Thomas W.

2016-04-01

The Arctic sea-ice is intricately coupled to the atmosphere[1]. The decreasing sea-ice extent with the changing climate raises questions about how Arctic cloud structure will respond. Any effort to answer these questions is hindered by the scarcity of atmospheric observations in this region. Comprehensive cloud and aerosol measurements could allow for an improved understanding of the relationship between surface conditions and cloud structure; knowledge which could be key in validating weather model forecasts. Previous studies[2] have shown via remote sensing that cloudiness increases over the marginal ice zone (MIZ) and ocean with comparison to the sea-ice; however, to our knowledge, detailed in-situ data of this transition have not been previously presented. In 2013, the Aerosol-Cloud Coupling and Climate Interactions in the Arctic (ACCACIA) campaign was carried out in the vicinity of Svalbard, Norway to collect in-situ observations of the Arctic atmosphere and investigate this issue. Fitted with a suite of remote sensing, cloud and aerosol instrumentation, the FAAM BAe-146 aircraft was used during the spring segment of the campaign (Mar-Apr 2013). One case study (23rd Mar 2013) produced excellent coverage of the atmospheric changes when transitioning from sea-ice, through the MIZ, to the open ocean. Clear microphysical changes were observed, with the cloud liquid-water content increasing by almost four times over the transition. Cloud base, depth and droplet number also increased, whilst ice number concentrations decreased slightly. The surface warmed by ~13 K from sea-ice to ocean, with minor differences in aerosol particle number (of sizes corresponding to Cloud Condensation Nuclei or Ice Nucleating Particles) observed, suggesting that the primary driver of these microphysical changes was the increased heat fluxes and induced turbulence from the warm ocean surface as expected. References: [1] Kapsch, M.L., Graversen, R.G. and Tjernström, M. Springtime atmospheric energy transport and the control of Arctic summer sea-ice extent. Nature Clim. Change 3, 744-748, doi:10.1038/nclimate1884 (2013) [2] Palm, S. P., Strey, S. T., Spinhirne, J., and Markus, T.: Influence of Arctic sea ice extent on polar cloud fraction and vertical structure and implications for regional climate. Journal of Geophysical Research (Atmospheres), 115, D21209, doi:10.1029/2010JD013900 (2010)

Possible signals of poleward surface ocean heat transport, of Arctic basal ice melt, and of the twentieth century solar maximum in the 1904-2012 Isle of Man daily timeseries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthews, J. B.; Matthews, J. B. R.

2014-01-01

This is the second of two papers on observational timeseries of top of ocean heat capture. The first reports hourly and daily meridional central tropical Pacific top 3 m timeseries showing high Southern Hemisphere evaporation (2.67 m yr-1) and Northern Hemisphere trapped heat (12 MJ m-2 day-1). We suggested that wind drift/geostrophic stratified gyre circulation transported warm water to the Arctic and led to three phases of Arctic basal ice melt and fluxes of brackish nutrient-rich waters to north Atlantic on centennial timescales. Here we examine daily top metre 1904-2012 timeseries at Isle of Man west coast ~54° N for evidence of tropical and polar surface waters. We compare these to Central England (CET) daily land-air temperatures and to Arctic floating ice heat content and extent. We find three phases of ocean surface heating consistent with basal icemelt buffering greenhouse gas warming until a regime shift post-1986 led to the modern surface temperature rise of ~1 °C in 20 yr. Three phases were: warming +0.018 °C yr-1 from 1904-1939, slight cooling -0.002 °C yr-11940-86 and strong warming +0.037 °C yr-1 1986-2012. For the same periods CET land-air showed: warming +0.015 °C yr-1, slight cooling -0.004 °C yr-1, about half SST warming at +0.018 °C yr-1. The mid-century cooling and a 1959/1963 hot/cold event is consistent with sunspot/solar radiation maximum 1923-2008 leading to record volumes of Arctic ice meltwater and runoff that peaked in 1962/3 British Isles extreme cold winter. The warming Arctic resulted in wind regime and surface water regime shifts post 1986. This coincides with the onset of rapid Arctic annual ice melt. Continued heat imbalance is likely to lead to tidewater glacier basal icemelt and future sealevel rise after remaining relatively stable over 4000 yr. Our work needs confirmation by further fieldwork concentrating on the dynamics and thermodynamics of ocean top 3 m that controls the 93 % anthropogenic global warming in the oceans. This may be done most cost-effectively through focussed multidisciplinary scientific research adaptively managed and funded.

Warm Rivers Play Role in Arctic Sea Ice Melt

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

Beaufort Sea surface temperatures where Canada Mackenzie River discharges into the Arctic Ocean, measured by NASA MODIS instrument; warm river waters had broken through a shoreline sea ice barrier to enhance sea ice melt.

Sediments in Arctic sea ice: Implications for entrainment, transport and release

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nurnberg, D.; Wollenburg, I.; Dethleff, D.; Eicken, H.; Kassens, H.; Letzig, T.; Reimnitz, E.; Thiede, Jorn

1994-01-01

Despite the Arctic sea ice cover's recognized sensitivity to environmental change, the role of sediment inclusions in lowering ice albedo and affecting ice ablation is poorly understood. Sea ice sediment inclusions were studied in the central Arctic Ocean during the Arctic 91 expedition and in the Laptev Sea (East Siberian Arctic Region Expedition 1992). Results from these investigations are here combined with previous studies performed in major areas of ice ablation and the southern central Arctic Ocean. This study documents the regional distribution and composition of particle-laden ice, investigates and evaluates processes by which sediment is incorporated into the ice cover, and identifies transport paths and probable depositional centers for the released sediment. In April 1992, sea ice in the Laptev Sea was relatively clean. The sediment occasionally observed was distributed diffusely over the entire ice column, forming turbid ice. Observations indicate that frazil and anchor ice formation occurring in a large coastal polynya provide a main mechanism for sediment entrainment. In the central Arctic Ocean sediments are concentrated in layers within or at the surface of ice floes due to melting and refreezing processes. The surface sediment accumulation in central Arctic multi-year sea ice exceeds by far the amounts observed in first-year ice from the Laptev Sea in April 1992. Sea ice sediments are generally fine grained, although coarse sediments and stones up to 5 cm in diameter are observed. Component analysis indicates that quartz and clay minerals are the main terrigenous sediment particles. The biogenous components, namely shells of pelecypods and benthic foraminiferal tests, point to a shallow, benthic, marine source area. Apparently, sediment inclusions were resuspended from shelf areas before and incorporated into the sea ice by suspension freezing. Clay mineralogy of ice-rafted sediments provides information on potential source areas. A smectite maximum in sea ice sediment samples repeatedly occurred between 81??N and 83??N along the Arctic 91 transect, indicating a rather stable and narrow smectite rich ice drift stream of the Transpolar Drift. The smectite concentrations are comparable to those found in both Laptev Sea shelf sediments and anchor ice sediments, pointing to this sea as a potential source area for sea ice sediments. In the central Arctic Ocean sea ice clay mineralogy is significantly different from deep-sea clay mineral distribution patterns. The contribution of sea ice sediments to the deep sea is apparently diluted by sedimentary material provided by other transport mechanisms. ?? 1994.

Norwegian Ocean Observatory Network (NOON)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferré, Bénédicte; Mienert, Jürgen; Winther, Svein; Hageberg, Anne; Rune Godoe, Olav; Partners, Noon

2010-05-01

The Norwegian Ocean Observatory Network (NOON) is led by the University of Tromsø and collaborates with the Universities of Oslo and Bergen, UniResearch, Institute of Marine Research, Christian Michelsen Research and SINTEF. It is supported by the Research Council of Norway and oil and gas (O&G) industries like Statoil to develop science, technology and new educational programs. Main topics relate to ocean climate and environment as well as marine resources offshore Norway from the northern North Atlantic to the Arctic Ocean. NOON's vision is to bring Norway to the international forefront in using cable based ocean observatory technology for marine science and management, by establishing an infrastructure that enables real-time and long term monitoring of processes and interactions between hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere. This activity is in concert with the EU funded European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) roadmap and European Multidisciplinary Seafloor Observation (EMSO) project to attract international leading research developments. NOON envisions developing towards a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC). Beside, the research community in Norway already possesses a considerable marine infrastructure that can expand towards an international focus for real-time multidisciplinary observations in times of rapid climate change. PIC The presently established cable-based fjord observatory, followed by the establishment of a cable-based ocean observatory network towards the Arctic from an O&G installation, will provide invaluable knowledge and experience necessary to make a successful larger cable-based observatory network at the Norwegian and Arctic margin (figure 1). Access to large quantities of real-time observation from the deep sea, including high definition video, could be used to provide the public and future recruits to science a fascinating insight into an almost unexplored part of the Earth beyond the Arctic Circle. More information about NOON is available at NOON's web site www.oceanobservatory.com. PIC

Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Sediment Processes in Shallow Waters of the Arctic Ocean

PubMed Central

Gazeau, Frédéric; van Rijswijk, Pieter; Pozzato, Lara; Middelburg, Jack J.

2014-01-01

Despite the important roles of shallow-water sediments in global biogeochemical cycling, the effects of ocean acidification on sedimentary processes have received relatively little attention. As high-latitude cold waters can absorb more CO2 and usually have a lower buffering capacity than warmer waters, acidification rates in these areas are faster than those in sub-tropical regions. The present study investigates the effects of ocean acidification on sediment composition, processes and sediment-water fluxes in an Arctic coastal system. Undisturbed sediment cores, exempt of large dwelling organisms, were collected, incubated for a period of 14 days, and subject to a gradient of pCO2 covering the range of values projected for the end of the century. On five occasions during the experimental period, the sediment cores were isolated for flux measurements (oxygen, alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate and silicate). At the end of the experimental period, denitrification rates were measured and sediment samples were taken at several depth intervals for solid-phase analyses. Most of the parameters and processes (i.e. mineralization, denitrification) investigated showed no relationship with the overlying seawater pH, suggesting that ocean acidification will have limited impacts on the microbial activity and associated sediment-water fluxes on Arctic shelves, in the absence of active bio-irrigating organisms. Only following a pH decrease of 1 pH unit, not foreseen in the coming 300 years, significant enhancements of calcium carbonate dissolution and anammox rates were observed. Longer-term experiments on different sediment types are still required to confirm the limited impact of ocean acidification on shallow Arctic sediment processes as observed in this study. PMID:24718610

Impacts of ocean acidification on sediment processes in shallow waters of the Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Gazeau, Frédéric; van Rijswijk, Pieter; Pozzato, Lara; Middelburg, Jack J

2014-01-01

Despite the important roles of shallow-water sediments in global biogeochemical cycling, the effects of ocean acidification on sedimentary processes have received relatively little attention. As high-latitude cold waters can absorb more CO2 and usually have a lower buffering capacity than warmer waters, acidification rates in these areas are faster than those in sub-tropical regions. The present study investigates the effects of ocean acidification on sediment composition, processes and sediment-water fluxes in an Arctic coastal system. Undisturbed sediment cores, exempt of large dwelling organisms, were collected, incubated for a period of 14 days, and subject to a gradient of pCO2 covering the range of values projected for the end of the century. On five occasions during the experimental period, the sediment cores were isolated for flux measurements (oxygen, alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate and silicate). At the end of the experimental period, denitrification rates were measured and sediment samples were taken at several depth intervals for solid-phase analyses. Most of the parameters and processes (i.e. mineralization, denitrification) investigated showed no relationship with the overlying seawater pH, suggesting that ocean acidification will have limited impacts on the microbial activity and associated sediment-water fluxes on Arctic shelves, in the absence of active bio-irrigating organisms. Only following a pH decrease of 1 pH unit, not foreseen in the coming 300 years, significant enhancements of calcium carbonate dissolution and anammox rates were observed. Longer-term experiments on different sediment types are still required to confirm the limited impact of ocean acidification on shallow Arctic sediment processes as observed in this study.

Sedimentary organic matter and carbonate variations in the Chukchi Borderland in association with ice sheet and ocean-atmosphere dynamics over the last 155 kyr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rella, S. F.; Uchida, M.

2012-12-01

Knowledge on past variability of sedimentary organic carbon in the Arctic Ocean is important to assess natural carbon cycling and transport processes related to global climate changes. However, the late Pleistocene oceanographic history of the Arctic is still poorly understood. In the present study we show sedimentary records of total organic carbon (TOC), CaCO3, benthic foraminiferal δ18O and the coarse grain size fraction from a piston core recovered from the northern Northwind Ridge in the far western Arctic Ocean. TOC shows orbital-scale increases and decreases during the past ~155 kyr that can be respectively correlated to the waxing and waning of large ice sheets dominating the Eurasian Arctic, suggesting advection of fine suspended matter derived from glacial erosion to the Northwind Ridge by eastward flowing intermediate water and/or surface water and sea ice during cold periods. At millennial scales, increases in TOC might correlate to a suite of Dansgaard-Oeschger Stadials between 120 and 45 ka BP indicating a possible response to abrupt northern hemispheric temperature changes. Between 70 and 45 ka BP, closures and openings of the Bering Strait could have additionally influenced TOC variability. CaCO3 contents tend to anti-correlate with TOC on both orbital and millennial time scales, which we interpret in terms of enhanced sediment advection from the carbonate-rich Canadian Arctic via an extended Beaufort Gyre during warm periods and increased organic carbon advection from the Siberian Arctic during cold periods when the Beaufort Gyre contracted. We propose that this pattern may be related to orbital- and millennial-scale variations of dominant atmospheric surface pressure systems expressed in mode shifts of the Arctic Oscillation.

Biomarker Constraints on Arctic Surface Water Conditions During the Middle Eocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speelman, E. N.; Reichart, G.; Brinkhuis, H.; Sinninghe Damste, J. S.; de Leeuw, J. M.; van Kempen, M.

2007-12-01

Through analyses of unique microlaminated sediments of Arctic drill cores, recovered from the Lomonosov Ridge in the central Arctic Ocean during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 302, it has been shown that enormous quantities of the free floating freshwater fern \\textit {Azolla} grew and reproduced in situ in the Arctic Ocean during the middle Eocene (Brinkhuis et al., Nature, 2006).The presence of the freshwater fern Azolla, both within the Arctic Basin and in all Nordic seas, suggests that at least the sea surface waters were frequently dominated by fresh- to brackish water during an interval of at least 800 kyr. However, to which degree the Arctic Basin became fresh and what the consequences of these enormous Azolla blooms were for regional and global nutrient cycles is still largely unknown. Comparing samples of extant Azolla, including its nitrogen fixing symbionts, with samples from the Arctic Azolla interval revealed the presence of a group of highly specific biomarkers. These biomarkers are closely related to similar organic compounds that have been suggested to play a crucial role in the biogeochemistry of nitrogen fixing bacteria. This finding, therefore, potentially implies that this symbioses dates back to at least the middle Eocene. Furthermore, this particular symbiosis was probably crucial in triggering basin wide Azolla blooms. We now aim to measure compound specific stable hydrogen isotope values of these biomarkers which should provide insight into the degree of mixing between high salinity (isotopically heavy) deeper and low salinity surface water (isotopically light). The results of these compound specific isotope analyses will be extrapolated using calibrations from controlled growth experiments and subsequently evaluated using climate modeling experiments.

The IAOOS arctic network project, status and prospect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelon, J.; Provost, C.; Sennechael, N.; Calzas, M.; Blouzon, F.; Gascard, J. C.

2015-12-01

It is quite clear that for studying Arctic climate changes, and better understand interacting processes it is essential to follow an integrated approach for observing and modeling the whole Arctic system encompassing the atmosphere, the ocean and sea-ice at once. Due to the difficulties in retrieving key parameters, satellite observations alone are not the right answer. The project we are developing, is an attempt to tackle this challenge by providing and maintaining a new integrated observing network of instrumented buoys over the Arctic Ocean in order to collect simultaneously and in real time information related to the state of the upper Ocean, the lower Atmosphere and the Arctic sea-ice/snow. It is planned to operate several autonomous platforms in a network in the Arctic Ocean for a period of at least 5 years. Each platform is equipped to vertically sense and profile key variables in the ocean, sea-ice and atmosphere using - CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) vertical profilers sensors collecting ocean temperature and salinity down to 800m depth, - Temperature and heat conductivity in snow and ice from ice-mass-balance systems - Cloud and aerosol lidar profiling of the lower atmosphere - Diffuse and direct solar flux using wide angle radiometer - Meteorological standard parameters at the surface Platforms allow measurements to be transmitted in near real time via Iridium satellites. As they will be drifting, it is planned to replace part of them every year. Major tests were performed deploying progressively fully equipped IAOOS platform at the North Pole in April 2012, 2013 and 2014. These platforms drifted from the North Pole in April to Fram Strait (September, October) providing spring summer and fall field data. Important fieldwork for IAOOS was also taking place within the Norwegian ice camp on board R/V Lance organized by the Norsk Polar Institute from January to June 2015, as part of the Norwegian young ICE (N-ICE 2015) cruise project. These intensive tests were very timely. The first IAOOS array deployment will start in August 2015 from R/V Araon during the Korean cruise organized by the KOPRI in the Canadian Basin and from R/V Polarstern during the German cruise TRANSARC II organized by the Alfred Wegener Institute in the Eurasian Basin. First results obtained in the frame of IAOOS will be presented and discussed.

Three featured plenary sessions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2012-07-01

The conference included three plenary sessions. The plenary on Governance, Security, Economy, and the Ecosystem of the Changing Arctic featured Vera Alexander, president, Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S.; Alan Thornhill, chief environmental officer, U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; and Fran Ulmer, chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission. A plenary on the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea featured Ambassador David Balton, deputy assistant secretary for oceans and fisheries, U.S. Department of State; and Rear Admiral Frederick Kenney Jr., judge advocate general and chief counsel, U.S. Coast Guard. The plenary on Science and the 21st Century featured Phil Keslin, chief technology officer, small lab within Google.

Diurnal tides in the Arctic Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kowalik, Z.; Proshutinsky, A. Y.

1993-01-01

A 2D numerical model with a space grid of about 14 km is applied to calculate diurnal tidal constituents K(1) and O(1) in the Arctic Ocean. Calculated corange and cotidal charts show that along the continental slope, local regions of increased sea level amplitude, highly variable phase and enhanced currents occur. It is shown that in these local regions, shelf waves (topographic waves) of tidal origin are generated. In the Arctic Ocean and Northern Atlantic Ocean more than 30 regions of enhanced currents are identified. To prove the near-resonant interaction of the diurnal tides with the local bottom topography, the natural periods of oscillations for all regions have been calculated. The flux of energy averaged over the tidal period depicts the gyres of semitrapped energy, suggesting that the shelf waves are partially trapped over the irregularities of the bottom topography. It is shown that the occurrence of near-resonance phenomenon changes the energy flow in the tidal waves. First, the flux of energy from the astronomical sources is amplified in the shelf wave regions, and afterwards the tidal energy is strongly dissipated in the same regions.

Western Arctic Ocean temperature variability during the last 8000 years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farmer, Jesse R.; Cronin, Thomas M.; De Vernal, Anne; Dwyer, Gary S.; Keigwin, Loyd D.; Thunell, Robert C.

2011-01-01

We reconstructed subsurface (∼200–400 m) ocean temperature and sea-ice cover in the Canada Basin, western Arctic Ocean from foraminiferal δ18O, ostracode Mg/Ca ratios, and dinocyst assemblages from two sediment core records covering the last 8000 years. Results show mean temperature varied from −1 to 0.5°C and −0.5 to 1.5°C at 203 and 369 m water depths, respectively. Centennial-scale warm periods in subsurface temperature records correspond to reductions in summer sea-ice cover inferred from dinocyst assemblages around 6.5 ka, 3.5 ka, 1.8 ka and during the 15th century Common Era. These changes may reflect centennial changes in the temperature and/or strength of inflowing Atlantic Layer water originating in the eastern Arctic Ocean. By comparison, the 0.5 to 0.7°C warm temperature anomaly identified in oceanographic records from the Atlantic Layer of the Canada Basin exceeded reconstructed Atlantic Layer temperatures for the last 1200 years by about 0.5°C.

"Cold" Fixation: Reconciliation of Nitrogen Fixation Rates and Diazotroph Assemblages in the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fong, A. A.; Waite, A.; Rost, B.; Richter, K. U.

2016-02-01

Measurements of biological nitrogen fixation are typically conducted in oligotrophic subtropical and tropical marine environments where concentrations of fixed inorganic nitrogen are low. To date, only a handful of nitrogen fixation studies have been conducted in high latitude marine environments, but further investigation is needed to resolve the distribution of cold ocean diazotrophic assemblages. Nitrogen fixation rates and nifH gene distributions were measured at seven stations from 5°E to 20°E, north of 81°N in the Arctic Ocean at the onset of summer 2015. Discrete water samples in ice-covered regions were collected from the sea surface to 200 m for 15N2-tracer additions and targeted nifH gene and transcript analyses. Previous work suggests that heterotrophic bacteria dominate diazotrophic communities in the Arctic Ocean. Therefore, additional nifH gene surveys of sinking particles were conducted to test for enrichment on organic matter-rich microenvironments. Together, these measurements aim to reconcile diazotrophic activity with microbial community composition, further elucidating how nitrogen fixers could impact current concepts in polar carbon and nutrient cycling.

Towards an Ice-Free Arctic Ocean in Summertime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gascard, Jean Claude

2014-05-01

Dividing the Arctic Ocean in two parts, the so-called Atlantic versus the Pacific sector, two distinct modes of variability appear for characterizing the Arctic sea-ice extent from 70°N up to 80°N in both sectors. The Atlantic sector seasonal sea-ice extent is characterized by a longer time scale than the Pacific sector with a break up melting season starting in May and reaching a peak in June-July, one month earlier than the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean revealing a faster time evolution and a larger spatial amplitude than the Atlantic sector. During recent years like 2007, sea-ice extent with sea-ice concentration above 15% retreated from 4 millions km2 to about 1 million km2 in the Arctic Pacific sector between 70° and 80°N except for 2012 when most of sea-ice melted away in this region. That explained most of the differences between the two extreme years 2007 and 2012. In the Atlantic sector, Arctic sea-ice retreated from 2 millions km2 to nearly 0 during recent years including 2007 and 2012. The Atlantic inflow North of Svalbard and Franz Josef Land is more likely responsible for a northward retreat of the ice edge in that region. The important factor is not only that the Arctic summer sea-ice minimum extent decreased by 3 or 4 millions km2 over the past 10 years but also that the melting period was steadily increasing by one to two days every year during that period. An important factor concerns the strength of the freezing that can be quantified in terms of Freezing Degree Days FDD accumulated during the winter-spring season and the strength of the melting (MDD) that can be accumulated during the summer season. FDD and MDD have been calculated for the past 30 years all over the Arctic Ocean using ERA Interim Reanalysis surface temperature at 2m height in the atmosphere. It is clear that FDD decreased significantly by more than 2000 FDD between 1980 and 2012 which is equivalent to the sensible heat flux corresponding to more than a meter of sea-ice thickness. During the same period MDD increased steadily mainly due to an increase of the melting period rather than an increase in summer temperatures. Due to uncertainties in sea-ice thickness distribution, an estimated 66% up to 75% of sea-ice mass or volume melted away during recent summers compare to previous 20 or 30 years. How long would it take to melt away the 1/4 or 1/3 of Arctic sea-ice left in summer? A root mean square extrapolation based on the last 10 years summer sea-ice minimum extent would lead to an ice-free Arctic Ocean by 2035.

Oil and Gas Development in the Arctic Ocean -- Understanding the Legal and Regulatory Framework

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the U.S. Department of...in the Arctic Slope Region.60 To the present day, native communities continue to argue that "their continued social, cultural, and economic well...sound levels from seismic and drilling operations. The hunt for the Bowhead is central to some native cultures.62 Native Alaskan communities have argued

Seismic and Geophysical Characterization of Northern Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

seismic networks in Russia and Japan. The geographic scope of this project covers Russia from the Urals to the Bering Strait and from the Arctic Ocean to...Russia and Japan. The geographic scope of this project covers Russia from the Urals to the Bering Strait and from the Arctic Ocean to the North Korean...between these somewhat correspond to the boundaries of the microplates , it is our intention to use significantly more data from the region to define

Data Assimilation as it Relates to the Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) and Prospects for Improvement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cullather, Richard

2017-01-01

Improved seasonal forecasts of Arctic sea ice are important for regional stakeholders, but also for obtaining a better understanding of the Arctic climate system. An important part of the forecasts is the initial sea ice, ocean, and atmosphere initial conditions. I briefly give an overview of the initial conditions currently being used in seasonal sea ice predictions. I also identify available sources of observational data and prospects for coupled atmosphere/ocean reanalyses.

Managing the Arctic Thaw: A Joint Interagency Approach to a Potential Hot Spot

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-04

cruise ship EXPLORER, which, in 2007, struck a growler and sank in the Antarctic Ocean. 24 Fortunately, there was an additional cruise ship in the...the Antarctic Ocean, significant loss of life would have occurred. Even homeland security issues are in play in the Arctic. Canadian officials, for...Itemid=89/ (accessed 14 March 2011). 24. Bill Cormier, “ Iceberg Sinks Cruise Ship Off Antarctica,” National Geographic News, 24 November 2007

Central Arctic Ocean paleoceanography from  ∼50 ka to present, on the basis of ostracode faunal assemblages from the SWERUS 2014 expedition

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gemery, Laura; Cronin, Thomas M.; Poirier, Robert K.; Pearce, Christof; Barrientos, Natalia; O'Regan, Matt; Johansson, Carina; Koshurnikov, Andrey; Jakobsson, Martin

2017-01-01

Late Quaternary paleoceanographic changes at the Lomonosov Ridge, central Arctic Ocean, were reconstructed from a multicore and gravity core recovered during the 2014 SWERUS-C3 Expedition. Ostracode assemblages dated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) indicate changing sea-ice conditions and warm Atlantic Water (AW)inflow to the Arctic Ocean from ∼50 ka to present. Key taxa used as environmental indicators include Acetabulastoma arcticum (perennial sea ice), Polycopes pp. (variable sea-ice margins, high surface productivity), Krithe hunti (Arctic Ocean deep water), and Rabilimis mirabilis (water mass change/AW inflow). Results indicate periodic seasonally sea-ice-free conditions during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (∼57-29 ka), rapid deglacial changes in water mass conditions (15-11 ka), seasonally sea-ice-free conditions during the early Holocene (∼10-7 ka) and perennial sea ice during the late Holocene. Comparisons with faunal records from other cores from the Mendeleev and Lomonosov ridges suggest generally similar patterns, although sea-ice cover during the Last Glacial Maximum may have been less extensive at the new Lomonosov Ridge core site (∼85.15° N, 152° E) than farther north and towards Greenland. The new data provide evidence for abrupt, large-scale shifts in ostracode species depth and geographical distributions during rapid climatic transitions.

Central Arctic Ocean paleoceanography from ˜ 50 ka to present, on the basis of ostracode faunal assemblages from the SWERUS 2014 expedition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gemery, Laura; Cronin, Thomas M.; Poirier, Robert K.; Pearce, Christof; Barrientos, Natalia; O'Regan, Matt; Johansson, Carina; Koshurnikov, Andrey; Jakobsson, Martin

2017-11-01

Late Quaternary paleoceanographic changes at the Lomonosov Ridge, central Arctic Ocean, were reconstructed from a multicore and gravity core recovered during the 2014 SWERUS-C3 Expedition. Ostracode assemblages dated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) indicate changing sea-ice conditions and warm Atlantic Water (AW) inflow to the Arctic Ocean from ˜ 50 ka to present. Key taxa used as environmental indicators include Acetabulastoma arcticum (perennial sea ice), Polycope spp. (variable sea-ice margins, high surface productivity), Krithe hunti (Arctic Ocean deep water), and Rabilimis mirabilis (water mass change/AW inflow). Results indicate periodic seasonally sea-ice-free conditions during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 ( ˜ 57-29 ka), rapid deglacial changes in water mass conditions (15-11 ka), seasonally sea-ice-free conditions during the early Holocene ( ˜ 10-7 ka) and perennial sea ice during the late Holocene. Comparisons with faunal records from other cores from the Mendeleev and Lomonosov ridges suggest generally similar patterns, although sea-ice cover during the Last Glacial Maximum may have been less extensive at the new Lomonosov Ridge core site ( ˜ 85.15° N, 152° E) than farther north and towards Greenland. The new data provide evidence for abrupt, large-scale shifts in ostracode species depth and geographical distributions during rapid climatic transitions.

Phagotrophy by the picoeukaryotic green alga Micromonas: implications for Arctic Oceans.

PubMed

McKie-Krisberg, Zaid M; Sanders, Robert W

2014-10-01

Photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPE) are recognized as major primary producers and contributors to phytoplankton biomass in oceanic and coastal environments. Molecular surveys indicate a large phylogenetic diversity in the picoeukaryotes, with members of the Prymnesiophyceae and Chrysophyseae tending to be more common in open ocean waters and Prasinophyceae dominating coastal and Arctic waters. In addition to their role as primary producers, PPE have been identified in several studies as mixotrophic and major predators of prokaryotes. Mixotrophy, the combination of photosynthesis and phagotrophy in a single organism, is well established for most photosynthetic lineages. However, green algae, including prasinophytes, were widely considered as a purely photosynthetic group. The prasinophyte Micromonas is perhaps the most common picoeukaryote in coastal and Arctic waters and is one of the relatively few cultured representatives of the picoeukaryotes available for physiological investigations. In this study, we demonstrate phagotrophy by a strain of Micromonas (CCMP2099) isolated from Arctic waters and show that environmental factors (light and nutrient concentration) affect ingestion rates in this mixotroph. In addition, we show size-selective feeding with a preference for smaller particles, and determine P vs I (photosynthesis vs irradiance) responses in different nutrient conditions. If other strains have mixotrophic abilities similar to Micromonas CCMP2099, the widespread distribution and frequently high abundances of Micromonas suggest that these green algae may have significant impact on prokaryote populations in several oceanic regimes.

Skillful regional prediction of Arctic sea ice on seasonal timescales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bushuk, Mitchell; Msadek, Rym; Winton, Michael; Vecchi, Gabriel A.; Gudgel, Rich; Rosati, Anthony; Yang, Xiaosong

2017-05-01

Recent Arctic sea ice seasonal prediction efforts and forecast skill assessments have primarily focused on pan-Arctic sea ice extent (SIE). In this work, we move toward stakeholder-relevant spatial scales, investigating the regional forecast skill of Arctic sea ice in a Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) seasonal prediction system. Using a suite of retrospective initialized forecasts spanning 1981-2015 made with a coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea ice-land model, we show that predictions of detrended regional SIE are skillful at lead times up to 11 months. Regional prediction skill is highly region and target month dependent and generically exceeds the skill of an anomaly persistence forecast. We show for the first time that initializing the ocean subsurface in a seasonal prediction system can yield significant regional skill for winter SIE. Similarly, as suggested by previous work, we find that sea ice thickness initial conditions provide a crucial source of skill for regional summer SIE.

Revisiting the Cause of the 1989-2009 Arctic Surface Warming Using the Surface Energy Budget: Downward Infrared Radiation Dominates the Surface Fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sukyoung; Gong, Tingting; Feldstein, Steven B.; Screen, James A.; Simmonds, Ian

2017-10-01

The Arctic has been warming faster than elsewhere, especially during the cold season. According to the leading theory, ice-albedo feedback warms the Arctic Ocean during the summer, and the heat gained by the ocean is released during the winter, causing the cold-season warming. Screen and Simmonds (2010; SS10) concluded that the theory is correct by comparing trend patterns in surface air temperature (SAT), surface turbulence heat flux (HF), and net surface infrared radiation (IR). However, in this comparison, downward IR is more appropriate to use. By analyzing the same data used in SS10 using the surface energy budget, it is shown here that over most of the Arctic the skin temperature trend, which closely resembles the SAT trend, is largely accounted for by the downward IR, not the HF, trend.

Late Paleozoic to Cenozoic reconstruction of the Arctic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, D.G.

1985-04-01

The plate tectonic evolution of the Arctic is reassessed in the context of the known histories of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans, and of the tectono-stratigraphic development of the lands around the Arctic Ocean. Computer map-drawing facilities were used to provide geometrical constraints on the reconstructions, which are presented to in the form of eight palinispatic maps. Stratigraphic similarities among presently dispersed continental areas identify fragments of a former Barents plate. Collision of this plate with the Euramerican plate was the cause of the Late Devonian Ellesmerian orogeny. In later Paleozoic time, the Siberian continent also joined Pangeamore » by collision with the combined Barents and Euramerican plates along the Ural-Taymyr suture. The Mesozoic-Cenozoic history of the Arctic is concerned with the fragmentation and dispersal of the former Barents plate, as well as the accretion of new continental fragments from the Pacific.« less

Tsunami in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulikov, Evgueni; Medvedev, Igor; Ivaschenko, Alexey

2017-04-01

The severity of the climate and sparsely populated coastal regions are the reason why the Russian part of the Arctic Ocean belongs to the least studied areas of the World Ocean. In the same time intensive economic development of the Arctic region, specifically oil and gas industry, require studies of potential thread natural disasters that can cause environmental and technical damage of the coastal and maritime infrastructure of energy industry complex (FEC). Despite the fact that the seismic activity in the Arctic can be attributed to a moderate level, we cannot exclude the occurrence of destructive tsunami waves, directly threatening the FEC. According to the IAEA requirements, in the construction of nuclear power plants it is necessary to take into account the impact of all natural disasters with frequency more than 10-5 per year. Planned accommodation in the polar regions of the Russian floating nuclear power plants certainly requires an adequate risk assessment of the tsunami hazard in the areas of their location. Develop the concept of tsunami hazard assessment would be based on the numerical simulation of different scenarios in which reproduced the hypothetical seismic sources and generated tsunamis. The analysis of available geological, geophysical and seismological data for the period of instrumental observations (1918-2015) shows that the highest earthquake potential within the Arctic region is associated with the underwater Mid-Arctic zone of ocean bottom spreading (interplate boundary between Eurasia and North American plates) as well as with some areas of continental slope within the marginal seas. For the Arctic coast of Russia and the adjacent shelf area, the greatest tsunami danger of seismotectonic origin comes from the earthquakes occurring in the underwater Gakkel Ridge zone, the north-eastern part of the Mid-Arctic zone. In this area, one may expect earthquakes of magnitude Mw ˜ 6.5-7.0 at a rate of 10-2 per year and of magnitude Mw ˜ 7.5 at a rate of 10-3 per year. Additional tsunami threat might arise from rare earthquake occurrences within the continental slope of deep-sea basin of the Arctic Ocean and near the coast of the continent, where high probability of triggering submarine landslides exists that can generate even more dangerous tsunamis than those of seismotectonic origin. The most reliable information about the manifestation of the tsunami in the Arctic is associated with submarine landslide Storegga located on the continental slope of the Norwegian Sea and collapsed 8,200 years ago. Traces of sediment left behind by the tsunami waves on the coast, show that the maximum vertical tsunami runup could reach 20 meters. Factors causing the potential tsunami thread of landslides in Russian Arctic are sedimentation processes that can be associated with the formation of the alluvial fans of the great Siberian rivers Ob, Yenisei and Lena.

The Cenozoic palaeoenvironment of the Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moran, K.; Backman, J.; Brinkhuis, H.; Clemens, S.C.; Cronin, T.; Dickens, G.R.; Eynaud, F.; Gattacceca, J.; Jakobsson, M.; Jordan, R.W.; Kaminski, M.; King, J.; Koc, N.; Krylov, A.; Martinez, N.; Matthiessen, J.; McInroy, D.; Moore, T.C.; Onodera, J.; O'Regan, M.; Palike, H.; Rea, B.; Rio, D.; Sakamoto, T.; Smith, D.C.; Stein, R.; St, John K.; Suto, I.; Suzuki, N.; Takahashi, K.; Watanabe, M. E.; Yamamoto, M.; Farrell, J.; Frank, M.; Kubik, P.; Jokat, W.; Kristoffersen, Y.

2006-01-01

The history of the Arctic Ocean during the Cenozoic era (0-65 million years ago) is largely unknown from direct evidence. Here we present a Cenozoic palaeoceanographic record constructed from >400 m of sediment core from a recent drilling expedition to the Lomonosov ridge in the Arctic Ocean. Our record shows a palaeoenvironmental transition from a warm 'greenhouse' world, during the late Palaeocene and early Eocene epochs, to a colder 'icehouse' world influenced by sea ice and icebergs from the middle Eocene epoch to the present. For the most recent ???14 Myr, we find sedimentation rates of 1-2 cm per thousand years, in stark contrast to the substantially lower rates proposed in earlier studies; this record of the Neogene reveals cooling of the Arctic that was synchronous with the expansion of Greenland ice (???3.2 Myr ago) and East Antarctic ice (???14 Myr ago). We find evidence for the first occurrence of ice-rafted debris in the middle Eocene epoch (???45 Myr ago), some 35 Myr earlier than previously thought; fresh surface waters were present at ???49 Myr ago, before the onset of ice-rafted debris. Also, the temperatures of surface waters during the Palaeocene/Eocene thermal maximum (???55 Myr ago) appear to have been substantially warmer than previously estimated. The revised timing of the earliest Arctic cooling events coincides with those from Antarctica, supporting arguments for bipolar symmetry in climate change. ?? 2006 Nature Publishing Group.

Identification of Younger Dryas outburst flood path from Lake Agassiz to the Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Murton, Julian B; Bateman, Mark D; Dallimore, Scott R; Teller, James T; Yang, Zhirong

2010-04-01

The melting Laurentide Ice Sheet discharged thousands of cubic kilometres of fresh water each year into surrounding oceans, at times suppressing the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and triggering abrupt climate change. Understanding the physical mechanisms leading to events such as the Younger Dryas cold interval requires identification of the paths and timing of the freshwater discharges. Although Broecker et al. hypothesized in 1989 that an outburst from glacial Lake Agassiz triggered the Younger Dryas, specific evidence has so far proved elusive, leading Broecker to conclude in 2006 that "our inability to identify the path taken by the flood is disconcerting". Here we identify the missing flood path-evident from gravels and a regional erosion surface-running through the Mackenzie River system in the Canadian Arctic Coastal Plain. Our modelling of the isostatically adjusted surface in the upstream Fort McMurray region, and a slight revision of the ice margin at this time, allows Lake Agassiz to spill into the Mackenzie drainage basin. From optically stimulated luminescence dating we have determined the approximate age of this Mackenzie River flood into the Arctic Ocean to be shortly after 13,000 years ago, near the start of the Younger Dryas. We attribute to this flood a boulder terrace near Fort McMurray with calibrated radiocarbon dates of over 11,500 years ago. A large flood into the Arctic Ocean at the start of the Younger Dryas leads us to reject the widespread view that Agassiz overflow at this time was solely eastward into the North Atlantic Ocean.

Arctic Amplification and the Northward shift of a new Greenland melting record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tedesco, Marco; Mote, Thomas; Fettweis, Xavier; Hanna, Edward; Booth, James; Jeyaratnam, Jeyavinoth; Datta, Rajashree; Briggs, Kate

2016-04-01

Large-scale atmospheric circulation controls the mass and energy balance of the Greenland ice sheet through its impact on radiative budget, runoff and accumulation. Using reanalysis data and the outputs of a regional climate model, here we show that the persistence of an exceptional atmospheric ridge, centred over the Arctic Ocean was responsible for a northward shift of surface melting records over Greenland, and for increased accumulation in the south during the summer of 2015. Concurrently, new records of mean monthly zonal winds at 500 hPa and of the maximum latitude of ridge peaks of the 5700±50 m isohypse over the Arctic were also set. An unprecedented (1948 - 2015) and sustained jet stream easterly flow promoted enhanced runoff, increased surface temperatures and decreased albedo in northern Greenland, while inhibiting melting in the south. The exceptional 2015 summer Arctic atmospheric conditions are consistent with the anticipated effects of Arctic Amplification, including slower zonal winds and increased jet stream wave amplitude. Properly addressing the impact of Arctic Amplification on surface runoff of the Greenland ice sheet is crucial for rigorously quantifying its contribution to current and future sea level rise, and the relative impact of freshwater discharge on the surrounding ocean.

Arctic Observing Experiment (AOX) Field Campaign Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rigor, Ignatius; Johnson, Jim; Motz, Emily

Our ability to understand and predict weather and climate requires an accurate observing network. One of the pillars of this network is the observation of the fundamental meteorological parameters: temperature, air pressure, and wind. We plan to assess our ability to measure these parameters for the polar regions during the Arctic Observing Experiment (AOX, Figure 1) to support the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP), Arctic Observing Network (AON), International Program for Antarctic Buoys (IPAB), and Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS). Accurate temperature measurements are also necessary to validate and improve satellite measurements of surface temperature across the Arctic. Support formore » research associated with the campaign is provided by the National Science Foundation, and by other US agencies contributing to the US Interagency Arctic Buoy Program. In addition to the support provided by the U.S Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility’s North Slope of Alaska (NSA) site at Barrow and the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. IABP is supported by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Ice Center (NIC), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Office of Naval Research (ONR).« less

Fast Response of the Tropics to an Abrupt Loss of Arctic Sea Ice via Ocean Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kun; Deser, Clara; Sun, Lantao; Tomas, Robert A.

2018-05-01

The role of ocean dynamics in the transient adjustment of the coupled climate system to an abrupt loss of Arctic sea ice is investigated using experiments with Community Climate System Model version 4 in two configurations: a thermodynamic slab mixed layer ocean and a full-depth ocean that includes both dynamics and thermodynamics. Ocean dynamics produce a distinct sea surface temperature warming maximum in the eastern equatorial Pacific, accompanied by an equatorward intensification of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and Hadley Circulation. These tropical responses are established within 25 years of ice loss and contrast markedly with the quasi-steady antisymmetric coupled response in the slab-ocean configuration. A heat budget analysis reveals the importance of anomalous vertical advection tied to a monotonic temperature increase below 200 m for the equatorial sea surface temperature warming maximum in the fully coupled model. Ocean dynamics also rapidly modify the midlatitude atmospheric response to sea ice loss.

A pan-Arctic Assessment of Hydraulic Geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, H. Z. D.; Gleason, C. J.

2016-12-01

Arctic Rivers are a crucial part of the global hydrologic cycle, especially as our climate system alters toward an uncertain future. These rivers have many ecological and societal functions, such as funneling meltwater to the ocean and act as critical winter transport for arctic communities. Despite this importance, their fluvial geomorphology, in particular their hydraulic geometry (HG) is not fully understood due to their often remote locations. HG, including at-a-station (AHG), downstream (DHG), and the recently discovered At-many-stations (AMHG), provides the empirical basis between gauging measurements and how rivers respond to varying flow conditions, serving as an indicator to the critical functions mentioned above. Hence, a systematic cataloging of the AHG, DHG, and AMHG, of Arctic rivers is needed for a pan-Arctic view of fluvial geomorphic behavior. This study will document the width-based AHG, DHG, and AMHG for rivers wider than 120m with an Arctic Ocean drainage and gauge data with satellite records. First, we will make time-series width measurements from classified imagery at locations along all such rivers from Landsat archive since 1984, accessed within the Google Earth Engine cloud computing environment. Second, we will run available gauge data for width-based AHG, DHG, and AMHG over large river reaches. Lastly, we will assess these empirical relationships, seek regional trends, and changes in HG over time as climate change has on the Arctic system. This is part of an ongoing process in the larger scope of data calibration/validation for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite planned for 2020, and HG mapping will aid the selection of field validation sites. The work showcase an unprecedented opportunity to process and retrieve scientifically significant HG data in the often inaccessible Arctic via Google Earth Engine. This unique platform makes such broad scale study possible, providing a blueprint for future large-area HG research.

Towards the development of a consensual chronostratigraphy for Arctic Ocean sedimentary records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillaire-Marcel, Claude; de Vernal, Anne; Polyak, Leonid; Stein, Rüdiger; Maccali, Jenny; Jacobel, Allison; Cuny, Kristan

2017-04-01

Deciphering Arctic paleoceanograpy and paleoclimate, and linking it to global marine and atmospheric records is much needed for comprehending the Earth's climate history. However, this task is hampered by multiple problems with dating Arctic Ocean sedimentary records related notably to low and highly variable sedimentation rates, scarce and discontinuous biogenic proxies due to low productivity and/or poor preservation, and difficulties correlating regional records to global stacks (e.g., paleomagnetic). Despite recent advances in developing an Arctic Ocean sedimentary stratigraphy, and attempts at setting radiometric benchmark ages of respectively 300 and 150 ka, based on the final decay of 230Th and 231Pa excesses (Thxs, Paxs) (Not et al., 2008), consensual age models are still missing, preventing reliable integration of Arctic records in a global paleoclimatic scheme. Here, we intend to illustrate these issues by comparing consistent Thxs-Paxs chronostratigraphic records from the Mendeleev-Alpha and Lomonosov ridges with the currently used age model based on climatostratigraphic interpretation of sedimentary records (e.g., Polyak et al., 2009; Stein et al., 2010). Data used were collected from the 2005 HOTRAX core MC-11 (northern Mendeleev Ridge) and the 2014 Polarstern core PS87-30 (Lomonosov Ridge). Total collapse depths of Thxs and Paxs are observed by a factor of 3 deeper in core PS87-30 vs core MC-11, indicating average sedimentation rates 3 times higher at the Lomonosov Ridge site. Litho-biostratigraphic markers, such as foraminiferal peaks and manganese-enriched layers, show a similar pattern, with their occurrence 3 times deeper in core PS87-30 than in core MC-11. These very consistent downcore features highlight a gaping difference between the benchmark ages assigned to the total decay of Paxs and Thxs and the current age model based on climatostratigraphic approach involving significantly higher sedimentation rates. This discrepancy begs for its in-depth investigation that would potentially result in a development of the consensual chronostratigraphy for Quaternary Arctic Ocean sediments, critical for integrating the Arctic into global paleoclimatic history.

Freshwater fluxes into the subpolar North Atlantic from secular trends in Arctic land ice mass balance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bamber, J. L.; Enderlin, E. M.; Howat, I. M.; Wouters, B.; van den Broeke, M.

2015-12-01

Freshwater fluxes (FWF) from river runoff and precipitation minus evaporation for the pan Arctic seas are relatively well documented and prescribed in ocean GCMs. Fluxes from Greenland and Arctic glaciers and ice caps on the other hand are generally ignored, despite their potential impacts on ocean circulation and marine biology and growing evidence for changes to the hydrography of parts of the subpolar North Atlantic. In a previous study we determined the FWF from Greenland for the period 1958-2010 using a combination of observations and regional climate modeling. Here, we update the analysis with data from new satellite observations to extend the record both in space and time. The new FWF estimates cover the period 1958-2014 and include the Canadian, Russian and Norwegian Arctic (Svalbard) in addition to the contributions from Greenland. We combine satellite altimetry (including CryoSat 2) with grounding line flux data, regional climate modeling of surface mass balance and gravimetry to produce consistent estimates of solid ice and liquid FWF into the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans. The total cumulative FWF anomaly from land ice mass loss started to increase significantly in the mid 1990s and now exceeds 5000 km^3, a value that is about half of the Great Salinity Anomaly of the 1970s. The majority of the anomaly is entering two key areas of deep water overturning in the Labrador and Irminger Seas, at a rate that has been increasing steadily over the last ~20 years. Since the mid 2000s, however, the Canadian Arctic archipelago has been making a significant contribution to the FW anomaly entering Baffin Bay. Tracer experiments with eddy-permitting ocean GCMs suggest that the FW input from southern Greenland and the Canadian Arctic should accumulate in Baffin Bay with the potential to affect geostrophic circulation, stratification in the region and possibly the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. We also examine the trajectory of freshwater input in the form of icebergs, which does not have the same fate as liquid input.

Surficial geology mapping of the Arctic Ocean: using subbottom profiling and multibeam echosounding data sets to constrain the subsea north of 64° as a layer for the IBCAO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosher, D. C.; Baldwin, K.; Gebhardt, C.

2016-12-01

Barriers to data collection such as perennial ice cover, climate, and remoteness have contributed to a paucity of geologic data in the Arctic. The last decade, however, has seen a multi-national push to increase the quantity and extent of data available at high latitudes. With increased availability of geophysical and geological data holdings, we expand on previous mapping initiatives by creating a comprehensive surficial geology map as a layer to the International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO), providing a way to collectively analyze physiography, morphology and geology. Acoustic facies derived from subbottom profiles, combined with morphology illuminated from IBCAO and multibeam bathymetric datasets, and ground truth data compiled from cores and samples are used to map surficial geology units. We identified over 25 seismo-acoustic facies leading to interpretation of 12 distinct geologic units for the Arctic Ocean. The largest variety of seismic facies occurs on the shelves, which demonstrate the complex ice-margin history (e.g. chaotic bottom echoes with amorphous subbottom reflections that imply ice scouring processes). Shelf-crossing troughs generally lead to trough mouth fans on the continental margin with characteristic glaciogenic debris flow deposits (acoustically transparent units) comprising the bulk of the sedimentary succession. Other areas of continental slopes show a variety of facies suggesting sediment mass failure and turbidite deposition. Vast areas of the deep water portion of the Arctic are dominated by parallel reflections, indicative of hemi-pelagic and turbidity current deposition. Some deep water parts of the basin, however, show evidence of current reworking (sigmoidal reflections within bedforms), and contain deep sea channels with thalwegs (bright reflections within channels) and levee deposits (reflection pinch-out). These results delineated in the surficial geology map provide a comprehensive database of regional geologic information of the Arctic Ocean that can be applied to a variety of disciplines, including the study of Arctic sedimentary processes, climatologic and oceanographic processes, environmental and geohazard risk assessment, resource management, and Extended Continental Shelf mapping.

DNA barcoding of Arctic Ocean holozooplankton for species identification and recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bucklin, Ann; Hopcroft, Russell R.; Kosobokova, Ksenia N.; Nigro, Lisa M.; Ortman, Brian D.; Jennings, Robert M.; Sweetman, Christopher J.

2010-01-01

Zooplankton species diversity and distribution are important measures of environmental change in the Arctic Ocean, and may serve as 'rapid-responders' of climate-induced changes in this fragile ecosystem. The scarcity of taxonomists hampers detailed and up-to-date monitoring of these patterns for the rarer and more problematic species. DNA barcodes (short DNA sequences for species recognition and discovery) provide an alternative approach to accurate identification of known species, and can speed routine analysis of zooplankton samples. During 2004-2008, zooplankton samples were collected during cruises to the central Arctic Ocean and Chukchi Sea. A ˜700 base-pair region of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) gene was amplified and sequenced for 82 identified specimens of 41 species, including cnidarians (six hydrozoans, one scyphozoan), arthropod crustaceans (five amphipods, 24 copepods, one decapod, and one euphausiid); two chaetognaths; and one nemertean. Phylogenetic analysis used the Neighbor-Joining algorithm with Kimura-2-Parameter (K-2-P) distances, with 1000-fold bootstrapping. K-2-P genetic distances between individuals of the same species ranged from 0.0 to 0.2; genetic distances between species ranged widely from 0.1 to 0.7. The mtCOI gene tree showed monophyly (at 100% bootstrap value) for each of the 26 species for which more than one individual was analyzed. Of seven genera for which more than one species was analyzed, four were shown to be monophyletic; three genera were not resolved. At higher taxonomic levels, only the crustacean order Copepoda was resolved, with bootstrap value of 83%. The mtCOI barcodes accurately discriminated and identified known species of 10 taxonomic groups of Arctic Ocean holozooplankton. A comprehensive DNA barcode database for the estimated 300 described species of Arctic holozooplankton will allow rapid assessment of species diversity and distribution in this climate-vulnerable ocean ecosystem.

Depositional History of the Western Amundsen Basin, Arctic Ocean, and Implications for Neogene Climate and Oceanographic Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopper, J. R.; Castro, C. F.; Knutz, P. C.; Funck, T.

2017-12-01

Seismic reflection data collected in the western Amundsen Basin as part of the Law of the Sea program for the Kingdom of Denmark show a uniform and continuous cover of sediments over oceanic basement. An interpretation of seismic facies units shows that the depositional history of the basin reflects changing tectonic, climatic, and oceanographic conditions throughout the Cenozoic. In this contribution, the Miocene to present history is summarized. Two distinct changes in the depositional environment are proposed, first in response to the development of a deep water connection between the Arctic and North Atlantic, and the second in response to the onset of perennial sea ice cover in the Arctic. In the early to mid-Miocene, a buildup of contourite deposits indicates a distinct change in sedimentation that is particularly well developed near the flank of the Lomonosov Ridge. It is suggested that this is a response to the opening of the Fram Strait and the establishment of geostrophic bottom currents that flowed from the Laptev Sea towards Greenland. These deposits are overlain by a seismic facies unit characterized by buried channels and erosional features. These include prominent basinward levee systems that suggest a channel morphology maintained by overbank deposition of muddy sediments carried by suspension currents periodically spilling over the channel pathway. These deposits indicate a change to a much higher energy environment that is proposed to be a response to brine formation associated with the onset of perennial sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean. This interpretation implies that the development of extensive sea ice cover results in a significant change in the energy environment of the ocean that is reflected in the depositional and erosional patterns observed. The lack of similar high energy erosional features and the presence of contourite deposits throughout most of the Miocene may indicate the Arctic Ocean was relatively ice-free until the very latest Miocene.

Historical Analysis of Melt Pond Fraction on Arctic Sea Ice Through the Synthesis of High- and Medium- Resolution Optical Satellite Remote Sensing.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, N.; Polashenski, C. M.

2017-12-01

Snow, ice, and melt ponds cover the surface of the Arctic Ocean in fractions that change throughout the seasons. These surfaces exert tremendous influence over the energy balance of the Arctic Ocean by controlling the absorption of solar radiation. Here we demonstrate the use of a newly released, open source, image classification algorithm designed to identify surface features in high resolution optical satellite imagery of sea ice. Through explicitly resolving individual features on the surface, the algorithm can determine the percentage of ice that is covered by melt ponds with a high degree of certainty. We then compare observations of melt pond fraction extracted from these images with an established method of estimating melt pond fraction from medium resolution satellite images (e.g. MODIS). Because high resolution satellite imagery does not provide the spatial footprint needed to examine the entire Arctic basin, we propose a method of synthesizing both high and medium resolution satellite imagery for an improved determination of melt pond fraction across whole Arctic. We assess the historical trends of melt pond fraction in the Arctic ocean, and address the question: Is pond coverage changing in response to changing ice conditions? Furthermore, we explore the image area that must be observed in order to get a locally representative sample (i.e. the aggregate scale), and show that it is possible to determine accurate estimates of melt pond fraction by observing sample areas significantly smaller than the typical footprint of high-resolution satellite imagery.

Understanding Arctic surface temperature differences in reanalyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cullather, R. I.; Zhao, B.; Shuman, C. A.; Nowicki, S.

2017-12-01

Reanalyses in the Arctic are widely used for model evaluation and for understanding contemporary climate change. Nevertheless, differences among reanalyses in fundamental meteorological variables including surface air temperature are large. For example, the 1980-2009 mean surface air temperature for the north polar cap (70°N-90°N) among global reanalyses span a range of 2.4 K, which approximates the average warming trend from these reanalyses over the 30-year period of 2.1 K. Understanding these differences requires evaluation over the three principal surface domains of the Arctic: glaciated land, the unglaciated terrestrial surface, and sea ice/ocean. An examination is conducted of contemporary global reanalyses of the ECMWF Interim project, NASA MERRA, MERRA-2, JRA-55, and NOAA CFSR using available in situ data and assessments of the surface energy budget. Overly-simplistic representations of the Greenland Ice Sheet surface are found to be associated with local warm air temperature biases in winter. A review of progress made in the development of the MERRA-2 land-ice representation is presented. Large uncertainty is also found in temperatures over the Arctic tundra and boreal forest zone. But a key focus of temperature differences for northern high latitudes is the Arctic Ocean. Near-surface air temperature differences over the Arctic Ocean are found to be related to discrepancies in sea ice and sea surface temperature boundary data, which are severely compromised in current reanalyses. Issues with the modeled representation of sea ice cover are an additional factor in reanalysis temperature trends. Differences in the representation of the surface energy budget among the various reanalyses are also reviewed.

Understanding Arctic Surface Temperature Differences in Reanalyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cullather, Richard; Zhao, Bin; Shuman, Christopher; Nowicki, Sophie

2017-01-01

Reanalyses in the Arctic are widely used for model evaluation and for understanding contemporary climate change. Nevertheless, differences among reanalyses in fundamental meteorological variables including surface air temperature are large. For example, the 1980-2009 mean surface air temperature for the north polar cap (70ÂdegN-90ÂdegN) among global reanalyses span a range of 2.4 K, which approximates the average warming trend from these reanalyses over the 30-year period of 2.1 K. Understanding these differences requires evaluation over the three principal surface domains of the Arctic: glaciated land, the unglaciated terrestrial surface, and sea ice/ocean. An examination is conducted of contemporary global reanalyses of the ECMWF Interim project, NASA MERRA, MERRA-2, JRA-55, and NOAA CFSR using available in situ data and assessments of the surface energy budget. Overly-simplistic representations of the Greenland Ice Sheet surface are found to be associated with local warm air temperature biases in winter. A review of progress made in the development of the MERRA-2 land-ice representation is presented. Large uncertainty is also found in temperatures over the Arctic tundra and boreal forest zone. But a key focus of temperature differences for northern high latitudes is the Arctic Ocean. Near-surface air temperature differences over the Arctic Ocean are found to be related to discrepancies in sea ice and sea surface temperature boundary data, which are severely compromised in current reanalyses. Issues with the modeled representation of sea ice cover are an additional factor in reanalysis temperature trends. Differences in the representation of the surface energy budget among the various reanalyses are also reviewed.

Under-ice turbulent microstructure and upper ocean vertical fluxes in the Makarov and Eurasian basins, Arctic Ocean, during late spring and late summer / autumn in 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabe, Benjamin; Janout, Markus; Graupner, Rainer; Hoelemann, Jens; Hampe, Hendrik; Hoppmann, Mario; Horn, Myriel; Juhls, Bennet; Korhonen, Meri; Nikolopoulos, Anna; Pisarev, Sergey; Randelhoff, Achim; Savy, Jean-Philippe; Villacieros Robineau, Nicolas

2017-04-01

The Arctic Ocean is generally assumed to be fairly quiescent when compared to many other oceans. The sea-ice cover, a strong halocline and a shallow, cold mixed-layer prevents much of the ocean to be affected by atmospheric conditions and properties of the ocean mixed-layer. In turn, the mixed-layer and the sea-ice is largely isolated from the warm layer of Atlantic origin below by the lower halocline. Yet, the content of heat, freshwater and biologically important nutrients differs strongly between these different layers. Hence, it is crucial to be able to estimate vertical fluxes of salt, heat and nutrients to understand variability in the upper Arctic Ocean and the sea-ice, including the ecosystem. Yet, it is difficult to obtain direct flux measurements, and estimates are sparse. We present several sets of under-ice turbulent microstructure profiles in the Eurasian and Makarov Basin of the Arctic Ocean from two expeditions, in 2015. These cover melt during late spring north of Svalbard and freeze-up during late summer / autumn across the Eurasian and Makarov basins. Our results are presented against a background of the anomalously warm atmospheric conditions during summer 2015 followed by unusually low temperatures in September. 4 - 24 h averages of the measurements generally show elevated dissipation rates at the base of the mixed-layer. We found highest levels of dissipation near the Eurasian continental slope and smaller peaks in the profiles where Bering Sea Summer Water (sBSW) lead to additional stratification within the upper halocline in the Makarov Basin. The elevated levels of dissipation associated with sBSW and the base of the mixed-layer were associated with the relatively low levels of vertical eddy diffusivity. We discuss these findings in the light of the anomalous conditions in the upper ocean, sea-ice and the atmosphere during 2015 and present estimates of vertical fluxes of heat, salt and other dissolved substances measured in water samples.

Biased thermohaline exchanges with the Arctic across the Iceland-Faroe Ridge in ocean climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsen, S. M.; Hansen, B.; Østerhus, S.; Quadfasel, D.; Valdimarsson, H.

2016-04-01

The northern limb of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation and its transport of heat and salt towards the Arctic strongly modulate the climate of the Northern Hemisphere. The presence of warm surface waters prevents ice formation in parts of the Arctic Mediterranean, and ocean heat is directly available for sea-ice melt, while salt transport may be critical for the stability of the exchanges. Through these mechanisms, ocean heat and salt transports play a disproportionally strong role in the climate system, and realistic simulation is a requisite for reliable climate projections. Across the Greenland-Scotland Ridge (GSR) this occurs in three well-defined branches where anomalies in the warm and saline Atlantic inflow across the shallow Iceland-Faroe Ridge (IFR) have been shown to be particularly difficult to simulate in global ocean models. This branch (IF-inflow) carries about 40 % of the total ocean heat transport into the Arctic Mediterranean and is well constrained by observation during the last 2 decades but associated with significant inter-annual fluctuations. The inconsistency between model results and observational data is here explained by the inability of coarse-resolution models to simulate the overflow across the IFR (IF-overflow), which feeds back onto the simulated IF-inflow. In effect, this is reduced in the model to reflect only the net exchange across the IFR. Observational evidence is presented for a substantial and persistent IF-overflow and mechanisms that qualitatively control its intensity. Through this, we explain the main discrepancies between observed and simulated exchange. Our findings rebuild confidence in modelled net exchange across the IFR, but reveal that compensation of model deficiencies here through other exchange branches is not effective. This implies that simulated ocean heat transport to the Arctic is biased low by more than 10 % and associated with a reduced level of variability, while the quality of the simulated salt transport becomes critically dependent on the link between IF-inflow and IF-overflow. These features likely affect sensitivity and stability of climate models to climate change and limit the predictive skill.

The role of sustained observations and data co-management in Arctic Ocean governance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eicken, H.; Lee, O. A.; Rupp, S. T.; Trainor, S.; Walsh, J. E.

2015-12-01

Rapid environmental change, a rise in maritime activities and resource development, and increasing engagement by non-Arctic nations are key to major shifts underway in Arctic social-environmental systems (SES). These shifts are triggering responses by policy makers, regulators and a range of other actors in the Arctic Ocean region. Arctic science can play an important role in informing such responses, in particular by (i) providing data from sustained observations to serve as indicators of change and major transitions and to inform regulatory and policy response; (ii) identifying linkages across subsystems of Arctic SES and across regions; (iii) providing predictions or scenarios of future states of Arctic SES; and (iv) informing adaptation action in response to rapid change. Policy responses to a changing Arctic are taking a multi-faceted approach by advancing international agreements through the Arctic Council (e.g., Search and Rescue Agreement), global forums (e.g., IMO Polar Code) or private sector instruments (e.g., ISO code for offshore structures). At the regional level, co-management of marine living resources involving local, indigenous stakeholders has proven effective. All of these approaches rely on scientific data and information for planning and decision-making. Examples from the Pacific Arctic sector illustrate how such relevant data is currently collected through a multitude of different government agencies, universities, and private entities. Its effective use in informing policy, planning and emergency response requires coordinated, sustained acquisition, common standards or best practices, and data sharing agreements - best achieved through data co-management approaches. For projections and scenarios of future states of Arctic SES, knowledge co-production that involves all relevant stakeholders and specifically addresses major sources of uncertainty is of particular relevance in an international context.

Impacts of large-scale atmospheric circulation changes in winter on black carbon transport and deposition to the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pozzoli, Luca; Dobricic, Srdan; Russo, Simone; Vignati, Elisabetta

2017-10-01

Winter warming and sea-ice retreat observed in the Arctic in the last decades may be related to changes of large-scale atmospheric circulation pattern, which may impact the transport of black carbon (BC) to the Arctic and its deposition on the sea ice, with possible feedbacks on the regional and global climate forcing. In this study we developed and applied a statistical algorithm, based on the maximum likelihood estimate approach, to determine how the changes of three large-scale weather patterns associated with increasing temperatures in winter and sea-ice retreat in the Arctic impact the transport of BC to the Arctic and its deposition. We found that two atmospheric patterns together determine a decreasing winter deposition trend of BC between 1980 and 2015 in the eastern Arctic while they increase BC deposition in the western Arctic. The increasing BC trend is mainly due to a pattern characterized by a high-pressure anomaly near Scandinavia favouring the transport in the lower troposphere of BC from Europe and North Atlantic directly into to the Arctic. Another pattern with a high-pressure anomaly over the Arctic and low-pressure anomaly over the North Atlantic Ocean has a smaller impact on BC deposition but determines an increasing BC atmospheric load over the entire Arctic Ocean with increasing BC concentrations in the upper troposphere. The results show that changes in atmospheric circulation due to polar atmospheric warming and reduced winter sea ice significantly impacted BC transport and deposition. The anthropogenic emission reductions applied in the last decades were, therefore, crucial to counterbalance the most likely trend of increasing BC pollution in the Arctic.

Dissolved methane in the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean, 1992-2009; sources and atmospheric flux

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lorenson, Thomas D.; Greinert, Jens; Coffin, Richard B.

2016-01-01

Methane concentration and isotopic composition was measured in ice-covered and ice-free waters of the Arctic Ocean during eleven surveys spanning the years of 1992-1995 and 2009. During ice-free periods, methane flux from the Beaufort shelf varies from 0.14 to 0.43 mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Maximum fluxes from localized areas of high methane concentration are up to 1.52 mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Seasonal buildup of methane under ice can produce short-term fluxes of methane from the Beaufort shelf that varies from 0.28 to 1.01 to mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Scaled-up estimates of minimum methane flux from the Beaufort Sea and pan-Arctic shelf for both ice-free and ice-covered periods range from 0.02 Tg CH4 yr-1 and 0.30 Tg CH4 yr-1 respectively to maximum fluxes of 0.18 Tg CH4 yr-1 and 2.2 Tg CH4 yr-1 respectively. A methane flux of 0.36 Tg CH4 yr-1from the deep Arctic Ocean was estimated using data from 1993-94. The flux can be as much as 2.35 Tg CH4 yr-1 estimated from maximum methane concentrations and wind speeds of 12 m/s, representing only 0.42% of the annual atmospheric methane budget of ~560 Tg CH4 yr-1. There were no significant changes in methane fluxes during the time period of this study. Microbial methane sources predominate with minor influxes from thermogenic methane offshore Prudhoe Bay and the Mackenzie River delta and may include methane from gas hydrate. Methane oxidation is locally important on the shelf and is a methane sink in the deep Arctic Ocean.

Ship-based Observations of Atmospheric Black Carbon Particles over the Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea, and North Western Pacific Ocean on 2016: Comparisons with Regional Chemical Transport Model simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taketani, F.; Miyakawa, T.; Takigawa, M.; Yamaguchi, M.; Kanaya, Y.; Komazaki, Y.; Takashima, H.; Mordovskoi, P.; Tohjima, Y.

2017-12-01

Black carbon (BC), formed through the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels, and biomass, is a major component of light-absorbing particulate matter in the atmosphere, causing positive radiative forcing. Also, BC deposition on the surface reduces the Earth's albedo and accelerates snow/ice melting by absorbing the sunlight. Therefore, the impact of BC on the Arctic climate needs to be assessed; however, observational information has been still insufficient. Over the Arctic Ocean, we have been conducting ship-based BC observations using a single particle soot photometer (SP2) on R/V Mirai every summer since 2014. To estimate the transport pathways of BC, we have also conducted model simulations during the period of cruise using a regional transport model (WRF-Chem 3.8.1). Here we focus on observations conducted on-board the R/V Mirai from 22 August to 5 October 2016 in a round trip to the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait from a port of Hachinohe (40.52N, 141.51E), Japan. We captured relatively high BC mass concentration events in this observation. The observed average BC mass concentration during 2016 was 0.8 ± 1.4 ng/m3 in >70N, similar to the levels ( 1.0ng/m3) recorded during our previous observations in the Arctic during 2014 and 2015. The variations in the observed concentrations in 2016 were qualitatively well reproduced by the regional chemical transport model. Quantitatively, however, the model tended to overestimate the BC levels, suggesting the possibilities that the emission rates were overestimated and/or the removal rates were underestimated. We will present further analysis on the size distribution, coating, and possible sources.

Composition and fate of terrigenous organic matter along the Arctic land-ocean continuum in East Siberia: Insights from biomarkers and carbon isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesi, Tommaso; Semiletov, Igor; Hugelius, Gustaf; Dudarev, Oleg; Kuhry, Peter; Gustafsson, Örjan

2014-05-01

Climate warming is predicted to translocate terrigenous organic carbon (TerrOC) to the Arctic Ocean and affect the marine biogeochemistry at high latitudes. The magnitude of this translocation is currently unknown, so is the climate response. The fate of the remobilized TerrOC across the Arctic shelves represents an unconstrained component of this feedback. The present study investigated the fate of permafrost carbon along the land-ocean continuum by characterizing the TerrOC composition in three different terrestrial carbon pools from Siberian permafrost (surface organic rich horizon, mineral soil active layer, and Ice Complex deposit) and marine sediments collected on the extensive East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS). High levels of lignin phenols and cutin acids were measured in all terrestrial samples analyzed indicating that these compounds can be used to trace the heterogeneous terrigenous material entering the Arctic Ocean. In ESAS sediments, comparison of these terrigenous biomarkers with other TerrOC proxies (bulk δ13C/Δ14C and HMW lipid biomarkers) highlighted contrasting across-shelf trends. These differences could indicate that TerrOC in the ESAS is made up of several pools that exhibit contrasting reactivity toward oxidation during the transport. In this reactive spectrum, lignin is the most reactive, decreasing up to three orders of magnitude from the inner- to the outer-shelf while the decrease of HMW wax lipid biomarkers was considerably less pronounced. Alternatively, degradation might be negligible while sediment sorting during the across-shelf transport could be the major physical forcing that redistributes different TerrOC pools characterized by different matrix-association.

Source- and degradation-diagnostic of colloidal organic matter exported by rivers across the Eurasian Arctic margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karlsson, Emma; Gelting, Johan; Tesi, Tommaso; van Dongen, Bart; Kruså, Martin; Vonk, Jorien; Sanchez-Garcia, Laura; Semiletov, Igor; Charkin, Alexander; Dudarev, Oleg; Gustafsson, Örjan

2013-04-01

Both models and in-situ observations indicate that the Arctic watersheds will experience a significant increase in temperature, resulting in higher runoff and remobilization of the vast carbon reservoirs currently held stable under frozen conditions. However, the sources and degradability of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) released to this aquatic land-ocean conduit in high latitude regions is still poorly constrained. For example, there is a particular lack in our understanding of the fate of the DOC once it enters the Arctic Ocean. This study therefore investigated the compositional changes of the organic colloidal material along the Arctic land-ocean continuum. Large-volume samples of high-molecular weight DOC (colloids) were isolated as part of the International Siberian Shelf Study 2008 (ISSS-08) using 1000 D cross-flow ultrafiltration outside the mouths of Arctic rivers Ob, Yenisey, Lena, Indigirka and Kolyma as well as on the adjacent continental shelf seas Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea. The colloidal fraction was characterized by both bulk isotope parameters (δ13C and Δ14C) and with macromolecular biomarkers such as free lipids (n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkanols) and CuO reaction products (lignin phenols, cutin derived-products, protein and lipid products). In this presentation we will focus on regional differences between contrasting watersheds characterized by different climate and vegetation as well as permafrost conditions. Particular emphasis will be placed on origin, degradation, and dilution of the terrigenous colloidal material during its transport from land to the ocean. Finally, the comparison between the dissolved and particulate fractions will also be presented to highlight differences and similarities between these two pools of aquatic carbon.

Fine-Scale Variability in Temperature, Salinity, and pH in the Upper-Ocean and the Effects on Acoustic Transmission Loss in the Western Arctic Ocean.

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

28  V.  ANALYTIC METHOD AND DATA ANALYSIS ..................................................29  A.  DATA PROCESSING ...your help getting ready for the Arctic and with the data processing back at NPS. Thank you to Professor John Colosi and LCDR Ben Jones for your help...light. Acoustic energy, however, can propagate for very long ranges (Kinsler et al. 2000). This energy can be passively received and processed , and

Proving and Improving Wave Models in the Arctic Ocean and its MIZ

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

in the central Arctic Ocean (Hunkins, 1966); in the Antarctic MIZ, Weddell Sea, slightly larger values were reported ranging from 1.6 × 10-2 m2 s-1...unprecedented spatial resolution. Such vast fields of pancake ice have traditionally only been associated with the advancing Antarctic MIZ, and, on a smaller...achieved in an MIZ dominated by large waves. Data on the break-up of a large tabular iceberg by swell, measured in Baffin Bay, were published

Interannual Variability of the Atlantic Water in the Arctic Basin

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-01-01

3778-3784, 1987. 4. Anderson L.G., Bjork G., Holby 0., Jones E.P., Kattner G., Kolterman K.P., Liljebad B ., Lindegren R., Rudels B ., Swift J. Water...Res., part A, 36, pp. 475 - 482 , 1989. 6. Antonov J. Recent climatic changes of the vertical thermal structure of the North Atlantic Ocean and the...North Pacific Ocean. - J. of Climate, v.6, pp.1928-1942, 1993. 7. Blinov N.I. and Popkov S.N. About the heat exchange of Atlantic Waters in the Arctic

The joint Russia-US-Sweden studies in the East-Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) during the last decade (1999-2009): an overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sergienko, Valentin; Shakhova, Natalia; Dudarev, Oleg; Gustafsson, Orjan; Anderson, Leif; Semiletov, Igor

2010-05-01

The Arctic Ocean is surrounded by permafrost, which is being degraded at an increasing rate under conditions of warming which are most pronounced in Siberia and Alaska . A major constraint on our ability to understand linkages between the Arctic Ocean and the global climate system is the scarcity of observational data in the Siberian Arctic marginal seas where major fresh water input and terrestrial CNP fluxes exist. The East-Siberian Sea has never been investigated by modern techniques despite the progress that has been made in new technologies useful for measuring ocean characteristics of interest. In this multi-year international project which joins scientists from 3 nations (Russia-USA-Sweden), and in cooperation with scientists from other countries (UK, Netherlands) we focus on he ESAS which is poorly explored areas located west from the U.S.-Russia boundary. In this report we overview the main field activities and present some results obtained during the last decade (1999-2009). Siberian freshwater discharge to the Arctic Ocean is expected to increase with increasing temperatures, potentially resulting in greater river export of old terrigenous organic carbon to the ocean. We suggest that rivers integrate variability in the components of the hydrometeorological regime, including soil condition, permafrost seasonal thaw, and thermokarst development, all the variables that determine atmospheric and ground water supply for the rivers and chemical weathering in their watershed.. It has been found that 1) carbon dioxide and methane fluxes are significant (and non-counted) components of the carbon cycling in the Arctic Ocean; 2) transport of eroded terrestrial material plays a major role in the accumulation of carbon in the ESAS (Dudarev et al., Gustafsson et al., Vonk et al., Sanchez-Garcia et al., Charkin et al., Semiletov et al., this session) ; 3) the seabed is a major CH4 source over the ESAS (N.Shakhova et al., this session); 3) eroded carbon is biodegradable (all reports, this session); 4) oxidation of eroded carbon onshore and offshore is a strong source of carbon dioxide (Piko et al. and Semiletov et al., this session). Thus studying carbon cycling in the East Siberian Arctic marginal seas has a high scientific priority in order to establish the carbon budget and evaluate the role of the Arctic region in global carbon cycling, especially in the coastal zone where the redistribution of carbon between terrestrial and marine environments occurs and the characteristics of carbon exchange with atmosphere are unknown. Initial scientific plan for the next decade is discussed. This study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (since 1994), International (Soros) Scientific Foundation, ISF (1994-1995), Russian Government and ISF (1995), McArthur Foundation (2000-2001), FEBRAS/RAS (since 2003), IARC (since 2001), NSF (since 2003), NOAA (since 2005), SU (since 2007), and Wallenberg Foundation (since 2008).

Understanding Recent Variability in the Arctic Sea Ice Cover -- Synthesis of Model Results and Observations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

ARCTIC SEA ICE RESEARCH The effects of global warming on the Arctic Ocean finally gained the American public’s full attention in early 2007 with the...Arctic (Brass, 2002). The observed global warming trend is most pronounced in the higher latitudes due to an effect known as the snow/ice-albedo...due to increased melting thus exposing greater areas of lower albedo land and open water areas. The effect of global warming will result in a

The North Atlantic Oscillation as a driver of multidecadal variability of the AMOC, the AMO, and Northern Hemisphere climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delworth, T. L.; Zeng, F. J.; Yang, X.; Zhang, L.

2017-12-01

We use suites of simulations with coupled ocean-atmosphere models to show that multidecadal changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) can drive multidecadal changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), with associated hemispheric climatic impacts. These impacts include rapid changes in Arctic sea ice, hemispheric temperature, and modulation of Atlantic hurricane activity. We use models that incorporate either a fully dynamic ocean or a simple slab ocean to explore the role of ocean dynamics and ocean-atmosphere interactions. A positive phase of the NAO is associated with strengthened westerly winds over the North Atlantic. These winds extract more heat than normal from the subpolar ocean, thereby increasing upper ocean density, deepwater formation, and the strength of the AMOC and associated poleward ocean heat transport. This warming leads to a positive phase of the AMO. The enhanced oceanic heat transport extends to the Arctic where it causes a reduction of Arctic sea ice. Large-scale atmospheric warming reduces vertical wind shear in the tropical North Atlantic, creating an environment more favorable for tropical storms. We use models to further show that observed multidecadal variations of the NAO over the 20th and early 21st centuries may have led to multidecadal variations of simulated AMOC and the AMO. Specifically, negative NAO values from the late 1960s through the early 1980s led to a weakened AMOC/cold North Atlantic, whereas increasing NAO values from the late 1980s through the late 1990s increased the model AMOC and led to a positive (warm) phase of the AMO. The warm phase contributed to increases in tropical storm activity and decreases in Arctic sea ice after the mid 1990s. Ocean dynamics are essential for translating the observed NAO variations into ocean heat content variations for the extratropical North Atlantic, but appear less important in the tropical North Atlantic. The observed AMO has substantial SST amplitude in both the tropical and extratropical North Atlantic. These results suggest that additional factors, such as cloud feedback, dust feedback, and anthropogenic radiative forcing, may play a crucial role for the tropical expression of the AMO.

Ecosystem dynamics of the Pacific-influenced Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas in the Amerasian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grebmeier, Jacqueline M.; Cooper, Lee W.; Feder, Howard M.; Sirenko, Boris I.

2006-10-01

The shallow continental shelves and slope of the Amerasian Arctic are strongly influenced by nutrient-rich Pacific waters advected over the shelves from the northern Bering Sea into the Arctic Ocean. These high-latitude shelf systems are highly productive both as the ice melts and during the open-water period. The duration and extent of seasonal sea ice, seawater temperature and water mass structure are critical controls on water column production, organic carbon cycling and pelagic-benthic coupling. Short food chains and shallow depths are characteristic of high productivity areas in this region, so changes in lower trophic levels can impact higher trophic organisms rapidly, including pelagic- and benthic-feeding marine mammals and seabirds. Subsistence harvesting of many of these animals is locally important for human consumption. The vulnerability of the ecosystem to environmental change is thought to be high, particularly as sea ice extent declines and seawater warms. In this review, we focus on ecosystem dynamics in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas, with a more limited discussion of the adjoining Pacific-influenced eastern section of the East Siberian Sea and the western section of the Beaufort Sea. Both primary and secondary production are enhanced in specific regions that we discuss here, with the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas sustaining some of the highest water column production and benthic faunal soft-bottom biomass in the world ocean. In addition, these organic carbon-rich Pacific waters are periodically advected into low productivity regions of the nearshore northern Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off Alaska and sometimes into the East Siberian Sea, all of which have lower productivity on an annual basis. Thus, these near shore areas are intimately tied to nutrients and advected particulate organic carbon from the Pacific influenced Bering Shelf-Anadyr water. Given the short food chains and dependence of many apex predators on sea ice, recent reductions in sea ice in the Pacific-influenced sector of the Arctic have the potential to cause an ecosystem reorganization that may alter this benthic-oriented system to one more dominated by pelagic processes.

Geology and physiography of the continental margin north of Alaska and implications for the origin of the Canada Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grantz, Arthur; Eittreim, Stephen L.; Whitney, O.T.

1979-01-01

The continental margin north of Alaska is of Atlantic type. It began to form probably in Early Jurassic time but possibly in middle Early Cretaceous time, when the oceanic Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean is thought to have opened by rifting about a pole of rotation near the Mackenzie Delta. Offsets of the rift along two fracture zones are thought to have divided the Alaskan margin into three sectors of contrasting structure and stratigraphy. In the Barter Island sector on the east and the Chukchi sector on the west the rift was closer to the present northern Alaska mainland than in the Barrow sector, which lies between them. In the Barter Island and Chukchi sectors the continental shelf is underlain by prisms of clastic sedimentary rocks that are inferred to include thick sections of Jurassic and Neocomian (lower Lower Cretaceous) strata of southern provenance. In the intervening Barrow sector the shelf is underlain by relatively thin sections of Jurassic and Neocomian strata derived from northern sources that now lie beneath the outer continental shelf. The rifted continental margin is overlain by a prograded prism of Albian (upper Lower Cretaceous) to Tertiary clastic sedimentary rocks that comprises the continental terrace of the western Beaufort and northern Chukchi Seas. On the south the prism is bounded by Barrow arch, which is a hingeline between the northward-tilted basement surface beneath the continental shelf of the western Beaufort Sea and the southward-tilted Arctic Platform of northern Alaska. The Arctic platform is overlain by shelf clastic and carbonate strata of Mississippian to Cretaceous age, and by Jurassic and Cretaceous clastic strata of the Colville foredeep. Both the Arctic platform and Colville foredeep sequences extend from northern Alaska beneath the northern Chukchi Sea. At Herald fault zone in the central Chukchi Sea they are overthrust by more strongly deformed Cretaceous to Paleozoic sedimentary rocks of Herald arch, which trends northwest from Cape Lisburne. Hope basin, an extensional intracontinental sedimentary basin of Tertiary age, underlies the Chukchi Sea south of Herald arch.

Impacts of Changed Extratropical Storm Tracks on Arctic Sea Ice Export through Fram Strait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, J.; Zhang, X.; Wang, Z.

2017-12-01

Studies have indicated a poleward shift of extratropical storm tracks and intensification of Arctic storm activities, in particular on the North Atlantic side of the Arctic Ocean. To improve understanding of dynamic effect on changes in Arctic sea ice mass balance, we examined the impacts of the changed storm tracks and activities on Arctic sea ice export through Fram Strait through ocean-sea ice model simulations. The model employed is the high-resolution Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model (MITgcm), which was forced by the Japanese 25-year Reanalysis (JRA-25) dataset. The results show that storm-induced strong northerly wind stress can cause simultaneous response of daily sea ice export and, in turn, exert cumulative effects on interannual variability and long-term changes of sea ice export. Further analysis indicates that storm impact on sea ice export is spatially dependent. The storms occurring southeast of Fram Strait exhibit the largest impacts. The weakened intensity of winter storms in this region after 1994/95 could be responsible for the decrease of total winter sea ice export during the same time period.

Arctic Sea ice studies with passive microwave satellite observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cavalieri, D. J.

1988-01-01

The objectives of this research are: (1) to improve sea ice concentration determinations from passive microwave space observations; (2) to study the role of Arctic polynyas in the production of sea ice and the associated salinization of Arctic shelf water; and (3) to study large scale sea ice variability in the polar oceans. The strategy is to analyze existing data sets and data acquired from both the DMSP SSM/I and recently completed aircraft underflights. Special attention will be given the high resolution 85.5 GHz SSM/I channels for application to thin ice algorithms and processes studies. Analysis of aircraft and satellite data sets is expected to provide a basis for determining the potential of the SSM/I high frequency channels for improving sea ice algorithms and for investigating oceanic processes. Improved sea ice algorithms will aid the study of Arctic coastal polynyas which in turn will provide a better understanding of the role of these polynyas in maintaining the Arctic watermass structure. Analysis of satellite and archived meteorological data sets will provide improved estimates of annual, seasonal and shorter-term sea ice variability.

Arctic Riverine CDOM and its effects on the Polar Marine Light Field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Orandle, Zoe Ann; Weijer, Wilbert; Elliott, Scott M.

2016-09-28

It is well-known that CDOM (Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter) can have a significant effect on biological activity in the photic zones of aquatic ecosystems. However, the extent of CDOM’s interference with biological activity is not well-known. We examined this issue in great detail in the mixed surface layer of the Arctic Ocean. We studied the impacts of CDOM’s light attenuation on Arctic phytoplankton populations to discover if riverine CDOM’s presence in the Arctic ocean could inhibit and possibly prevent local phytoplankton populations from performing photosynthesis. We incorporated biogeochemistry concepts and data with oceanographic models and calculations to approach the problem.more » The results showed that riverine CDOM can indeed significantly impact the productivity of phytoplankton populations during the spring and summer months near the major Arctic river mouths we chose to examine. Although our study was detailed and inclusive of many variables, the issue of CDOM’s light attenuation and its effects on phytoplankton populations must be explored on a global scale to help understand if riverine CDOM could prove disastrous for phytoplankton populations.« less

Sources of Arctic Ocean upper halocline and changes in its properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, L. G.; Andersson, P. S.; Bjvrk, G. M.; Jutterstrom, S.; Wahlstrom, I.

2011-12-01

The upper halocline of the Arctic Ocean has a distinct chemical signature by its high nutrient and partial pressure of carbon dioxide as well as low oxygen and pH values. This signature is formed along the bottoms of the Siberian shelf seas, primarily the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas, by a combination of mineralization of organic matter and release of the decay products to the sea ice brine enriched bottom water. In this contribution we use salinity and total alkalinity data to show that the fraction of sea ice brine in the nutrient enriched upper halocline water in the central Arctic Ocean is up to 4%. This water of low pH, and thus also low in calcium carbonate solubility, is found between about 100 and 200 m depth and is thus close to the productive surface water in a future central Arctic Ocean of less summer sea ice cover. In the East Siberian Sea the bottom waters with exceptional high nutrient concentration and low pH have typically between 5 and 10% of sea ice brine as computed form salinity and oxygen-18 vales. On the continental slope, over bottom depths of 15-200 m, the brine contribution was 6% at the nutrient maximum depth (50-100 m). At the same location as well as over deeper waters the silicate maximum was found over a wider salinity range than traditionally, in agreement with observations of Nishino et al (J. Oceanogr, Vol. 65, pp. 871 to 883, 2009) in the area of the deep Arctic Ocean east of the Chukchi Plateau. However, the water with lowest salinity (~32.5) in the silicate maximum had maximum in nitrate deficit expressed as N** (= [NO3] - 16[PO4] + 2.9) and the waters with highest salinity (~34.5) had the lowest oxygen concentration. This pattern is not obvious and point to at least two different biochemical environments within the East Siberian Sea that has not been observed before and could be a sign of a changing marine climate in the East Siberian Sea. One cause could be more open water in the summer season followed by more sea ice formation and brine production in the fall/winter. Strong signals of sea ice brine was also observed in the nutrient rich water found in the Herald Valley of the Chukchi Sea. This water is likely flowing north and has traditionally been assumed to be a significant contributor to the upper halocline in the central Arctic Ocean. A challenging question for the future is; are changing sea ice conditions and biogeochemical processes on the Siberian shelves impacting the composition of the halocline of the central Arctic Ocean. A follow up issue is then what effect this might have on the ecosystem of these waters.

Transient and asymptotic behavior in a regular network model for the ice-albedo feedback under thermal forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller-Stoffels, M.; Wackerbauer, R.

2010-12-01

The Arctic ocean and sea ice form a feedback system which plays an important role in the global climate. Variations of the global ice and snow distribution have a significant effect on the planetary albedo which governs the absorption of shortwave radiation. The complexity of highly parametrized GCMs makes it very difficult to assess single feedback processes in the climate system without the concurrent use of simple models where the physics are understood [1][2][3]. We introduce a complex systems model to investigate thermodynamic feedback processes in an Arctic ice-ocean layer. The ice-ocean layer is represented as a regular network of coupled cells. The state of each cell is determined by its energy content, which also defines the phase of the cell. The energy transport between cells is described with nonlinear and heterogeneous diffusion constants. And the time-evolution of the ice-ocean is driven by shortwave, longwave and lateral oceanic and atmospheric thermal forcing. This model is designed to study the stability of an ice cover under various heat intake scenarios. The network structure of the model allows to easily introduce albedo heterogeneities due to aging ice, wind blown snow cover, and ice movement to explore the time-evolution and pattern formation (melt ponds) processes in the Arctic sea ice. The solely thermodynamic model exhibits two stable states; one in the perennially ice covered domain and one in the perennially open water domain. Their existence is due to the temperature dependence of the longwave radiative budget. Transition between these states can be forced via lateral heat fluxes. During the transition from the ice covered to the open water stable state the ice albedo feedback effects are manifested as an increased warming rate of the ice cover together with enhanced seasonal energy oscillations. In the current model realization seasonal ice cover is present as a transient state only. Furthermore, the model exhibits hysteresis between the ice covered and the open water state when varying the lateral atmospheric (or oceanic) heat intake. Once the ice-ocean layer has transitioned from the ice covered to the open water stable state significant cooling (reduction of lateral fluxes) is necessary to return to the ice covered stable state. We also find that ocean heat fluxes are more efficient than atmospheric heat fluxes to melt Arctic sea ice; only small portions of heat entering from the bottom of the ice-ocean layer induce already a transition to the stable asymptotic state with perennial open water. This indicates that ocean currents, understood as heat conveyors, can play a significant role in melting continuous ice covers. This is consistent with the findings of Shimada et al. for the Canada basin [4]. References: [1] S. Bony et al., How well do we understand and evaluate climate change feedback processes?, J of Climate 19, 3445 (2006). [2]I. Eisenman and J.S. Wettlaufer, Nonlinear threshold behavior during the loss of Arctic sea ice, PNAS 106, 28 (2009). [3]A.S. Thorndike, A Toy Model Linking Atmospheric and Thermal Radiation and Sea Ice Growth, JGR 97, 9401 (1992). [4] K. Shimada et al., Paci[|#12#|]c Ocean inflow: Influence on catastrophic reduction of sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean, GRL 33, L08605 (2006).

Arctic polynya and glacier interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Laura

2013-04-01

Major uncertainties surround future estimates of sea level rise attributable to mass loss from the polar ice sheets and ice caps. Understanding changes across the Arctic is vital as major potential contributors to sea level, the Greenland Ice Sheet and the ice caps and glaciers of the Canadian Arctic archipelago, have experienced dramatic changes in recent times. Most ice mass loss is currently focused at a relatively small number of glacier catchments where ice acceleration, thinning and calving occurs at ocean margins. Research suggests that these tidewater glaciers accelerate and iceberg calving rates increase when warming ocean currents increase melt on the underside of floating glacier ice and when adjacent sea ice is removed causing a reduction in 'buttressing' back stress. Thus localised changes in ocean temperatures and in sea ice (extent and thickness) adjacent to major glacial catchments can impact hugely on the dynamics of, and hence mass lost from, terrestrial ice sheets and ice caps. Polynyas are areas of open water within sea ice which remain unfrozen for much of the year. They vary significantly in size (~3 km2 to > ~50,000 km2 in the Arctic), recurrence rates and duration. Despite their relatively small size, polynyas play a vital role in the heat balance of the polar oceans and strongly impact regional oceanography. Where polynyas develop adjacent to tidewater glaciers their influence on ocean circulation and water temperatures may play a major part in controlling subsurface ice melt rates by impacting on the water masses reaching the calving front. Areas of open water also play a significant role in controlling the potential of the atmosphere to carry moisture, as well as allowing heat exchange between the atmosphere and ocean, and so can influence accumulation on (and hence thickness of) glaciers and ice caps. Polynya presence and size also has implications for sea ice extent and therefore potentially the buttressing effect on neighbouring tidewater glaciers. The work presented discusses preliminary satellite observations of concurrent changes in the North Water and Nares Strait polynyas and neighbouring tidewater glaciers in Greenland and the Canadian Arctic where notable thinning and acceleration of glaciers have been observed. Also included is an outline of how these observations will fit into a much wider project on the topic involving ocean, atmosphere and sea ice modelling and short-term and longer-term in-situ measurements.

Arctic Sea ice, 1973-1976: Satellite passive-microwave observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parkinson, Claire L.; Comiso, Josefino C.; Zwally, H. Jay; Cavalieri, Donald J.; Gloersen, Per; Campbell, William J.

1987-01-01

The Arctic region plays a key role in the climate of the earth. The sea ice cover affects the radiative balance of the earth and radically changes the fluxes of heat between the atmosphere and the ocean. The observations of the Arctic made by the Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR) on board the Nimbus 5 research satellite are summarized for the period 1973 through 1976.

Melting barriers to faunal exchange across ocean basins.

PubMed

McKeon, C Seabird; Weber, Michele X; Alter, S Elizabeth; Seavy, Nathaniel E; Crandall, Eric D; Barshis, Daniel J; Fechter-Leggett, Ethan D; Oleson, Kirsten L L

2016-02-01

Accelerated loss of sea ice in the Arctic is opening routes connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for longer periods each year. These changes may increase the ease and frequency with which marine birds and mammals move between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean basins. Indeed, recent observations of birds and mammals suggest these movements have intensified in recent decades. Reconnection of the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean basins will present both challenges to marine ecosystem conservation and an unprecedented opportunity to examine the ecological and evolutionary consequences of interoceanic faunal exchange in real time. To understand these changes and implement effective conservation of marine ecosystems, we need to further develop modeling efforts to predict the rate of dispersal and consequences of faunal exchange. These predictions can be tested by closely monitoring wildlife dispersal through the Arctic Ocean and using modern methods to explore the ecological and evolutionary consequences of these movements. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Secondary organic aerosols over oceans via oxidation of isoprene and monoterpenes from Arctic to Antarctic.

PubMed

Hu, Qi-Hou; Xie, Zhou-Qing; Wang, Xin-Ming; Kang, Hui; He, Quan-Fu; Zhang, Pengfei

2013-01-01

Isoprene and monoterpenes are important precursors of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in continents. However, their contributions to aerosols over oceans are still inconclusive. Here we analyzed SOA tracers from isoprene and monoterpenes in aerosol samples collected over oceans during the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Research Expeditions. Combined with literature reports elsewhere, we found that the dominant tracers are the oxidation products of isoprene. The concentrations of tracers varied considerably. The mean average values were approximately one order of magnitude higher in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere. High values were generally observed in coastal regions. This phenomenon was ascribed to the outflow influence from continental sources. High levels of isoprene could emit from oceans and consequently have a significant impact on marine SOA as inferred from isoprene SOA during phytoplankton blooms, which may abruptly increase up to 95 ng/m³ in the boundary layer over remote oceans.

Arctic marine fishes and their fisheries in light of global change

PubMed Central

Christiansen, Jørgen S; Mecklenburg, Catherine W; Karamushko, Oleg V

2014-01-01

In light of ocean warming and loss of Arctic sea ice, harvested marine fishes of boreal origin (and their fisheries) move poleward into yet unexploited parts of the Arctic seas. Industrial fisheries, already in place on many Arctic shelves, will radically affect the local fish species as they turn up as unprecedented bycatch. Arctic marine fishes are indispensable to ecosystem structuring and functioning, but they are still beyond credible assessment due to lack of basic biological data. The time for conservation actions is now, and precautionary management practices by the Arctic coastal states are needed to mitigate the impact of industrial fisheries in Arctic waters. We outline four possible conservation actions: scientific credibility, ‘green technology’, legitimate management and overarching coordination. PMID:24105993

An early to mid-Pleistocene deep Arctic Ocean ostracode fauna with North Atlantic affinities

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeNinno, Lauren H.; Cronin, Thomas M.; Rodriquez-Lazaro, J.; Brenner, Alec R.

2015-01-01

An early to middle Pleistocene ostracode fauna was discovered in sediment core P1-93-AR-23 (P23, 76.95°N, 155.07°W) from 951 meter water depth from the Northwind Ridge, western Arctic Ocean. Piston core P23 yielded more than 30,000 specimens and a total of about 30 species. Several early to mid-Pleistocene species in the genera Krithe,Echinocythereis, Pterygocythereis, and Arcacythere are now extinct in the Arctic and show taxonomic affinities to North Atlantic Ocean species. Our results suggest that there was a major ostracode faunal turnover during the global climate transitions known as the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT, ~ 1.2 to 0.7 Ma) and the Mid-Brunhes Event (MBE, ~ 400 ka) reflecting the development of perennial sea ice during interglacial periods and large ice shelves during glacial periods over the last 400,000 years.

Evidence for ice-free summers in the late Miocene central Arctic Ocean

PubMed Central

Stein, Ruediger; Fahl, Kirsten; Schreck, Michael; Knorr, Gregor; Niessen, Frank; Forwick, Matthias; Gebhardt, Catalina; Jensen, Laura; Kaminski, Michael; Kopf, Achim; Matthiessen, Jens; Jokat, Wilfried; Lohmann, Gerrit

2016-01-01

Although the permanently to seasonally ice-covered Arctic Ocean is a unique and sensitive component in the Earth's climate system, the knowledge of its long-term climate history remains very limited due to the restricted number of pre-Quaternary sedimentary records. During Polarstern Expedition PS87/2014, we discovered multiple submarine landslides along Lomonosov Ridge. Removal of younger sediments from steep headwalls has led to exhumation of Miocene sediments close to the seafloor. Here we document the presence of IP25 as a proxy for spring sea-ice cover and alkenone-based summer sea-surface temperatures >4 °C that support a seasonal sea-ice cover with an ice-free summer season being predominant during the late Miocene in the central Arctic Ocean. A comparison of our proxy data with Miocene climate simulations seems to favour either relatively high late Miocene atmospheric CO2 concentrations and/or a weak sensitivity of the model to simulate the magnitude of high-latitude warming in a warmer than modern climate. PMID:27041737

Levoglucosan indicates high levels of biomass burning aerosols over oceans from the Arctic to Antarctic

PubMed Central

Hu, Qi-Hou; Xie, Zhou-Qing; Wang, Xin-Ming; Kang, Hui; Zhang, Pengfei

2013-01-01

Biomass burning is known to affect air quality, global carbon cycle, and climate. However, the extent to which biomass burning gases/aerosols are present on a global scale, especially in the marine atmosphere, is poorly understood. Here we report the molecular tracer levoglucosan concentrations in marine air from the Arctic Ocean through the North and South Pacific Ocean to Antarctica during burning season. Levoglucosan was found to be present in all regions at ng/m3 levels with the highest atmospheric loadings present in the mid-latitudes (30°–60° N and S), intermediate loadings in the Arctic, and lowest loadings in the Antarctic and equatorial latitudes. As a whole, levoglucosan concentrations in the Southern Hemisphere were comparable to those in the Northern Hemisphere. Biomass burning has a significant impact on atmospheric Hg and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) from pole-to-pole, with more contribution to WSOC in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere. PMID:24176935

Levoglucosan indicates high levels of biomass burning aerosols over oceans from the Arctic to Antarctic.

PubMed

Hu, Qi-Hou; Xie, Zhou-Qing; Wang, Xin-Ming; Kang, Hui; Zhang, Pengfei

2013-11-01

Biomass burning is known to affect air quality, global carbon cycle, and climate. However, the extent to which biomass burning gases/aerosols are present on a global scale, especially in the marine atmosphere, is poorly understood. Here we report the molecular tracer levoglucosan concentrations in marine air from the Arctic Ocean through the North and South Pacific Ocean to Antarctica during burning season. Levoglucosan was found to be present in all regions at ng/m(3) levels with the highest atmospheric loadings present in the mid-latitudes (30°-60° N and S), intermediate loadings in the Arctic, and lowest loadings in the Antarctic and equatorial latitudes. As a whole, levoglucosan concentrations in the Southern Hemisphere were comparable to those in the Northern Hemisphere. Biomass burning has a significant impact on atmospheric Hg and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) from pole-to-pole, with more contribution to WSOC in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere.

Quantifying Methane Emissions from the Arctic Ocean Seabed to the Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Platt, Stephen; Pisso, Ignacio; Schmidbauer, Norbert; Hermansen, Ove; Silyakova, Anna; Ferré, Benedicte; Vadakkepuliyambatta, Sunil; Myhre, Gunnar; Mienert, Jürgen; Stohl, Andreas; Myhre, Cathrine Lund

2016-04-01

Large quantities of methane are stored under the seafloor in the shallow waters of the Arctic Ocean. Some of this is in the form of hydrates which may be vulnerable to deomposition due to surface warming. The Methane Emissions from Arctic Ocean to Atmosphere MOCA, (http://moca.nilu.no/) project was established in collaboration with the Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE, https://cage.uit.no/). In summer 2014, and summer and autumn 2015 we deployed oceanographic CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) stations and performed state-of-the-art atmospheric measurements of CH4, CO2, CO, and other meteorological parameters aboard the research vessel Helmer Hanssen west of Prins Karl's Forland, Svalbard. Air samples were collected for isotopic analysis (13C, 2H) and quantification of other hydrocarbons (ethane, propane, etc.). Atmospheric measurements are also available from the nearby Zeppelin Observatory at a mountain close to Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. We will present data from these measurements that show an upper constraint of the methane flux in measurement area in 2014 too low to influence the annual CH4 budget. This is further supported by top-down constraints (maximum release consistent with observations at the Helmer Hansen and Zeppelin Observatory) determined using FLEXPART foot print sensitivities and the OsloCTM3 model. The low flux estimates despite the presence of active seeps in the area (numerous gas flares were observed using echo sounding) were apparently due to the presence of a stable ocean pycnocline at ~50 m.

The Arctic: Glacial Refugium or Area of Secondary Contact? Inference from the Population Genetic Structure of the Thick-Billed Murre (Uria lomvia), with Implications for Management.

PubMed

Tigano, Anna; Damus, Martin; Birt, Tim P; Morris-Pocock, Jamie A; Artukhin, Yuri B; Friesen, Vicki L

2015-01-01

Quaternary glaciations affected the distribution of many species. Here, we investigate whether the Arctic represented a glacial refugium during the Last Glacial Maximum or an area of secondary contact following the ice retreat, by analyzing the genetic population structure of the thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), a seabird that breeds throughout the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic Oceans. The thick-billed murre is a species of socio-economic importance and faces numerous threats including hunting, oil pollution, gill netting, and climate change. We compared variation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (n = 424), supplemented by 4 microsatellite loci (n = 445), among thick-billed murres sampled throughout their range. MtDNA data indicated that colonies comprise 4 genetically differentiated groups (Φst = 0.11-0.81): 1) Atlantic Ocean plus New Siberian Islands region, 2) Cape Parry, 3) Chukchi Sea, and 4) Pacific Ocean. Microsatellite variation differed between Atlantic and Pacific populations. Otherwise, little substructure was found within either ocean. Atlantic and Pacific populations appear to have been genetically isolated since the last interglacial period and should be considered separate evolutionary significant units for management. The Chukchi Sea and Cape Parry appear to represent areas of secondary contact, rather than arctic refugial populations. © The American Genetic Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mapping the future expansion of Arctic open water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnhart, Katherine R.; Miller, Christopher R.; Overeem, Irina; Kay, Jennifer E.

2016-03-01

Sea ice impacts most of the Arctic environment, from ocean circulation and marine ecosystems to animal migration and marine transportation. Sea ice has thinned and decreased in age over the observational record. Ice extent has decreased. Reduced ice cover has warmed the surface ocean, accelerated coastal erosion and impacted biological productivity. Declines in Arctic sea-ice extent cannot be explained by internal climate variability alone and can be attributed to anthropogenic effects. However, extent is a poor measure of ice decline at specific locations as it integrates over the entire Arctic basin and thus contains no spatial information. The open water season, in contrast, is a metric that represents the duration of open water over a year at an individual location. Here we present maps of the open water season over the period 1920-2100 using daily output from a 30-member initial-condition ensemble of business-as-usual climate simulations that characterize the expansion of Arctic open water, determine when the open water season will move away from pre-industrial conditions (`shift’ time) and identify when human forcing will take the Arctic sea-ice system outside its normal bounds (`emergence’ time). The majority of the Arctic nearshore regions began shifting in 1990 and will begin leaving the range of internal variability in 2040. Models suggest that ice will cover coastal regions for only half of the year by 2070.

Arctic Storms and Their Influence on Surface Climate in the Chukchi-Beaufort Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Zhang, X.; Rinke, A.; Zhang, J.

2017-12-01

Increases in the frequency and intensity of Arctic storms and resulting weather hazards may endanger the offshore environment, coastal community, and energy infrastructure in the Arctic as sea ice retreats. Advancing ability to identify fine-scale variations in surface climate produced by progressively stronger storm would be extremely helpful to resources management and sustainable development for coastal community. In this study, we analyzed the storms and their impacts on surface climate over the Beaufort-Chukchi seas by employing the date sets from both the hindcast simulations of the coupled Arctic regional climate model HIRHAM-NAOSIM and the recently developed Chukchi-Beaufort High-resolution Atmospheric Reanalysis (CBHAR). Based on the characteristics of spatial pattern and temporal variability of the Arctic storm activity, we categorized storms to three groups with their different origins: the East Siberia Sea, Alaska and the central Arctic Ocean. The storms originating from the central Arctic Ocean have the strongest intensity in winter with relatively less storm number. Storms traveling from Alaska to the Beaufort Sea most frequently occurred in autumn with weaker intensity. A large portion of storms originated from the East Siberia Sea region in summer. Further statistical analysis suggests that increase in surface air temperature and wind speed could be attributed to the increased frequency of storm occurrence in autumn (September to November) along the continental shelf in the Beaufort Sea.

Future Arctic climate changes: Adaptation and mitigation time scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overland, James E.; Wang, Muyin; Walsh, John E.; Stroeve, Julienne C.

2014-02-01

The climate in the Arctic is changing faster than in midlatitudes. This is shown by increased temperatures, loss of summer sea ice, earlier snow melt, impacts on ecosystems, and increased economic access. Arctic sea ice volume has decreased by 75% since the 1980s. Long-lasting global anthropogenic forcing from carbon dioxide has increased over the previous decades and is anticipated to increase over the next decades. Temperature increases in response to greenhouse gases are amplified in the Arctic through feedback processes associated with shifts in albedo, ocean and land heat storage, and near-surface longwave radiation fluxes. Thus, for the next few decades out to 2040, continuing environmental changes in the Arctic are very likely, and the appropriate response is to plan for adaptation to these changes. For example, it is very likely that the Arctic Ocean will become seasonally nearly sea ice free before 2050 and possibly within a decade or two, which in turn will further increase Arctic temperatures, economic access, and ecological shifts. Mitigation becomes an important option to reduce potential Arctic impacts in the second half of the 21st century. Using the most recent set of climate model projections (CMIP5), multimodel mean temperature projections show an Arctic-wide end of century increase of +13°C in late fall and +5°C in late spring for a business-as-usual emission scenario (RCP8.5) in contrast to +7°C in late fall and +3°C in late spring if civilization follows a mitigation scenario (RCP4.5). Such temperature increases demonstrate the heightened sensitivity of the Arctic to greenhouse gas forcing.

Climate Change and Arctic Issues in the Marine and Environmental Science Curriculum at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlietstra, L.; McConnell, M. C.; Bergondo, D. L.; Mrakovcich, K. L.; Futch, V.; Stutzman, B. S.; Fleischmann, C. M.

2016-02-01

As global climate change becomes more evident, demand will likely increase for experts with a detailed understanding of the scientific basis of climate change, the ocean's role in the earth-atmosphere system, and forecasted impacts, especially in Arctic regions where effects may be most pronounced. As a result, programs in marine and environmental sciences are uniquely poised to prepare graduates for the formidable challenges posed by changing climates. Here we present research evaluating the prevalence and themes of courses focusing on anthropogenic climate change in 125 Marine Science and Environmental Science undergraduate programs at 86 institutions in the United States. These results, in addition to the increasing role of the Coast Guard in the Arctic, led to the development of two new courses in the curriculum. Climate Change Science, a one-credit seminar, includes several student-centered activities supporting key learning objectives. Polar Oceanography, a three-credit course, incorporates a major outreach component to Coast Guard units and members of the scientific community. Given the importance of climate change in Arctic regions in particular, we also propose six essential "Arctic Literacy Principles" around which courses or individual lesson plans may be organized. We show how these principles are incorporated into an additional new three-credit course, Model Arctic Council, which prepares students to participate in a week-long simulation exercise of Arctic Council meetings, held in Fairbanks, Alaska. Students examine the history and mission of the Arctic Council and explore some of the issues on which the council has deliberated. Special attention is paid to priorities of the current U.S. chairmanship of the Arctic Council which include climate change impacts on, and stewardship of, the Arctic Ocean.

Decorrelation scales for Arctic Ocean hydrography - Part I: Amerasian Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumata, Hiroshi; Kauker, Frank; Karcher, Michael; Rabe, Benjamin; Timmermans, Mary-Louise; Behrendt, Axel; Gerdes, Rüdiger; Schauer, Ursula; Shimada, Koji; Cho, Kyoung-Ho; Kikuchi, Takashi

2018-03-01

Any use of observational data for data assimilation requires adequate information of their representativeness in space and time. This is particularly important for sparse, non-synoptic data, which comprise the bulk of oceanic in situ observations in the Arctic. To quantify spatial and temporal scales of temperature and salinity variations, we estimate the autocorrelation function and associated decorrelation scales for the Amerasian Basin of the Arctic Ocean. For this purpose, we compile historical measurements from 1980 to 2015. Assuming spatial and temporal homogeneity of the decorrelation scale in the basin interior (abyssal plain area), we calculate autocorrelations as a function of spatial distance and temporal lag. The examination of the functional form of autocorrelation in each depth range reveals that the autocorrelation is well described by a Gaussian function in space and time. We derive decorrelation scales of 150-200 km in space and 100-300 days in time. These scales are directly applicable to quantify the representation error, which is essential for use of ocean in situ measurements in data assimilation. We also describe how the estimated autocorrelation function and decorrelation scale should be applied for cost function calculation in a data assimilation system.

A new high resolution tidal model in the Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cancet, Mathilde; Andersen, Ole; Lyard, Florent; Cotton, David; Benveniste, Jérôme

2016-04-01

The Arctic Ocean is a challenging region for tidal modeling, because of its complex and not well-documented bathymetry, together combined with the intermittent presence of sea ice and the fact that the in situ tidal observations are scarce at such high latitudes. As a consequence, the accuracy of the global tidal models decreases by several centimeters in the Polar Regions. It has a large impact on the quality of the satellite altimeter sea surface heights in these regions (ERS1/2, Envisat, CryoSat-2, SARAL/AltiKa and the future Sentinel-3 mission), but also on the end-users' applications that need accurate tidal information. Better knowledge of the tides will improve the quality of the high latitudes altimeter sea surface heights and of all derived products, such as the altimetry-derived geostrophic currents, the mean sea surface and the mean dynamic topography. In addition, accurate tidal models are highly strategic information for ever-growing maritime and industrial activities in this region. NOVELTIS and DTU Space have recently developed a regional, high-resolution tidal atlas in the Arctic Ocean, in the framework of an extension of the CryoSat Plus for Oceans (CP4O) project funded by ESA (STSE program). In particular, this atlas benefits from the assimilation of the most complete satellite altimetry dataset ever used in this region, including the Envisat data up to 82°N and the CryoSat-2 reprocessed data between 82°N and 88°N. The combination of all these satellites gives the best possible coverage of altimetry-derived tidal constituents. Tide gauge data have also been used either for assimilation or validation. This paper presents the methodology followed to develop the model and the performances of this new regional tidal model in the Arctic Ocean.

Advances in understanding and parameterization of small-scale physical processes in the marine Arctic climate system: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vihma, T.; Pirazzini, R.; Renfrew, I. A.; Sedlar, J.; Tjernström, M.; Nygård, T.; Fer, I.; Lüpkes, C.; Notz, D.; Weiss, J.; Marsan, D.; Cheng, B.; Birnbaum, G.; Gerland, S.; Chechin, D.; Gascard, J. C.

2013-12-01

The Arctic climate system includes numerous highly interactive small-scale physical processes in the atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean. During and since the International Polar Year 2007-2008, significant advances have been made in understanding these processes. Here these advances are reviewed, synthesized and discussed. In atmospheric physics, the primary advances have been in cloud physics, radiative transfer, mesoscale cyclones, coastal and fjordic processes, as well as in boundary-layer processes and surface fluxes. In sea ice and its snow cover, advances have been made in understanding of the surface albedo and its relationships with snow properties, the internal structure of sea ice, the heat and salt transfer in ice, the formation of super-imposed ice and snow ice, and the small-scale dynamics of sea ice. In the ocean, significant advances have been related to exchange processes at the ice-ocean interface, diapycnal mixing, tidal currents and diurnal resonance. Despite this recent progress, some of these small-scale physical processes are still not sufficiently understood: these include wave-turbulence interactions in the atmosphere and ocean, the exchange of heat and salt at the ice-ocean interface, and the mechanical weakening of sea ice. Many other processes are reasonably well understood as stand-alone processes but challenge is to understand their interactions with, and impacts and feedbacks on, other processes. Uncertainty in the parameterization of small-scale processes continues to be among the largest challenges facing climate modeling, and nowhere is this more true than in the Arctic. Further improvements in parameterization require new year-round field campaigns on the Arctic sea ice, closely combined with satellite remote sensing studies and numerical model experiments.

Late Pliocene paleoeco­logic reconstructions based on ostracode assemblages from the Sagavanirktok and Gubik formations, Alaskan North Slope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brouwers, Elisabeth M.

1994-01-01

Shallow-marine ostracode assemblages from upper Pliocene sediments of the upper part of the Sagavanirktok Formation and lower part of the Gubik Formation record the last warm period that occurred before the onset of significant cooling of the Arctic Ocean and the initiation of Northern Hemisphere continental glaciation. The informally named Colvillian and Bigbendian transgressions represent the oldest deposits of the Gubik Formation and are dated, based on various lines of evidence, between 2.48 and 3 Ma. Ostracode faunas from the lower part of the Gubik Formation indicate a cold-temperate to subfrigid marine climate with summer bottom temperatures 1-4 C warmer than today. Deposits of the upper part of the Sagavanirktok Formation at Manning Point and Barter Island are older than Colvillian sediments but are believed to be late Pliocene in age and contain an ostracode fauna that has many species in common with the lower part of the Gubik Formation. The Sagavanirktok ostracode faunas indicate a cold-temperature to subfrigid marine climate, similar to that inferred for the lower part of the Gubik Formation, with summer bottom temperatures 1-3 C warmer than today. The opening of Bering Strait at about 3 Ma altered Arctic Ocean assemblage composition as Pacific species migrated into the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans. The admixture of evolutionarily distinct faunas from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans identifies Colvillian (and younger) faunas and provides a convenient reference horizon in the Alaskan fossil record. The marine climatic deterioration that followed the Bigbendian appears to have been abrupt and is documented by biotic turnover, with large numbers of species extinctions and first appearances of new species. The change in species composition can be attributed to the cooling of the Arctic Ocean during the late Pliocene.

Experiences in multiyear combined state-parameter estimation with an ecosystem model of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans using the Ensemble Kalman Filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, Ehouarn; Samuelsen, Annette; Bertino, Laurent; Mouysset, Sandrine

2015-12-01

A sequence of one-year combined state-parameter estimation experiments has been conducted in a North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean configuration of the coupled physical-biogeochemical model HYCOM-NORWECOM over the period 2007-2010. The aim is to evaluate the ability of an ensemble-based data assimilation method to calibrate ecosystem model parameters in a pre-operational setting, namely the production of the MyOcean pilot reanalysis of the Arctic biology. For that purpose, four biological parameters (two phyto- and two zooplankton mortality rates) are estimated by assimilating weekly data such as, satellite-derived Sea Surface Temperature, along-track Sea Level Anomalies, ice concentrations and chlorophyll-a concentrations with an Ensemble Kalman Filter. The set of optimized parameters locally exhibits seasonal variations suggesting that time-dependent parameters should be used in ocean ecosystem models. A clustering analysis of the optimized parameters is performed in order to identify consistent ecosystem regions. In the north part of the domain, where the ecosystem model is the most reliable, most of them can be associated with Longhurst provinces and new provinces emerge in the Arctic Ocean. However, the clusters do not coincide anymore with the Longhurst provinces in the Tropics due to large model errors. Regarding the ecosystem state variables, the assimilation of satellite-derived chlorophyll concentration leads to significant reduction of the RMS errors in the observed variables during the first year, i.e. 2008, compared to a free run simulation. However, local filter divergences of the parameter component occur in 2009 and result in an increase in the RMS error at the time of the spring bloom.

Assessing climate impacts and risks of ocean albedo modification in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mengis, N.; Martin, T.; Keller, D. P.; Oschlies, A.

2016-05-01

The ice albedo feedback is one of the key factors of accelerated temperature increase in the high northern latitudes under global warming. This study assesses climate impacts and risks of idealized Arctic Ocean albedo modification (AOAM), a proposed climate engineering method, during transient climate change simulations with varying representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios. We find no potential for reversing trends in all assessed Arctic climate metrics under increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. AOAM only yields an initial offset during the first years after implementation. Nevertheless, sea ice loss can be delayed by 25(60) years in the RCP8.5(RCP4.5) scenario and the delayed thawing of permafrost soils in the AOAM simulations prevents up to 40(32) Pg of carbon from being released by 2100. AOAM initially dampens the decline of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning and delays the onset of open ocean deep convection in the Nordic Seas under the RCP scenarios. Both these processes cause a subsurface warming signal in the AOAM simulations relative to the default RCP simulations with the potential to destabilize Arctic marine gas hydrates. Furthermore, in 2100, the RCP8.5 AOAM simulation diverts more from the 2005-2015 reference state in many climate metrics than the RCP4.5 simulation without AOAM. Considering the demonstrated risks, we conclude that concerning longer time scales, reductions in emissions remain the safest and most effective way to prevent severe changes in the Arctic.

Nudging the Arctic Ocean to quantify Arctic sea ice feedbacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dekker, Evelien; Severijns, Camiel; Bintanja, Richard

2017-04-01

It is well-established that the Arctic is warming 2 to 3 time faster than rest of the planet. One of the great uncertainties in climate research is related to what extent sea ice feedbacks amplify this (seasonally varying) Arctic warming. Earlier studies have analyzed existing climate model output using correlations and energy budget considerations in order to quantify sea ice feedbacks through indirect methods. From these analyses it is regularly inferred that sea ice likely plays an important role, but details remain obscure. Here we will take a different and a more direct approach: we will keep the sea ice constant in a sensitivity simulation, using a state-of -the-art climate model (EC-Earth), applying a technique that has never been attempted before. This experimental technique involves nudging the temperature and salinity of the ocean surface (and possibly some layers below to maintain the vertical structure and mixing) to a predefined prescribed state. When strongly nudged to existing (seasonally-varying) sea surface temperatures, ocean salinity and temperature, we force the sea ice to remain in regions/seasons where it is located in the prescribed state, despite the changing climate. Once we obtain fixed' sea ice, we will run a future scenario, for instance 2 x CO2 with and without prescribed sea ice, with the difference between these runs providing a measure as to what extent sea ice contributes to Arctic warming, including the seasonal and geographical imprint of the effects.

Flux and age of dissolved organic carbon exported to the Arctic Ocean: A carbon isotopic study of the five largest arctic rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Raymond, P.A.; McClelland, J.W.; Holmes, R.M.; Zhulidov, A.V.; Mull, K.; Peterson, B.J.; Striegl, Robert G.; Aiken, G.R.; Gurtovaya, T.Y.

2007-01-01

The export and Δ14C-age of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was determined for the Yenisey, Lena, Ob', Mackenzie, and Yukon rivers for 2004–2005. Concentrations of DOC elevate significantly with increasing discharge in these rivers, causing approximately 60% of the annual export to occur during a 2-month period following spring ice breakup. We present a total annual flux from the five rivers of ∼16 teragrams (Tg), and conservatively estimate that the total input of DOC to the Arctic Ocean is 25–36 Tg, which is ∼5–20% greater than previous fluxes. These fluxes are also ∼2.5× greater than temperate rivers with similar watershed sizes and water discharge. Δ14C-DOC shows a clear relationship with hydrology. A small pool of DOC slightly depleted in Δ14C is exported with base flow. The large pool exported with spring thaw is enriched in Δ14C with respect to current-day atmospheric Δ14C-CO2 values. A simple model predicts that ∼50% of DOC exported during the arctic spring thaw is 1–5 years old, ∼25% is 6–10 years in age, and 15% is 11–20 years old. The dominant spring melt period, a historically undersampled period, exports a large amount of young and presumably semilabile DOC to the Arctic Ocean.

Upper Ocean Evolution Across the Beaufort Sea Marginal Ice Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, C.; Rainville, L.; Gobat, J. I.; Perry, M. J.; Freitag, L. E.; Webster, S.

2016-12-01

The observed reduction of Arctic summertime sea ice extent and expansion of the marginal ice zone (MIZ) have profound impacts on the balance of processes controlling sea ice evolution, including the introduction of several positive feedback mechanisms that may act to accelerate melting. Examples of such feedbacks include increased upper ocean warming though absorption of solar radiation, elevated internal wave energy and mixing that may entrain heat stored in subsurface watermasses (e.g., the relatively warm Pacific Summer and Atlantic waters), and elevated surface wave energy that acts to deform and fracture sea ice. Spatial and temporal variability in ice properties and open water fraction impact these processes. To investigate how upper ocean structure varies with changing ice cover, how the balance of processes shift as a function of ice fraction and distance from open water, and how these processes impact sea ice evolution, a network of autonomous platforms sampled the atmosphere-ice-ocean system in the Beaufort, beginning in spring, well before the start of melt, and ending with the autumn freeze-up. Four long-endurance autonomous Seagliders occupied sections that extended from open water, through the marginal ice zone, deep into the pack during summer 2014 in the Beaufort Sea. Gliders penetrated up to 200 km into the ice pack, under complete ice cover for up to 10 consecutive days. Sections reveal strong fronts where cold, ice-covered waters meet waters that have been exposed to solar warming, and O(10 km) scale eddies near the ice edge. In the pack, Pacific Summer Water and a deep chlorophyll maximum form distinct layers at roughly 60 m and 80 m, respectively, which become increasingly diffuse late in the season as they progress through the MIZ and into open water. Stratification just above the Pacific Summer Water rapidly weakens near the ice edge and temperature variance increases, likely due to mixing or energetic vertical exchange associated with strong lateral gradients at the MIZ. This presentation will discuss the evolution of the Arctic upper ocean over the summer to the start of freeze up and the relationship of its variability to sea ice extent and atmospheric forcing.