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Center for Nonlinear Studies |
The Arctic Ocean has experienced startling changes over the past few decades, especially the fast shrinking of the sea-ice cover. Atmospheric warming in the Arctic region is probably the main driver of this sea-ice decline, yet the ocean might also contribute significantly. Indeed, the layer of Atlantic water that is found at intermediate depths in the Arctic Ocean contains a large amount of heat and has become warmer during this period. However, it is unclear whether this excessive oceanic heat becomes available for melting sea ice. Here we use an ocean-sea ice model with different resolutions to investigate the role of the Atlantic Water layer in the Arctic hydrographic conditions for the 1948-2009 period. In this talk, I will show some preliminary results from the simulations and focus on the ocean temperature, salinity, and water column stability. The 0.3° resolution simulation has a better representation of the temperature and salinity fields in the Arctic in general, compared with the 1° resolution simulation. It is found that the oceanic condition has changed significantly since mid 1990s, accompanied by increased volume of the Atlantic inflow and the related heat transport.
Host: David Metiver