Stability of the arctic halocline: a new indicator of arctic climate change
In this study, we propose a new Arctic climate change indicator based on the strength of the Arctic halocline, a porous barrier between the cold and fresh upper ocean and ice and the warm intermediate Atlantic Water of the Arctic Ocean. This indicator provides a measure of the vulnerability of sea i...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aaec1e |
| _version_ | 1797748079890268160 |
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| author | Igor V Polyakov Andrey V Pnyushkov Eddy C Carmack |
| author_facet | Igor V Polyakov Andrey V Pnyushkov Eddy C Carmack |
| author_sort | Igor V Polyakov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this study, we propose a new Arctic climate change indicator based on the strength of the Arctic halocline, a porous barrier between the cold and fresh upper ocean and ice and the warm intermediate Atlantic Water of the Arctic Ocean. This indicator provides a measure of the vulnerability of sea ice to upward heat fluxes from the ocean interior, as well as the efficiency of mixing affecting carbon and nutrient exchanges. It utilizes the well-accepted calculation of available potential energy (APE), which integrates anomalies of potential density from the surface downwards through the surface mixed layer to the base of the halocline. Regional APE contrasts are striking and show a strengthening of stratification in the Amerasian Basin (AB) and an overall weakening in the Eurasian Basin (EB). In contrast, Arctic-wide time series of APE is not reflective of these inter-basin contrasts. The use of two time series of APE—AB and EB—as an indicator of Arctic Ocean climate change provides a powerful tool for detecting and monitoring transition of the Arctic Ocean towards a seasonally ice-free Arctic Ocean. This new, straightforward climate indicator can be used to inform both the scientific community and the broader public about changes occurring in the Arctic Ocean interior and their potential impacts on the state of the ice cover, the productivity of marine ecosystems and mid-latitude weather. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:00:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a61c245019934e2ab30dd82424f83436 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:00:49Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-a61c245019934e2ab30dd82424f834362023-08-09T14:39:42ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262018-01-01131212500810.1088/1748-9326/aaec1eStability of the arctic halocline: a new indicator of arctic climate changeIgor V Polyakov0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5912-8074Andrey V Pnyushkov1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9112-6458Eddy C Carmack2International Arctic Research Center and College of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Alaska Fairbanks , 2160 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, United States of AmericaInternational Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks , 2160 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, United States of AmericaInstitute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 9860 West Saanich Road, Sidney, BC, V8L 4B2, CanadaIn this study, we propose a new Arctic climate change indicator based on the strength of the Arctic halocline, a porous barrier between the cold and fresh upper ocean and ice and the warm intermediate Atlantic Water of the Arctic Ocean. This indicator provides a measure of the vulnerability of sea ice to upward heat fluxes from the ocean interior, as well as the efficiency of mixing affecting carbon and nutrient exchanges. It utilizes the well-accepted calculation of available potential energy (APE), which integrates anomalies of potential density from the surface downwards through the surface mixed layer to the base of the halocline. Regional APE contrasts are striking and show a strengthening of stratification in the Amerasian Basin (AB) and an overall weakening in the Eurasian Basin (EB). In contrast, Arctic-wide time series of APE is not reflective of these inter-basin contrasts. The use of two time series of APE—AB and EB—as an indicator of Arctic Ocean climate change provides a powerful tool for detecting and monitoring transition of the Arctic Ocean towards a seasonally ice-free Arctic Ocean. This new, straightforward climate indicator can be used to inform both the scientific community and the broader public about changes occurring in the Arctic Ocean interior and their potential impacts on the state of the ice cover, the productivity of marine ecosystems and mid-latitude weather.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aaec1eArctic Oceanhalocline stabilityclimate change indicators |
| spellingShingle | Igor V Polyakov Andrey V Pnyushkov Eddy C Carmack Stability of the arctic halocline: a new indicator of arctic climate change Environmental Research Letters Arctic Ocean halocline stability climate change indicators |
| title | Stability of the arctic halocline: a new indicator of arctic climate change |
| title_full | Stability of the arctic halocline: a new indicator of arctic climate change |
| title_fullStr | Stability of the arctic halocline: a new indicator of arctic climate change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stability of the arctic halocline: a new indicator of arctic climate change |
| title_short | Stability of the arctic halocline: a new indicator of arctic climate change |
| title_sort | stability of the arctic halocline a new indicator of arctic climate change |
| topic | Arctic Ocean halocline stability climate change indicators |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aaec1e |
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