Understanding Arctic Ocean Circulation: A Review of Ocean Dynamics in a Changing Climate
The Arctic Ocean is a focal point of climate change, with ocean warming, freshening, sea-ice decline, and circulation that link to the changing atmospheric and terrestrial environment. Major features of the Arctic and the interconnected nature of its wind- and buoyancy-driven circulation are reviewe...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2021
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/133811 |
| _version_ | 1826214286960099328 |
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| author | Timmermans, Mary-Louise Marshall, John |
| author_facet | Timmermans, Mary-Louise Marshall, John |
| author_sort | Timmermans, Mary-Louise |
| collection | MIT |
| description | The Arctic Ocean is a focal point of climate change, with ocean warming, freshening, sea-ice decline, and circulation that link to the changing atmospheric and terrestrial environment. Major features of the Arctic and the interconnected nature of its wind- and buoyancy-driven circulation are reviewed here by presenting a synthesis of observational data interpreted from the perspective of geophysical fluid dynamics (GFD). The general circulation is seen to be the superposition of Atlantic Water flowing into and around the Arctic basin and the two main wind-driven circulation features of the interior stratified Arctic Ocean: the Transpolar Drift Stream and the Beaufort Gyre. The specific drivers of these systems, including wind forcing, ice-ocean interactions, and surface buoyancy fluxes, and their associated GFD are explored. The essential understanding guides an assessment of how Arctic Ocean structure and dynamics might fundamentally change as the Arctic warms, sea-ice cover declines, and the ice that remains becomes more mobile. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:03:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/133811 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:03:12Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1338112021-10-28T03:14:04Z Understanding Arctic Ocean Circulation: A Review of Ocean Dynamics in a Changing Climate Timmermans, Mary-Louise Marshall, John The Arctic Ocean is a focal point of climate change, with ocean warming, freshening, sea-ice decline, and circulation that link to the changing atmospheric and terrestrial environment. Major features of the Arctic and the interconnected nature of its wind- and buoyancy-driven circulation are reviewed here by presenting a synthesis of observational data interpreted from the perspective of geophysical fluid dynamics (GFD). The general circulation is seen to be the superposition of Atlantic Water flowing into and around the Arctic basin and the two main wind-driven circulation features of the interior stratified Arctic Ocean: the Transpolar Drift Stream and the Beaufort Gyre. The specific drivers of these systems, including wind forcing, ice-ocean interactions, and surface buoyancy fluxes, and their associated GFD are explored. The essential understanding guides an assessment of how Arctic Ocean structure and dynamics might fundamentally change as the Arctic warms, sea-ice cover declines, and the ice that remains becomes more mobile. 2021-10-27T19:56:47Z 2021-10-27T19:56:47Z 2020 2021-09-17T13:37:49Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/133811 en 10.1029/2018JC014378 Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf American Geophysical Union (AGU) MIT web domain |
| spellingShingle | Timmermans, Mary-Louise Marshall, John Understanding Arctic Ocean Circulation: A Review of Ocean Dynamics in a Changing Climate |
| title | Understanding Arctic Ocean Circulation: A Review of Ocean Dynamics in a Changing Climate |
| title_full | Understanding Arctic Ocean Circulation: A Review of Ocean Dynamics in a Changing Climate |
| title_fullStr | Understanding Arctic Ocean Circulation: A Review of Ocean Dynamics in a Changing Climate |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding Arctic Ocean Circulation: A Review of Ocean Dynamics in a Changing Climate |
| title_short | Understanding Arctic Ocean Circulation: A Review of Ocean Dynamics in a Changing Climate |
| title_sort | understanding arctic ocean circulation a review of ocean dynamics in a changing climate |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/133811 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT timmermansmarylouise understandingarcticoceancirculationareviewofoceandynamicsinachangingclimate AT marshalljohn understandingarcticoceancirculationareviewofoceandynamicsinachangingclimate |