Central Arctic Ocean freshwater during a period of anomalous melt and
advection in 2015
Rabe, Benjamin
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5794-9856,
Korhonen, Meri,
Hoppmann, Mario
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1294-9531,
Ricker, Robert
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6928-7757,
Hendricks, Stefan
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1412-3146,
Krumpen, Thomas
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6234-8756,
Beckers, Justin and
Schauer, Ursula
;
Contact
Benjamin.Rabe [ at ] awi.de
Abstract
During the recent decade the Arctic Ocean has shown several years of very low sea-ice extent and an increase in
liquid freshwater. Yet, the processes underlying the interannual variability are still not fully understood.
Hydrographic observations by ship campaigns and autonomous platforms reveal that summer 2015 showed above
average liquid freshwater in the upper ocean of the central Arctic. Surface temperatures and sea level pressure were
also higher than the average of the preceeding two decades.
From hydrographic observations and atmospheric reanalysis data we show that this liquid freshwater anomaly is
associated with above average sea-ice melt and intensified northward Ekman transport. We, further, found significant
amounts of Pacific Water in the upper water column, from the mixed-layer to the upper halocline. Our results
suggest that the freshening was due to both advection of low-salinity water from the direction of the Siberian
shelves, the Beaufort Gyre and the Bering Strait, and enhance sea-ice melt.
Item Type
Conference
(Talk)
Authors
Rabe, Benjamin
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5794-9856,
Korhonen, Meri,
Hoppmann, Mario
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1294-9531,
Ricker, Robert
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6928-7757,
Hendricks, Stefan
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1412-3146,
Krumpen, Thomas
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6234-8756,
Beckers, Justin and
Schauer, Ursula
;
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Primary Division
Programs
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Peer revision
Not peer-reviewed
Publication Status
Published
Event Details
EGU General Assembly 2016, 01 Jan 2016 - 01 Jan 1970, Vienna, Austria.
Eprint ID
42035
Cite as
Rabe, B.
,
Korhonen, M.
,
Hoppmann, M.
,
Ricker, R.
,
Hendricks, S.
,
Krumpen, T.
,
Beckers, J.
and
Schauer, U.
(2016):
Central Arctic Ocean freshwater during a period of anomalous melt and
advection in 2015
,
EGU General Assembly 2016,
Vienna, Austria,
2016 - unspecified
.
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