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The effects of tides on the water mass mixing and sea ice in the Arctic Ocean

The effects of tides on the water mass mixing and sea ice in the Arctic Ocean
The effects of tides on the water mass mixing and sea ice in the Arctic Ocean
In this study, we use a novel pan-Arctic sea ice-ocean coupled model to examine the effects of tides on sea ice and the mixing of water masses. Two 30 year simulations were performed: one with explicitly resolved tides and the other without any tidal dynamics. We find that the tides are responsible for a ?15% reduction in the volume of sea ice during the last decade and a redistribution of salinity, with surface salinity in the case with tides being on average ?1.0–1.8 practical salinity units (PSU) higher than without tides. The ice volume trend in the two simulations also differs: ?2.09 × 103 km3/decade without tides and ?2.49 × 103 km3/decade with tides, the latter being closer to the trend of ?2.58 × 103 km3/decade in the PIOMAS model, which assimilates SST and ice concentration. The three following mechanisms of tidal interaction appear to be significant: (a) strong shear stresses generated by the baroclinic clockwise rotating component of tidal currents in the interior waters; (b) thicker subsurface ice-ocean and bottom boundary layers; and (c) intensification of quasi-steady vertical motions of isopycnals (by ?50%) through enhanced bottom Ekman pumping and stretching of relative vorticity over rough bottom topography. The combination of these effects leads to entrainment of warm Atlantic Waters into the colder and fresher surface waters, supporting the melting of the overlying ice.
Arctic Ocean, tides, mixing, NEMO, sea ice, water mass
2169-9275
6669-6699
Luneva, Maria V.
296133f7-be3a-4578-9e13-7be374087976
Aksenov, Yevgeny
1d277047-06f6-4893-8bcf-c2817a9c848e
Harle, James D.
17191bb6-4e1c-493f-aa5f-8ba4eefaa6c1
Holt, Jason T.
5e8b072c-714a-4b50-921b-c15b1d38709c
Luneva, Maria V.
296133f7-be3a-4578-9e13-7be374087976
Aksenov, Yevgeny
1d277047-06f6-4893-8bcf-c2817a9c848e
Harle, James D.
17191bb6-4e1c-493f-aa5f-8ba4eefaa6c1
Holt, Jason T.
5e8b072c-714a-4b50-921b-c15b1d38709c

Luneva, Maria V., Aksenov, Yevgeny, Harle, James D. and Holt, Jason T. (2015) The effects of tides on the water mass mixing and sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 120, 6669-6699. (doi:10.1002/2014JC010310).

Record type: Article

Abstract

In this study, we use a novel pan-Arctic sea ice-ocean coupled model to examine the effects of tides on sea ice and the mixing of water masses. Two 30 year simulations were performed: one with explicitly resolved tides and the other without any tidal dynamics. We find that the tides are responsible for a ?15% reduction in the volume of sea ice during the last decade and a redistribution of salinity, with surface salinity in the case with tides being on average ?1.0–1.8 practical salinity units (PSU) higher than without tides. The ice volume trend in the two simulations also differs: ?2.09 × 103 km3/decade without tides and ?2.49 × 103 km3/decade with tides, the latter being closer to the trend of ?2.58 × 103 km3/decade in the PIOMAS model, which assimilates SST and ice concentration. The three following mechanisms of tidal interaction appear to be significant: (a) strong shear stresses generated by the baroclinic clockwise rotating component of tidal currents in the interior waters; (b) thicker subsurface ice-ocean and bottom boundary layers; and (c) intensification of quasi-steady vertical motions of isopycnals (by ?50%) through enhanced bottom Ekman pumping and stretching of relative vorticity over rough bottom topography. The combination of these effects leads to entrainment of warm Atlantic Waters into the colder and fresher surface waters, supporting the melting of the overlying ice.

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Accepted/In Press date: 15 October 2015
Published date: October 2015
Keywords: Arctic Ocean, tides, mixing, NEMO, sea ice, water mass
Organisations: Marine Systems Modelling

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 383038
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/383038
ISSN: 2169-9275
PURE UUID: 83061a61-133f-4feb-8d19-6c779c871930

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Date deposited: 19 Oct 2015 12:08
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 21:37

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Contributors

Author: Maria V. Luneva
Author: Yevgeny Aksenov
Author: James D. Harle
Author: Jason T. Holt

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