Wind-driven mixing at intermediate depths in an ice-free Arctic Ocean
Wind-driven mixing at intermediate depths in an ice-free Arctic Ocean
Recent seasonal Arctic Ocean sea ice retreat is a major indicator of polar climate change. The Arctic Ocean is generally quiescent with the interior basins characterized by low levels of turbulent mixing at intermediate depths. In contrast, under conditions of reduced sea ice cover, there is evidence of energetic internal waves that have been attributed to increased momentum transfer from the atmosphere to the ocean. New measurements made in the Canada Basin during the unusually ice-free and stormy summer of 2012 show previously observed enhancement of internal wave energy associated with ice-free conditions. However, there is no enhancement of mixing at intermediate depths away from significant topography. This implies that contrary to expectations of increased wind-induced mixing under declining Arctic sea ice cover, the stratification in the central Canada Basin continues to suppress turbulent mixing at intermediate depths and to effectively isolate the large Atlantic and Pacific heat reservoirs from the sea surface.
Arctic oceanography, sea ice, wind mixing
9749-9756
Lincoln, Ben J.
7082f87c-9f2a-415e-9714-df9bb91d871d
Rippeth, Tom P.
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Lenn, Yueng-Djern
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Timmermans, Mary Louise
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Williams, William J.
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Bacon, Sheldon
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28 September 2016
Lincoln, Ben J.
7082f87c-9f2a-415e-9714-df9bb91d871d
Rippeth, Tom P.
249bf4a1-2416-4d49-b7a2-e1e2e1196219
Lenn, Yueng-Djern
083a4d58-6bfc-4465-bb58-c2493e873d0a
Timmermans, Mary Louise
575c7f28-d618-4fb9-854f-d3a37589aa83
Williams, William J.
6f74bb1c-9e03-429f-ac4a-9be54c5adeb5
Bacon, Sheldon
1e7aa6e3-4fb4-4230-8ba7-90837304a9a7
Lincoln, Ben J., Rippeth, Tom P., Lenn, Yueng-Djern, Timmermans, Mary Louise, Williams, William J. and Bacon, Sheldon
(2016)
Wind-driven mixing at intermediate depths in an ice-free Arctic Ocean.
Geophysical Research Letters, 43 (18), .
(doi:10.1002/2016GL070454).
Abstract
Recent seasonal Arctic Ocean sea ice retreat is a major indicator of polar climate change. The Arctic Ocean is generally quiescent with the interior basins characterized by low levels of turbulent mixing at intermediate depths. In contrast, under conditions of reduced sea ice cover, there is evidence of energetic internal waves that have been attributed to increased momentum transfer from the atmosphere to the ocean. New measurements made in the Canada Basin during the unusually ice-free and stormy summer of 2012 show previously observed enhancement of internal wave energy associated with ice-free conditions. However, there is no enhancement of mixing at intermediate depths away from significant topography. This implies that contrary to expectations of increased wind-induced mixing under declining Arctic sea ice cover, the stratification in the central Canada Basin continues to suppress turbulent mixing at intermediate depths and to effectively isolate the large Atlantic and Pacific heat reservoirs from the sea surface.
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Lincoln_et_al-2016-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf
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Accepted/In Press date: 15 August 2016
e-pub ahead of print date: 17 September 2016
Published date: 28 September 2016
Keywords:
Arctic oceanography, sea ice, wind mixing
Organisations:
Marine Physics and Ocean Climate
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 403103
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/403103
ISSN: 0094-8276
PURE UUID: c96d09e7-c483-487b-ba6c-c48bd0e342b3
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Date deposited: 21 Nov 2016 14:22
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:34
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Contributors
Author:
Ben J. Lincoln
Author:
Tom P. Rippeth
Author:
Yueng-Djern Lenn
Author:
Mary Louise Timmermans
Author:
William J. Williams
Author:
Sheldon Bacon
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