Sediment transport by sea ice in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas: Increasing importance due to changing ice conditions?

Sediment-laden sea ice is widespread over the shallow, wide Siberian Arctic shelves, with off-shelf export from the Laptev and East Siberian Seas contributing substantially to the Arctic Ocean's sediment budget. By contrast, the North American shelves, owing to their narrow width and greater water depths, have not been deemed as important for basin-wide sediment transport by sea ice. Observations over the Chukchi and Beaufort shelves in 2001/02 revealed the widespread occurrence of sediment-laden ice over an area of more than 100,000 km² between 68 and 74°N and 155 and 170°W. Ice stratigraphic studies indicate that sediment inclusions were associated with entrainment of frazil ice into deformed, multiple layers of rafted nilas, indicative of a flaw-lead environment adjacent to the landfast ice of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. This is corroborated by buoy trajectories and satellite imagery indicating entrainment in a coastal polynya in the eastern Chukchi Sea in February of 2002 as well as formation of sediment-laden ice along the Beaufort Sea coast as far eastward as the Mackenzie shelf. Moored upward-looking sonar on the Mackenzie shelf provides further insight into the ice growth and deformation regime governing sediment entrainment. Analysis of Radarsat Synthetic Aperture (SAR) imagery in conjunction with bathymetric data help constrain the water depth of sediment resuspension and subsequent ice entrainment (>20 m for the Chukchi Sea). Sediment loads averaged at 128 t km^–2, with sediment occurring in layers of roughly 0.5 m thickness, mostly in the lower ice layers. The total amount of sediment transported by sea ice (mostly out of the narrow zone between the landfast ice edge and waters too deep for resuspension and entrainment) is at minimum 4×10⁶ t in the sampling area and is estimated at 5–8×10⁶ t over the entire Chukchi and Beaufort shelves in 2001/02, representing a significant term in the sediment budget of the western Arctic Ocean. Recent changes in the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea ice regimes (reduced summer minimum ice extent, ice thinning, reduction in multi-year ice extent, altered drift paths and mid-winter landfast ice break-out events) have likely resulted in an increase of sediment-laden ice in the area. Apart from contributing substantially to along- and across-shelf particulate flow, an increase in the amount of dirty ice significantly impacts (sub-)ice algal production and may enhance the dispersal of pollutants.     

Linkages among halocline variability,shelf-basin interaction,and wind regimes in the Beaufort Sea demonstrated in pan-Arctic Ocean modeling framework

To address the mechanisms controlling halocline variability in the Beaufort Sea, the relationship between halocline shoaling/deepening and surface wind fields on seasonal to decadal timescales was investigated in a numerical experiment. Results from a pan-Arctic coupled sea ice-ocean model demonstrate reasonable performances for interannual and decadal variations in summer sea ice extent in the entire Arctic and in freshwater content in the Canada Basin. Shelf-basin interaction associated with Pacific summer and winter transport depends on basin-scale wind patterns and can have a significant influence on halocline variability in the southern Beaufort Sea. The eastward transport of fresh Pacific summer water along the northern Alaskan coast and Ekman downwelling north of the shelf break are commonly enhanced by cyclonic wind in the Canada Basin. On the other hand, basin-wide anti-cyclonic wind induces Ekman upwelling and blocks the eastward current in the Beaufort shelf-break region. Halocline shoaling/deepening due to shelf-water transport and surface Ekman forcing consequently occur in the same direction. North of the Barrow Canyon mouth, the springtime down-canyon transport of Pacific winter water, which forms by sea ice production in the Alaskan coastal polynya, thickens the halocline layer. The model result indicates that the penetration of Pacific winter water prevents the local upwelling of underlying basin water to the surface layer, especially in basin-scale anti-cyclonic wind periods.     

Ecosystem dynamics of the Pacific-influenced Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas in the Amerasian Arctic

The shallow continental shelves and slope of the Amerasian Arctic are strongly influenced by nutrient-rich Pacific waters advected over the shelves from the northern Bering Sea into the Arctic Ocean. These high-latitude shelf systems are highly productive both as the ice melts and during the open-water period. The duration and extent of seasonal sea ice, seawater temperature and water mass structure are critical controls on water column production, organic carbon cycling and pelagic–benthic coupling. Short food chains and shallow depths are characteristic of high productivity areas in this region, so changes in lower trophic levels can impact higher trophic organisms rapidly, including pelagic- and benthic-feeding marine mammals and seabirds. Subsistence harvesting of many of these animals is locally important for human consumption. The vulnerability of the ecosystem to environmental change is thought to be high, particularly as sea ice extent declines and seawater warms. In this review, we focus on ecosystem dynamics in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas, with a more limited discussion of the adjoining Pacific-influenced eastern section of the East Siberian Sea and the western section of the Beaufort Sea. Both primary and secondary production are enhanced in specific regions that we discuss here, with the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas sustaining some of the highest water column production and benthic faunal soft-bottom biomass in the world ocean. In addition, these organic carbon-rich Pacific waters are periodically advected into low productivity regions of the nearshore northern Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off Alaska and sometimes into the East Siberian Sea, all of which have lower productivity on an annual basis. Thus, these near shore areas are intimately tied to nutrients and advected particulate organic carbon from the Pacific influenced Bering Shelf-Anadyr water. Given the short food chains and dependence of many apex predators on sea ice, recent reductions in sea ice in the Pacific-influenced sector of the Arctic have the potential to cause an ecosystem reorganization that may alter this benthic-oriented system to one more dominated by pelagic processes.     

楚科奇海海冰周年变化特征及其主要关联因素

利用1999年美国国家冰雪资料中心的各种卫星遥感综合分析数据对楚科奇海海冰周年变化进行详细分析，将全年的海冰变化过程分成密集冰封期、东岸融化期、单湾结构期、双湾结构期、三湾结构期、全线北撤期、南进封闭期、全面冻结期8个阶段。海冰冻结期仅2个月，海冰融化期持续4～5个月，说明融冰过程的吸热是个漫长的过程。太平洋与北冰洋海面高度差形成的正压压强梯度力是白令海水进入北冰洋的主要动力，白令海水进入冰下形成的暖水海冰边缘区是海冰融化的重要机制。白令海水在楚科奇海扩散过程受到海底地形产生的Taylor柱效应的显著影响，使其产生绕过浅滩，沿海谷流动，在海谷的方向上输送更多的水体和热量的现象，形成海冰融化的湾状结构。楚科奇海的局地风场也是海冰形态变化的重要因素之一。局地风场在冬季阻碍白令海水的入流，而在夏季促进白令海水的入流。     

1979-2012年北极海冰运动学特征初步分析

利用美国冰雪数据中心(NSIDC)发布的海冰速度和范围数据,本文分析了1979—2012年间北极海冰的运动学特征,以及北极海冰运动与分布范围演变之间的关系。结合欧洲中期天气预报中心(ECMWF)发布的2007和2012年高分辨率的气压场、风场数据,探讨了北极风场和气压场与海冰运动、辐散辐合和海冰面积的关系。结果表明,在1979-2012年间北极海冰平均运动速度呈显著增强的趋势,冬季海冰平均运动速度增加趋势明显强于夏季;北极、波弗特-楚科奇海域和弗拉姆海峡的冬、夏季海冰平均运动速度的增加率分别为2.1%/a和1.7%/a、2.0%/a和1.6%/a以及4.9%/a和2.2%/a。1979-2012年北极海冰平均运动速度和范围的相关性为-0.77,二者存在显著的负相关关系。北极冬季和夏季风场的长期变化趋势与海冰平均运动速度的变化趋势一致,冬季和夏季的相关系数分别为0.50和0.48。风场和气压场对海冰的运动、辐散及重新分布发挥着重要作用。2007年夏季,第234~273天波弗特海域一直被高压系统控制,波弗特涡旋加强,使得波弗特海域海冰聚集在北极中央区;顺时针的风场促使海冰向格陵兰岛和加拿大北极群岛以北聚合。2012年,白令海峡和楚科奇海域处于低压和高压系统的交界处,盛行偏北风,海冰从北极东部往西部输运,加拿大海盆的多年海冰因离岸运动而辐散,向楚科奇海域的海冰输运增加,受太平洋入流暖水影响,移入此区域的海冰加速融化,从而加剧海冰的减少。     

Regime shift of the dominant factor for halocline depth in the Canada Basin during 1990–2008

The World Ocean Database(WOD) is used to evaluate the halocline depth simulated by an ice-ocean coupled model in the Canada Basin during 1990–2008. Statistical results show that the simulated halocline is reliable.Comparing of the September sea ice extent between simulation and SSM/I dataset, a consistent interannual variability is found between them. Moreover, both the simulated and observed September sea ice extent show staircase declines in 2000–2008 compared to 1990–1999. That supports that the abrupt variations of the ocean surface stress curl anomaly in 2000–2008 are caused by rapid sea ice melting and also in favor of the realistic existence of the simulated variations. Responses to these changes can be found in the upper ocean circulation and the intermediate current variations in these two phases as well. The analysis shows that seasonal variations of the halocline are regulated by the seasonal variations of the Ekman pumping. On interannual time scale, the variations of the halocline have an inverse relationship with the ocean surface stress curl anomaly after 2000,while this relationship no longer applies in the 1990 s. It is pointed out that the regime shift in the Canada Basin can be derived to illustrate this phenomenon. Specifically, the halocline variations are dominated by advection in the 1990 s and Ekman pumping in the 2000 s respectively. Furthermore, the regime shift is caused by changing Transpolar Drift pathway and Ekman pumping area due to spatial deformation of the center Beaufort high(BH)relative to climatology.     

北极冬季季节性海冰双模态特征分析

近年来北极海冰快速变化,北极中央区边缘正由以多年冰为主转为季节性海冰为主。通过对北极冬季季节性海冰的EOF分解发现,2002-2012年期间北极季节性海冰变化的前两模态主要体现为2005年和2007年的季节性海冰距平。其中第二模态主要体现了北极海冰在2005年的一种极端变化,而第一模态不仅体现了北极海冰在2007年的变化,还体现了北极季节性海冰的从负位相到正位相的转变。通过比较发现,在研究时段北极季节性海冰最主要的变化发生在北极太平洋扇区,在2007年,冬季季节性海冰距平发生位相转变,2007-2010年一直维持正位相,北极太平洋扇区冬季季节性海冰保持显著正距平。太平洋扇区表面温度最大异常也发生在2007年,从大气环流来看,2007年之后波弗特海区异常高压有利于夏季太平洋扇区海冰的减少,而西风急流的减弱有利于夏季波弗特海区异常高压的维持,结合夏季海冰速度,顺时针的冰速分布有利于海冰离开太平洋扇区,因而会导致冬季太平洋扇区季节性海冰转为正距平并且从2007年一直维持到2010年。     

一种冰-海洋模式的热力耦合方案

冰与海洋的热力耦合对冰与海洋环流的模拟有极其重要的影响,是冰-海洋相互作用的一个重要方面.对其精确确定需要详细考虑冰-海洋界面附近的湍流过程,这在长时期的模拟特别是气候模拟中,常受到技术条件的限制.过去的研究常常假设冰下海洋混合层的温度为冰点,特别是在单纯冰模式的模拟中,但考虑海冰漂移和冰点变化的效应时,这一假设是不精确的.因此,弱化冰下海洋混合层温度为冰点的约束,不考虑详细的冰-海洋界面和海洋混合层的湍流过程,根据冰-海洋耦合系统的能量收支关系,设计了一个简化的冰-海洋热力耦合方案.对该方案引起的海洋混合层适应、热力结构和海冰发展的影响进行了分析,并将其用于全球冰海洋耦合模式的数值试验,结果表明,在大气热力强迫下该耦合方案既可使冰区混合层海水温度向冰点适应,又使冰边缘带海水温度与冰点保持明显差异,能够较好地反映冰-海洋热力相互作用.利用该耦合方案构造的全球冰-海洋耦合模式模拟的海冰范围及季节变化与实际观测非常接近.     

Interaction of an anticyclonic eddy with sea ice in the western Arctic Ocean: an eddy-resolving model study

The dramatic decline of summer sea ice extent and thickness has been witnessed in the western Arctic Ocean in recent decades, which hasmotivated scientists to search for possible factors driving the sea ice variability. An eddy-resolving, ice-ocean coupled model covering the entire Arctic Ocean is implemented, with focus on the western Arctic Ocean. Special attention is paid to the summer Alaskan coastal current (ACC), which has a high temperature (up to 5℃ ormore) in the upper layer due to the solar radiation over the open water at the lower latitude. Downstream of the ACC after Barrow Point, a surface-intensified anticyclonic eddy is frequently generated and propagate towards the Canada Basin during the summer season when sea ice has retreated away from the coast. Such an eddy has a warm core, and its source is high-temperature ACC water. A typical warm-core eddy is traced. It is trapped just below summer sea ice melt water and has a thickness about 60 m. Temperature in the eddy core reaches 2-3℃, and most water inside the eddy has a temperature over 1℃. With a definition of the eddy boundary, an eddy heat is calculated, which can melt 1 600 km² of 1mthick sea ice under extreme conditions.     

普里兹湾海冰季节性变化的高分辨率数值模拟

普里兹湾海冰以一年冰为主,海冰覆盖存在较大的季节性变化.海冰的分布及其季节性变化主要受当地大气环流及海流的影响.基于一个海洋-海冰耦和模式,模拟研究了该海区海冰的季节性变化特征.海洋模式基于MIT环流模式(MITgcm),海冰动力学模式参考Hibler类型的VP模型,热力学过程取自Winton三层模型.模式区域覆盖整个...     

渤海冰-海洋耦合模式——I．模式和参数研究

在国内外冰-海洋耦合模式研究基础上，根据渤海水文、气象和冰情特点，以国家海洋环境预报中心的渤海海冰预报模式和POM海洋模式为基础，开发了一个冰-海洋耦合模式．在该耦合模式中，冰和海洋之间的动量和热量交换是双向的，冰厚和冰密集度的变化不仅由冰表面和冰底的热收支决定，还由开阔水的表面热收支决定．侧重阐述了耦合模式的动力和热力学过程的耦合，并对模式中一些热力参数进行了讨论．     

渤海冰-海洋耦合模式Ⅰ.模式和参数研究

在国内外冰-海洋耦合模式研究基础上,根据渤海水文、气象和冰情特点,以国家海洋环境预报中心的渤海海冰预报模式和POM海洋模式为基础,开发了一个冰-海洋耦合模式.在该耦合模式中,冰和海洋之间的动量和热量交换是双向的,冰厚和冰密集度的变化不仅由冰表面和冰底的热收支决定,还由开阔水的表面热收支决定.侧重阐述了耦合模式的动力和热力学过程的耦合,并对模式中一些热力参数进行了讨论.     

西北冰洋表层沉积物中生源和陆源粗组分及其沉积环境

通过中国第1至第3次北极科学考察在北冰洋西部所采集的99个表层沉积物中生源与陆源粗组分的分析,研究了该海域表层生产力的变化,有机质来源以及陆源粗颗粒物质的输入方式和影响因素.研究区域生源组分所反映的表层生产力变化与通过白令海峡进入楚科奇海的3股太平洋洋流密切相关.楚科奇海西侧高盐高营养盐的阿纳德尔流流经区域,表层生产力...     

Improved Chlorophyll-a Algorithm for the Satellite Ocean Color Data in the Northern Bering Sea and Southern Chukchi Sea

The Bering and Chukchi seas are an important conduit to the Arctic Ocean and are reported to be one of the most productive regions in the world’s oceans in terms of high primary productivity that sustains large numbers of fishes, marine mammals, and sea birds as well as benthic animals. Climate-induced changes in primary production and production at higher trophic levels also have been observed in the northern Bering and Chukchi seas. Satellite ocean color observations could enable the monitoring of relatively long term patterns in chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations that would serve as an indicator of phytoplankton biomass. The performance of existing global and regional Chl-a algorithms for satellite ocean color data was investigated in the northeastern Bering Sea and southern Chukchi Sea using in situ optical measurements from the Healy 2007 cruise. The model-derived Chl-a data using the previous Chl-a algorithms present striking uncertainties regarding Chl-a concentrations – for example, overestimation in lower Chl-a concentrations or systematic overestimation in the northeastern Bering Sea and southern Chukchi Sea. Accordingly, a simple two band ratio (R_rs(443)/R_rs(555)) algorithm of Chl-a for the satellite ocean color data was devised for the northeastern Bering Sea and southern Chukchi Sea. The MODIS-derived Chl-a data from July 2002 to December 2014 were produced using the new Chl-a algorithm to investigate the seasonal and interannual variations of Chl-a in the northern Bering Sea and the southern Chukchi Sea. The seasonal distribution of Chl-a shows that the highest (spring bloom) Chl-a concentrations are in May and the lowest are in July in the overall area. Chl-a concentrations relatively decreased in June, particularly in the open ocean waters of the Bering Sea. The Chl-a concentrations start to increase again in August and become quite high in September. In October, Chl-a concentrations decreased in the western area of the Study area and the Alaskan coastal waters. Strong interannual variations are shown in Chl-a concentrations in all areas. There is a slightly increasing trend in Chl-a concentrations in the northern Bering Strait (SECS). This increasing trend may be related to recent increases in the extent and duration of open waters due to the early break up of sea ice and the late formation of sea ice in the Chukchi Sea.     

A coupled ice-ocean model for the Bohai Sea Ⅰ. Study on model and parameter

According to the earlier international studies on the coupled ice-ocean model and the hydrology, meteorology, and ice features in the Bohai Sea, a coupled ice-ocean model is developed based on the National Marine Environment Forecast Center‘ s (NMEFC) numerical forecasting ice model of the Bohai Sea and the Princeton ocean model (POM). In the coupled model, the transfer of momentum and heat between ocean and ice is two-way, and the change of ice thickness and concentration depends on heat budget not only at the surface and bottom of ice, but also at the surface of open water between ices. The dynamic and thermodynamic coupling process is expatiated emphatically. Some thermodynamic parameters are discussed as well.     

Western Arctic primary productivity regulated by shelf-break warm eddies

The response of phytoplankton to the Beaufort shelf-break eddies in the western Arctic Ocean is examined using the eddy-resolving coupled sea ice–ocean model including a lower-trophic marine ecosystem formulation. The regional model driven by the reanalysis 2003 atmospheric forcing from March to November captures the major spatial and temporal features of phytoplankton bloom following summertime sea ice retreat in the shallow Chukchi shelf and Barrow Canyon. The shelf-break warm eddies spawned north of the Barrow Canyon initially transport the Chukchi shelf water with high primary productivity toward the Canada Basin interior. In the eddy-developing period, the anti-cyclonic rotational flow along the outer edge of each eddy moving offshore occasionally traps the shelf water. The primary production inside the warm eddies is maintained by internal dynamics in the eddy-maturity period. In particular, the surface central area of an anti-cyclonic eddy acquires adequate light, nutrient, and warm environment for photosynthetic activity partly attributed to turbulent mixing with underlying nutrient-rich water. The simulated biogeochemical properties with the dominance of small-size phytoplankton inside the warm eddies are consistent with the observational findings in the western Arctic Ocean. It is also suggested that the light limitation before autumn sea ice freezing shuts down the primary production in the shelf-break eddies in spite of nutrient recovery. These results indicate that the time lag between the phytoplankton bloom in the shelf region following the summertime sea ice retreat and the eddy generation along the Beaufort shelf break is an important index to determine biological regimes in the Canada Basin.     

A coupled ice-ocean model for the Bohai Sea Ⅰ. Study on model and parameter

According to the earlier international studies on the coupled ice-ocean model and the hydrology, meteorology, and ice features in the Bohai Sea, a coupled ice-ocean model is developed based on the National Marine Environment Forecast Center's (NMEFC) numerical forecasting ice model of the Bohai Sea and the Princeton ocean model (POM).In the coupled model, the transfer of momentum and heat between ocean and ice is two-way, and the change of ice thickness and concentration depends on heat budget not only at the surface and bottom of ice, but also at the surface of open water between ices. The dynamic and thermodynamic coupling process is expatiated emphatically. Some thermodynamic parameters are discussed as well.     

A coupled ice-ocean model for the Bohai Sea Ⅱ. Case study

The coupled ice-ocean model for the Bohai Sea is used for simulating the freezing, melting, and variation of ice cover and the heat balance at the sea-ice, air-ice, and air-sea interfaces of the Bohai Sea during the entire winter in 1998～1999 and 2000～2001. The coupled model is forced by real time numerical weather prediction fields. The results show that the thermodynamic effects of atmosphere and ocean are very important for the evolvement of ice in the Bohai Sea, especially in the period of ice freezing and melting. Ocean heat flux plays a key role in the thermodynamic coupling. The simulation also presents the different thermodynamic features in the ice covered region and the marginal ice zone. Ice thickness, heat budget at the interface, and surface sea temperature, etc. between the two representative points are discussed.     

风对中国东部海域海平面季节变化的影响

应用ROMS数值模式配置基本实验模拟了2004年到2006年中国东部海域海平面的季节变化。模拟结果与TOPEX／Poseidon（T／P）卫星高度计观测结果基本一致,海平面年较差从中国沿岸到黑潮路径逐渐变小。将数值模式的风应力项去掉,配置对比实验。与基本实验结果对比发现,对比实验海平面仍然具有季节变化,但是闽浙沿岸和苏北沿岸海平面春夏季异常偏低、秋冬季异常偏高现象消失,中国沿岸向太平洋的海平面变化减弱。春季和秋季,渤、黄海和黑潮附近海平面异于东海的现象减弱。对比实验海平面的年较差的数值明显减小,从近岸向黑潮海平面年较差渐变的过程消失。整个渤黄海的海平面年较差近似。对比实验海平面年较差占基本实验海平面年较差比率从近岸向黑潮路径逐渐增大。     

Sea ice,hydrological, and biological processes in the Churchill River estuary region,Hudson Bay

A conceptual scheme for the transition from winter to spring is developed for a small Arctic estuary (Churchill River, Hudson Bay) using hydrological, meteorological and oceanographic data together with models of the landfast ice. Observations within the Churchill River estuary and away from the direct influence of the river plume (Button Bay), between March and May 2005, show that both sea ice (production and melt) and river water influence the region's freshwater budget. In Button Bay, ice production in the flaw lead or polynya of NW Hudson Bay result in salinization through winter until the end of March, followed by a gradual freshening of the water column through April–May. In the Churchill Estuary, conditions varied abruptly throughout winter–spring depending on the physical interaction among river discharge, the seasonal landfast ice, and the rubble zone along the seaward margin of the landfast ice. Until late May, the rubble zone partially impounded river discharge, influencing the surface salinity, stratification, flushing time, and distribution and abundance of nutrients in the estuary. The river discharge, in turn, advanced and enhanced sea ice ablation in the estuary by delivering sensible heat. Weak stratification, the supply of riverine nitrogen and silicate, and a relatively long flushing time (∼ 6 days) in the period preceding melt may have briefly favoured phytoplankton production in the estuary when conditions were still poor in the surrounding coastal environment. However, in late May, the peak flow and breakdown of the ice-rubble zone around the estuary brought abrupt changes, including increased stratification and turbidity, reduced marine and freshwater nutrient supply, a shorter flushing time, and the release of the freshwater pool into the interior ocean. These conditions suppressed phytoplankton productivity while enhancing the inventory of particulate organic matter delivered by the river. The physical and biological changes observed in this study highlight the variability and instability of small frozen estuaries during winter–spring transition, which implies sensitivity to climate change.