Hydrographic and current measurements in the Fram Strait, August 1981

The hydrographic (CTD) observations and pendulum current measurements obtained with M/S 'Lance' in August 1981 in the area west and north of Spitsbergen, are presented. The warm and saline northward flow, known as the West Spitsbergen Current, is found to follow the shelf break. In the Fram Strait the hydrographic structure is complicated because of eddies and other transient movements. The current measurements suggest a two-layer structure where the velocity vector rotates in opposite directions in the two layers with a period near the semidiurnal tidal period.     

Direct measurements of volume transports through Fram Strait

Heat and freshwater transports through Fram Strait are understood to have a significant influence on the hydrographic conditions in the Arctic Ocean and on water mass modifications in the Nordic seas. To determine these transports and their variability reliable estimates of the volume transport through the strait are required. Current meter moorings were deployed in Fram Strait from September 1997 to September 1999 in the framework of the EU MAST III Variability of Exchanges in the Northern Seas programme. The monthly mean velocity fields reveal marked velocity variations over seasonal and annual time scales, and the spatial structure of the northward flowing West Spitsbergen Current and the southward East Greenland Current with a maximum in spring and a minimum in summer. The volume transport obtained by averaging the monthly means over two years amounts to 9.5 ± 1.4 Sv to the north and 11.1 ± 1.7 Sv to the south (1 Sv = 10⁶ m³s⁻¹). The West Spitsbergen Current has a strong barotropic and a weaker baroclinic component; in the East Greenland Current barotropic and baroclinic components are of similar magnitude. The net transport through the strait is 4.2 ± 2.3 Sv to the south. The obtained northward and southward transports are significantly larger than earlier estimates in the literature; however, within its range of uncertainty the balance obtained from a two year average is consistent with earlier estimates.     

Cyclones over Fram Strait: impact on sea ice and variability

The relation between sea ice drift and cyclone activity in the Fram Strait region was studied by both in situ observations and long-term time series. In a 1999 field campaign, the atmospheric forcing and the ice drift were determined using a research aircraft and drifting ice buoys. One cyclone entered the experimental area and caused a temporal increase in ice drift speed. Long-term studies are based on 16 years of cyclone statistics and model, satellite and sonar ice drift estimates. The actual impact of a cyclone depends on its particular track through Fram Strait. On the average, cyclones increase the Arctic ice export through Fram Strait.     

白令海夏季水文结构年际变化特征研究

基于2008、2010、2012和2014年我国北极科学考察期间在白令海获取的水文观测数据,结合历史共享资料,通过对白令海水团、上层海洋热含量、净热通量变化、风场及海平面气压分布情况等的分析,探讨了白令海水文结构的年际变化特征及其原因。研究发现,白令海夏季的水团包括白令海上层水团(BUW)、中层水团(BIW)、深层水团(BDW)和白令海陆架水团(BSW)。白令海温盐分布差异最大、年际变化最剧烈的情况主要集中在上层水团。对比4年水团分布情况,最明显的变化是2012年7月调查区上层海水温度偏低,2014年7月上层海水温度偏高。这种异常变化在热含量方面表现为:2012年7月调查区各个测站上的热含量异常低,而2014年7月测站上的热含量都高于平均水平。着重研究了2014年7月海温偏高的原因,认为是由于陆架和海盆区分别有两种不同的形成机制造成:陆架区累积净热通量偏高,海水吸收热量升温;海盆区在异常强大而持久的海面气压(SLP)高压系统下,海面负的风应力旋度得到加强,从而引起持续的暖平流输送及强烈的Ekman抽吸作用,最终导致了上层海水偏暖。     

Structure of the Fram Strait branch of the boundary current in the Eurasian Basin of the Arctic Ocean

Recent mooring-based observations at several locations along the continental slope of the Arctic Ocean's Eurasian Basin showed a transformation of the Boundary Current (BC) from a mostly barotropic flow in Fram Strait to a jet-like baroclinic current northeast of Svalbard, and the reemergence of the barotropic structure of the flow in the eastern Eurasian Basin. This transformation is accompanied by a weakening of the flow from ～24 cm/s in Fram Strait to ～5 cm/s at the Lomonosov Ridge. The maximum of the baroclinic component of the BC at an intermediate depth (～200–370 m) is associated with the Atlantic Water core. The depth range of the baroclinic current maximum is controlled by cross-slope density gradients above and below the baroclinic velocity maximum as follows from the geostrophic balance of forces. According to the model simulations, the BC splits into shallow and deep branches in the proximity of Svalbard due to a divergence of isobaths, confirming topographically-controlled BC behavior. The shallow branch is located at a shelf break with a typical bottom depth of ～200 m and current speed of up to ～24 cm/s. The discussed results, which provide insight on some basic aspects of the dynamics of the BC (the major oceanic heat source for the Arctic Ocean), may be of importance for understanding of the ocean's role in shaping the arctic climate system state.     

An ice drift series from the Fram Strait January-March 1992 based on ERS-1 SAR data

A time series of ERS-1 SAR images is used to estimate ice drift in the Fram Strait January-March 1992 (the ERS-1 mission first ice phase). The images all cover the same area. The sampling interval is three days. The paper shows examples of estimation of ice drift and divergence from this image time series. Divergence is an important quantity in order to estimate ice production and hence mixing of the ocean water masses.
A reference configuration of ice points is defined for each image. These ice points are identified in the successive image giving a set of point pairs. These point pairs are input for statistical analysis.
Upward looking sonars (ULS) and current meters are moored below the scene. A combination of the SAR derived dynamics and the ULS derived ice thickness series will give opportunities to estimate ice mass flux into the Greenland Sea, and to improve ice classification algorithms.     

Variability of the ice export through Fram Strait in 1993–98: the winter 1994/95 anomaly

The origin of the large positive anomaly of the Fram Strait sea ice export which occurred in winter 1994/95 is analysed on the basis of a model simulation of the Arctic sea ice cover over the period 1993-98. The overall intra-annual and interannual variability in the model is in good agreement with observational estimates and the 1994/95 anomaly is well reproduced with an amplitude amounting to half of the mean winter value. Model results suggest that, concomitant to anomalous export velocities, larger than usual ice thickness in the strait contributes to the outstanding amplitude of the anomaly. Analysis on the ice thickness evolution in the strait indicates that the thick ice advected in Fram Strait at the end of the fall of 1994 originates in the anomalous cyclonic wind stress which prevailed during the preceding summer. This anomalous wind stress resulted in persistent convergence of the ice flow against the northern coasts of Canada and Greenland and in the formation of a large thickness anomaly north of Greenland. The anomaly then feeds the Fram Strait ice flow during those following winter months when the local wind forcing in the strait favours ice drift from the north-west. Our results suggest that short-term wind stress variations resulting in local thickness changes to the north of Fram Strait can lead to substantial variability of the Fram Strait ice export.     

A method to reduce the influence of ice-rafted debris on a grain size record from northern Fram Strait, Arctic Ocean

The granulometric composition of terrigenous deep-sea sediments provides information on current speed if certain frame conditions are fulfilled. These include that current transport is the only transport process. At high latitudes this type of investigation is impaired due to the influence of ice-rafted debris (IRD) which contaminates the current-sorted grain size fractions. This study presents a new method that addresses this problem by setting the ice-rafted sand in relation to the silt of both current- and ice-transported origin. Deviations from the resulting regression function are then used to determine the behaviour of the silt mean grain size as a function of current speed largely independent from IRD bias. The study is based on sediments from the Yermak Plateau, Arctic Ocean, a region influenced by IRD brought with the south-headed Transpolar Drift and by north-directed bottom currents. The IRD correction results in displaying changes of current speed at much higher clarity; climate forcing of the currents becomes more evident. For example, the 8200 year cold event shows up as a major event in the corrected record whereas it is hardly visible in the original record.     

2014年夏季北极东北航道冰情分析

使用2003—2014年6—9月份的AMSR-E和AMSR-2海冰密集度数据计算了北极海冰范围, 并获得海冰空间分布图。通过分析得出, 2014年北极夏季海冰范围在数值上与2003—2013年的多年平均值很接近, 在空间分布上与多年中值范围相比主要表现为两个方面的不同：(1)2014年夏季拉普捷夫海及其以北海域海冰明显少于多年中值范围, 9月份冰区最北边界超过了85°N;(2)巴伦支海北部斯瓦尔巴群岛至法兰士约瑟夫地群岛区域海冰范围明显多于多年中值范围, 而且海冰范围在8月份不减反增, 冰区边界较7月份往南扩张了约0.8个纬度。2014年夏季在拉普捷夫海以南风为主, 而在巴伦支海以北风为主。南风将俄罗斯大陆上温暖的空气吹向高纬地区, 造成高纬地区温度偏高, 促进拉普捷夫海海冰融化, 并使海冰往北退缩。北风将北冰洋上的冷空气吹向低纬地区, 造成巴伦支海的气温偏低, 不利于海冰的融化, 同时北风使海冰往南漂移扩散, 造成巴伦支海北部海冰范围在2014年偏多。2014年北地群岛航线开通时间范围大约在8月上旬到10月上旬, 时长约两个月。新西伯利亚群岛及附近海域的开通时间稍早于北地群岛, 但关闭时间比北地群岛晚, 所以 2014年东北航道全线开通的时间主要受制于北地群岛附近海冰变化。     

Reconstruction of the starting time series of rainy season in Yunnan and the evolvement of summer monsoon during 1711–1982

According to the textual research into the historical documents dominated by ar-chives yearly, as well as the verification with several other kinds of data, the later or earlier starting time of the rainy seasons in Yunnan during 1711–1982 has been reconstructed. The analysis indicates that there are obvious fluctuations in the starting date of the rainy seasons in Yunnan in a year or years, and long fluctuation on the decadal scale. The rainy season comes earlier in the early 18th century, later in the 19th century and earlier again in the 20th century. This reflects to a certain degree the gradual change of the summer monsoon in Yunnan. There exists an obvious quasi-3 years cycle, which is related to El-Nino’s quasi-3 years cycle, and a 11.3-year cycle which is notably related to the 11-year cycle of the solar activity of starting date of the rainy seasons in Yunnan. Meanwhile, the dissertation finds that the El-Nino is very important to the starting date of the rainy seasons in Yunnan. The starting date of the rainy seasons in Yunnan often comes later or normally in the year of El-Nino. However, there is an obvious imperfect period in such influence, which in turn may mean that there is a certain fluctuation in the effect of ENSO on Asian summer monsoon.     

Seabirds in the Greenland, Barents and Norwegian Seas, February-April 1982

The pelagic distributions of seabirds in the Greenland, Norwegian and western Barents Seas are poorly known, especially in winter. This paper describes quantitative observations made in the course of an oceanographic cruise between 60°-79°13'N and 15°W-18°30'E from 25 February to 4 April 1982. Seabirds were generally scarce: the principal species were Fulmarus glacialis, Rissa tridactyla, Pagophila eburnea, Una spp. and Alle atle . Numbers were greatest in the south and east, where the sea surface temperatures were warmest. Pagophila eburnea and Cepphus grylle were most commonly seen near the edge of the pack-ice in the Greenland Sea. In the pack-ice zone Fulmarus glacialis and Alle alle were commonest where the sea surface was 40–60% covered with ice. These late-winter observations are compared with published accounts of summer distributions. Preliminary quantitative comparisons also suggest that the size of the population of Uria spp. wintering in the survey area, and especially in the western Barents Sea, is significantly larger than that which winters off Nova Scotia, eastern Canada; the reverse is true of Alle alle. R. G. B. Brown, Canadian Wildlife Service, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Boxlø06, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, B2Y 4A2 .     

Marine birds breeding in Penny Strait and Queens Channel, Nunavut, Canada

Surveys of breeding birds on small islands in Penny Strait and Queens Channel, Nunavut Territory, Canada, were conducted in July 2002 and 2003. Approximately 3600 marine birds were observed, with the most common species being Arctic terns ( Sterna paradisaea , N=2400) and common eiders ( Somateria mollissima borealis , N=620). We observed no Ross's gulls ( Rhodostethia rosed ) in either year, and we found ivory gulls ( Pagophila eburned ) only in 2003, even though these species commonly bred here in the 1970s. This previously unsurveyed region supports numerous breeding marine birds, but reproductive success on these small islands may be dependent on annual ice conditions and consequent movements of Arctic foxes ( Alopex lagopus ).