Interannual variability of dense shelf water salinities in the north-western Barents Sea

The maximum dense shelf water salinity formed during winter in the Svalbard Bank area of the north-western Barents Sea is reconstructed for the period 1952–2000 by analysing the transformation of summer remnants. The variability of 34.7 - 35.4, waters being at the freezing point, is mainly generated by interannual variations in the near surface salinity. On interannual time scales the latter is strongly linked to the sea ice import. In contrast, no correlation of the salinity of the Atlantic Water (AW) throughflow to the Arctic Ocean with the ice import is found. Salinities of both the dense shelf water site in the north-west Barents Sea and the north-eastward AW throughflow show a long term decrease, which can partly be explained by a less saline inflow of AW from the Norwegian Sea. The unusually low dense water salinities in the north-west Barents Sea during the 1990s appear to have a different origin, consistent with a response to oceanic heat advection and decreasing sea ice extent.     

Climatic and atmospheric teleconnection indices and western Arctic sea ice variability

This study examines the sea ice cover minima in the western Arctic in the context of several climatic mechanisms known to impact its variability. The September latitude of western Arctic sea ice is measured along 11 equally-spaced longitudes extending from 176º?W to 126º?W in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, 1953–2010. Indices of seasonal atmospheric and oceanic teleconnections and annual mean Northern Hemisphere temperatures (NHT) and CO₂ concentration are orthogonalized using rotated principal component analysis, forming predictors regressed onto the sea ice latitude data at each longitude using stepwise multiple linear regression. Prior to 1998, small amounts of September ice edge variance are explained by teleconnections such as the Arctic Dipole, Arctic Oscillation, and Pacific-North American Pattern. NHTs begin explaining large amounts of ice edge variance starting in 1998. For the 1953–2010 period, up to 68% of the ice edge variance is explained at 161°?W in the Chukchi Sea, mostly by NHTs. With the exception of the three easternmost longitudes (136–126°?W), the teleconnections and NHTs explain over 50% of the regional ice edge variance. Increases in both NHTs and ice retreat since the mid-1990s account for the large explained variances observed in regression analyses extending into recent years.     

南北极海冰变化及其影响因素的对比分析

海冰是海洋-大气交互系统的重要组成部分,与全球气候系统间存在灵敏的响应和反馈机制。本文选用欧洲空间局发布的1992—2008年海冰密集度数据分析了南北极海冰在时间和空间上的变化规律与趋势,并结合由美国环境预报中心(National Centers for Environmental Prediction,NCEP)和美国大气研究中心(National Center for Atmospheric Research, NCAR)联合制作的NCEP/NCAR气温数据和ENSO指数探讨了南北极海冰变化的影响因素。结果表明,北极海冰面积呈明显的减少趋势,其中夏季海冰最小月的减少更快。北冰洋中央海盆区、巴伦支海、喀拉海、巴芬湾和拉布拉多海的减少最明显。南极海冰面积呈微弱增加趋势,罗斯海、太平洋扇区和大西洋扇区的海冰增加。北极海冰面积与气温有显著的滞后1个月的负相关关系(P0.01)。北极升温显著,北冰洋中央海盆区、喀拉海、巴伦支海、巴芬湾和楚科奇海升温趋势最大,海冰减少很明显。南极在南大西洋、南太平洋呈降温趋势,海冰增加。北极海冰减少与39个月之后ONI的下降、40个月之后SOI的上升密切相关;南极海冰增加与7个月之后ONI的下降、6个月之后SOI的上升存在很好的响应关系。南北极海冰变化与三次ENSO的强暖与强冷事件有很好的对应关系。     

1979-2012年北极海冰范围年际和年代际变化分析

利用美国冰雪中心发布的海冰密集度数据,对1979—2012年北极海冰范围进行年际和年代际变化分析。结果表明:(1)海冰在秋季融化速度最快,其次为夏季、冬季、春季。2000年后春季下降速率变缓,而其他季节融化速度加快;(2)由于多年冰的融化,太平洋扇区在夏秋季节融化速度要高于其他海区。而大西洋扇区在冬季和春季海冰的融化速度要快于夏秋季节,主要是因为大西洋海温升高;(3)东半球在夏秋季节海冰融化的范围要大于西半球,因此东北航道比西北航道提前开通应用。而整个北极区域近几年春季融化速度变缓,则主要是西半球的作用;(4)从空间分布年代际变化来看,1989—1998年最接近气候态,1979—1988年密集度偏大区域主要在巴伦支海和东西伯利亚海,2009—2012年海冰密集度较常年显著偏小,东半球密集度减小幅度比西半球更大,尤其是冬春季在巴伦支海,夏秋季在楚科奇海。春季时由于风的作用,白令海附近海冰密集度异常偏大;(5)北极区域海冰范围在冬春季比夏秋季突变明显,基本在2003年前后,海冰范围变化周期为6年。     

Variability of the Northern Annular Mode's signature in winter sea ice concentration

Historical winter sea ice concentration data are used to examine the relation between the Northern Annular Mode (NAM) and the sea ice concentration in the Nordic seas over the past 50 years. The well known basic response pattern of a seesaw between the Labrador Sea and the Greenland, Iceland and Barents seas is being reproduced. However, the response is not robust in the Greenland and Iceland seas. There the observed variability has a more complex relationship with surface temperatures and winds. We divide the sea ice response into three spectral bands: high (P< year), band (515 year) filtered NAM indices. This division is motivated by the expected slow response of the ocean circulation which might play a significant role in the Greenland and Iceland seas. The response to the NAM is also examined separately for the periods before and after 1976 to identify variations due to the relocation of the northern centre of the North Atlantic Oscillation.     

近30年南极海冰的变化特征

采用NCEP的1973-2002年南极海冰密集度资料,对近30年南极海冰冰密集度的季节变化、年际变化及其与南极海冰涛动指数的长期变化关系进行了分析研究。结果表明,南极海冰的季节变化特点是海冰融化速度远大于凝结速度,而北极海冰融化速度与凝结速度基本相同。南极海冰存在着明显的年际变化,海冰面积指数呈增加趋势,年平均倾向率为28/10a。而北极海冰年际变化则相反,呈减少趋势,年平均面积指数的倾向率-3.5/10a。南极海冰涛动指数能代表南极地区近1/3的海水变化,是南极海冰变化的重要指数,具有10年、3-5年和2年左右的准振荡周期。     

Relationships between variations of the land–ocean–atmosphere system of northeastern Asia and northwestern North America

This study is a broad-scale synthesis of information on climate changes in two Arctic terrestrial regions, eastern Siberia and the Alaska–Yukon area of North America. Over the past 60 years (1951–2010), the trends of temperature and precipitation in the two regions are broadly similar in their seasonality. However, atmospheric advection influences the two regions differently during winter. The differential advective effects are much weaker in the other seasons. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation is the strongest correlator with interannual variability in the two regions, followed by the Arctic Oscillation and the El Niño/Southern Oscillation.Projected changes by the late 21st Century are qualitatively similar to the changes that have been ongoing over the past 60 years, although the rate of change increases modestly under mid-range forcing scenarios (e.g., the A1B scenario). The greatest warming is projected to occur farther north over the Arctic Ocean in response to sea ice loss. Precipitation is projected to increase by all models, although increases in evapotranspiration preclude conclusions about trends toward wetter or drier land surface conditions. A notable feature of the future climate simulations is a strong maximum of pressure decreases in the Bering Sea region, implying further advective changes.     

北极海冰快速减少期间加拿大海盆上层海洋夏季淡水含量变化

北极海冰近年来快速减少,北冰洋淡水含量也出现了急剧变化。加拿大海盆作为北冰洋淡水的主要存储区域,研究其淡水含量变化对于认识北冰洋淡水收支有重要意义。本文根据2003年、2008年中国北极考察以及2004年至2007年的加拿大考察数据进行计算,发现除2006年以外,夏季加拿大海盆淡水含量在此期间每年增加1m以上厚度。增加主要发生在冬季白令海水以上的上层海水中,而在此之下,淡水含量维持在3m左右,没有显著年际差异。在2006年,加拿大海盆西部上层淡水含量略微减少,但东部和北部海域淡水含量仍略有增加。与2003年相比,2008年加拿大海盆中心海区淡水含量增加量最高可达7m。分析表明,近年来的海冰减退对加拿大海盆上层淡水含量的增加起着重要作用,北极涛动(AO)正负相位变化也是控制其淡水含量变化的一个重要因素。而降水、径流以及白令海峡入流水的变化对加拿大海盆淡水含量变化影响较小。     

北极海冰与大气环流耦合主模态的时空特征分析

对1979—2009年月平均的CFSR（The Climate Forecast System Reanalysis）海冰密集度（SIC）和海平面气压（SLP）资料进行多变量经验正交函数分解（MV—EOF）,得出耦合主模态,并通过对温度、位势高度和风场的回归分析,进一步探寻海冰与大气环流的关系,第一模态SLP的特征为北极涛动（AO）,SIC呈离散的正负中心分布但大体为东西反位相,AO正位相时,喀拉海、拉普捷夫海、东西伯利亚海和鄂霍次克海海冰减少,巴芬湾、波弗特海、楚科奇海和白令海海冰增加。耦合第二模态的SLP呈偶极子分布,负、正异常中心在巴伦支海和波弗特海,SIC在巴伦支海,弗拉姆海峡,格陵兰海,拉布拉多海和白令海,鄂霍次克海地区有正异常,在喀拉海、拉普捷夫海、东西伯利亚海、楚科齐海和波弗特海为负异常。耦合第三模态SLP在冰岛地区存在负异常中心,在拉普捷夫海地区有正异常中心,SIC在巴伦支海北部、弗拉姆海峡、格陵兰海为负异常,其余地区全为正异常。 对SLP和SIC分别进行EOF分解,并与耦合模态进行比较,SLP的EOF主模态的时空分布与耦合模态中SLP的时空分布十分相似,SIC的EOF模态的时空分布则与耦合模态中SIC的时空分布有较大差别,说明耦合模态对SIC的分布影响较大,即大气环流对海冰分布的影响为主要的过程,海冰对大尺度的大气环流的模态的影响不明显。     

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。     

Dynamics of the last glaciation in eastern Svalbard as inferred from glacier-movement indicators

Glacial striae and other ice movement indicators such as roche moutonées, glacial erratics, till fabric and glaciotectonic deformation have been used to reconstruct the Late Weichselian ice movements in the region of eastern Svalbard and the northern Barents Sea. The ice movement pattern may be divided into three main phases: (1) a maximum phase when ice flowed out of a centre east or southeast of Kong Karls Land. At this time the southern part of Spitsbergen was overrun by glacial ice from the Barents Sea; (2) the phase of deglaciation of the Barents Sea Ice Sheet, when an ice cap was centred between Kong Karls Land and Nordaustlandet. At the same time ice flowed southwards along Storfjorden; and (3) the last phase of the Late Weichselian glaciation in eastern Svalbard is represented by local ice caps on Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet, Barentsoya and Edgeøya.
The reconstructed ice flow pattern during maximum glaciation is compatible with a centre of uplift in the northern Barents Sea as shown by isobase reconstructions and suggested by isostatic modelling.     

The onset of Pleistocene glaciation in the Barents Sea: implications for glacial isostatic adjustment

In this paper the effect of a delayed onset of glaciation in the Barents Sea on glacial isostatic adjustment is investigated. The model calculations solve the sea-level equation governing the total mass redistributions associated with the last glaciation cycle on a spherically symmetric, linear, Maxwell viscoelastic earth for two different scenarios for the growth phase of the Barents Sea ice sheet. In the first ice model a linear growing history is used for the Barents Sea ice sheet, which closely relates its development to the build-up of other major Late Pleistocene ice sheets. In the second ice model the accumulation of the Barents Sea ice sheet is restricted to the last 6 ka prior to the last glacial maximum.
The calculations predict relative sea levels, present-day radial velocities, and gravity anomalies for the area formerly covered by the Weichselian ice sheet. The results show that observed relative sea levels in the Barents Sea are appropriate for distinguishing between the different glaciation histories. In particular, present-day observables such as the free-air gravity anomaly over the Barents Sea, and the present-day radial velocities are sensitive to changes in the glaciation history on this scale.
A palaeobathymetry derived from relative sea-level predictions before the last glacial maximum based on the second ice model essentially agrees with a palaeobathymetry derived by Lambeck (1995). The additional emerged areas provide centres for the build-up of an ice sheet and thus support the theory of Hald, Danielsen & Lorentzen (1990) and Mangerud et al. (1992) that the Barents Sea was an essentially marine environment shortly before the last glacial maximum.     

Coordinated changes of sea ice over the Beaufort and Chukchi seas: regional and seasonal perspectives

One outstanding feature of the recent Arctic climate is the contrast of the changes of sea ice concentration and thickness between the Beaufort Sea and the Chukchi Sea. Since the Arctic Oscillation (AO) plays a critical role in driving Arctic sea ice changes and the Beaufort and Chukchi seas have been hypothesized as a region in which sea ice anomalies originate, we employed a coupled sea ice-ocean model and carried out simulations forced by the AO signal to examine sea ice changes in these regions, focusing on seasonality. With the AO phase transition from negative to positive, anticyclonic windstress weakens broadly in both winter and summer; however, the surface air temperature response shows remarkable seasonal dependence. Positive temperature anomalies spread over the entire domain in winter, while negative anomalies occur in the shelf seas in summer, although positive anomalies remain in the deep-water portion. The simulated sea ice concentration resembles the observed concentration. The strong seasonality of sea ice concentration changes suggests that accumulation of sea ice concentration in the Beaufort Sea and reduction in the Chukchi Sea are mainly produced in summer. Changes of ice thickness are robust through the seasonal cycle. Generally, sea ice dynamics play a critical role in creating the anomalous sea ice pattern and sea ice thermodynamics partially compensate the dynamically-driven changes. However, considerable seasonal differences occur.     

North Atlantic Water in the Barents Sea Opening, 1997 to 1999

North Atlantic Water (NAW) is an important source of heat and salt to the Nordic seas and the Arctic Ocean. To measure the transport and variability of one branch of NAW entering the Arctic, a transect across the entrance to the Barents Sea was occupied 13 times between July 1997 and November 1999, and hydrography and currents were measured. There is large variability between the cruises, but the mean currents and the hydrography show that the main inflow takes place in Bjørnøyrenna, with a transport of 1.6 Sv of NAW into the Barents Sea. Combining the flow field with measurements of temperature and salinity, this results in mean heat and salt transports by NAW into the Barents Sea of 3.9×10¹³ W and 5.7×10⁷ kg s⁻¹, respectively. The NAW core increased in temperature and salinity by 0.7 °C yr⁻¹ and 0.04 yr⁻¹, respectively, over the observation period. Variations in the transports of heat and salt are, however, dominated by the flow field, which did not exhibit a significant change.     

Climate states and variability of Arctic ice and water dynamics during 1946–1997

Recently observed changes in the Arctic have highlighted the need for a better understanding of Arctic dynamics. This research addresses that need and is also motivated by the recent finding of two regimes of Arctic ice - ocean wind-driven circulation. In this paper, we demonstrate that during 1946-1997 the Arctic environmental parameters have oscillated with a period of 10-15 years. Our results reveal significant differences among atmosphere, ice, and ocean processes during the anticyclonic and cyclonic regimes in the Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas. The oscillating behaviour of the Arctic Ocean we call the Arctic Ocean Oscillation (AOO). Based on existing data and results of numerical experiments, we conclude that during the anticyclonic circulation regime the prevailing processes lead to increases in atmospheric pressure, in ice concentration and ice thickness, river runoff, and surface water salinity - as well as to decreases in air temperature, wind speed, number of storms, precipitation, permafrost temperatures, coastal sea level, and surface water temperature. During the cyclonic circulation regime the prevailing processes lead to increased air and water temperatures, wind speed, number of storms,open water periods, and to decreases in ice thickness and ice concentration, river runoff, atmospheric pressure, and water salinity. The two-climate regime theory may help answer questions related to observed decadal variability of the Arctic Ocean and to reconcile the different conclusions among scientists who have analysed Arctic data obtained during different climate states.     

Modeling Arctic Ocean heat transport and warming episodes in the 20th century caused by the intruding Atlantic Water

This study investigates the Arctic Ocean warming episodes in the 20th century using both a high-resolution coupled global climate model and historical observations .The model,with no flux adjustment,reproduces well the Atlantic Water core temperature(AWCT) in the Arctic Ocean and shows that four largest decadal-scale warming episodes occurred in the 1930s,70s,80s,and 90s,in agreement with the hydrographic observational data.The difference is that there was no pre-warming prior to the 1930s episode,while there were two pre-warming episodes in the 1970s and 80s prior to the 1990s,leading the 1990s into the largest and prolonged warming in the 20th century.Over the last century,the simulated heat transport via Fram Strait and the Barents Sea was estimated to be,on average,31.32 TW and 14.82 TW,respectively,while the Bering Strait also provides 15.94 TW heat into the western Arctic Ocean.Heat transport into the Arctic Ocean by the Atlantic Water via Fram Strait and the Barents Sea correlates significantly with AWCT(C=0.75 ) at 0- lag.The modeled North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) index has a significant correlation with the heat transport(C=0.37).The observed AWCT has a significant correlation with both the modeled AWCT(C=0.49) and the heat transport(C=0.41). However,the modeled NAO index does not significantly correlate with either the observed AWCT(C=0.03) or modeled AWCT(C=0.16) at a zero-lag,indicating that the Arctic climate system is far more complex than expected.     

Photosynthesis-irradiance relationships in natural phytoplankton populations of the Barents Sea

An analysis is made of the photosynthesis-irradiance relationships in natural phytoplankton populations in the Barents Sea. The data set comprises 232 experiments carried out during a 10-year period, both in open and ice-covered waters. The variability on the P-I parameters is discussed and examined in relation to the variation in a variety of environmental conditions. The results suggest that in the Barents Sea, as in other Arctic areas, phytoplankton photosynthesis is mainly controlled by physical variables. However, control of the phytoplankton stock, i.e. by zooplankton grazing, seems also to have a considerable indirect influence on P-I parameters, especially after the spring bloom and the depletion of winter nutrients.     

A study of the climatic system in the Barents Sea

The climatic conditions in the Barents Sea are mainly determined by the influx of Atlantic Water. A homogeneous wind-driven numerical current model was used to calculate the fluctuations in the volume flux of Atlantic Water to the Barents Sea which are caused by local wind forcing. The study period is from 1970 to 86. When compared with observed variations in temperature, ice coverage, and air pressure, the results show remarkably good agreement between all three parameters. The climate system of the Barents Sea is discussed with emphasis on the interrelations and feedback mechanisms between air, sea, and ice.     

Sea ice algae in the White and Barents seas: composition and origin

To examine algae populations, three expeditions (in March 2001, April 2002 and February 2003) were conducted in the Guba Chupa (Chupa Estuary; north-western White Sea), and one cruise was carried out in the open part of the White Sea in April 2003 and in the northern part of the Barents Sea in July 2001. Sea ice algae and phytoplankton composition and abundance and the content of sediment traps under the land-fast ice in the White Sea and annual and multi-year pack ice in the Barents Sea were investigated. The community in land-fast sea ice was dominated by pennate diatoms and its composition was more closely related to that of the underlying sediments than was the community of the pack ice, which was dominated by flagellates, dinoflagellates and centric diatoms. Algae were far more abundant in land-fast ice: motile benthic and ice-benthic species found favourable conditions in the ice. The pack ice community was more closely related to that of the surrounding water. It originated from plankton incorporation during sea ice formation and during seawater flood events. An additional source for ice colonization may be multi-year ice. Algae may be released from the ice during brine drainage or sea ice melting. Many sea ice algae developed spores before the ice melt. These algae were observed in the above-bottom sediment traps all year around. Three possible fates of ice algae can be distinguished: 1) suspension in the water column, 2) sinking to the bottom and 3) ingestion by herbivores in the ice, at the ice-water interface or in the water column.