北极环极边界流研究及其主要科学问题

北极环极边界流是新近揭示的重要海洋现象 ,是对北冰洋海洋环流长期研究结果综合得到的概念。在本文中 ,详细介绍了北极环极边界流的主要结构和水团特征 ,论述了研究北极环极边界流的意义和前景 ,深入探讨了北极环极边界流面对的科学问题 ,指出了解决这些问题的关键科研工作。文章指出 ,从整体上研究北极环极边界流是非常重要的 ,需要全面考察北冰洋的质量和能量平衡、深层水通风过程以及水体的混合过程。在进一步的研究工作中需要更多的有针对性的现场观测、开展多学科协作研究。数值模拟仍然是北极环极边界流的重要研究手段 ,需要改善数值模式 ,提高数值模拟的质量。

RESEARCH PROGRESSES AND MAIN SCIENTIFIC ISSUES IN STUDIES FOR ARCTIC CIRCUMPOLAR BOUNDARY CURRENT

Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current (ACBC) is a newly revealed ocean phenomenon, which explains the flow route of Atlantic water in the Arctic Ocean and is a circulation around earth rotation axis. It is also a new concept on Arctic Ocean circulation concluded by past research results. In this paper, main route of ACBC and water masses structure in different regions in Arctic Ocean are reported according to the past research results. It seems that there is more knowledge about ACBC in Norwegian Sea, Barents Sea, and Fram Strait. Most part of the current is kept less understanding. The main scientific issues for ACBC are also proposed and discussed in this paper, which exhibit the prospect and significance of ACBC studies in Arctic changing processes. To consider ACBC as a whole system is quite important in understanding the basin scale circulation in Arctic Ocean, which will results in the studies in mass and energy balance, ventilation in deep water, and mixing between water masses. ACBC set up connection among varies ocean phenomena and physical processes. It is addressed that more in situ observations for ACBC are necessary, such as CTD and LADCP casts, moorings and samplings. As there is strong mixing during the flowing and the water mass occurs obvious change, multidisciplinary studies are needed to discover the details of ACBC, i.e. isotope tracer , chemical characteristics, and sediment analysis. Numeric modeling will still be an important tool in ACBC study. Present models need to be improved with more attention to the vertical sinking and higher resolution to better understand ACBC.