Sensitivity of the Arctic ocean to the Bering Strait inflow: a modeling study

Speaker: 
Borghild Ness
Seminar Date: 
11. November 2010 - 12:15 - 13:00
Location: 
Lecture room, ground floor, NERSC

Water from the Pacific Ocean flowing through the Bering Strait (BS) influences the heat and salt budget of the Arctic. With salinity between 31.4 and 32.9, it contributes with approximately 50% of the fresh water input to the Beaufort Gyre reservoir. The hydrography and transport of the inflow vary significantly throughout the year. Woodgate et al. (2010) suggested that warm water intrusions may act as a trigger for the onset of the seasonal melt of ice, as in the 2007 extreme event. In the current version of the TOPAZ system the BS inflow is simulated with a constant barotropic inflow and a mean seasonal hydrographic cycle. A modeling approach is adopted to understand the importance of the seasonal and inter-annual variability of the transport and the hydrography of the Bering Strait inflow for the Arctic ocean, and to evaluate the best alternative for the next TOPAZ reanalysis, which launch is scheduled in December.