Arctic Mixed Layer Dynamics

• Main Author: James H Morison
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Hayes; Makarov Basin; Lomonosov Ridge; makarov basin; Study of Environmental Arctic Change
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1035.6978; http://www.dtic.mil/get-tr-doc/pdf?AD%3DADA609740%26Location%3DU2%26doc%3DGetTRDoc.pdf

Award #: N00014-98-1-0037 LONG-TERM GOAL Our long-term goal is to understand the dynamic and thermodynamic processes causing changes in the upper Arctic Ocean. In light of recent changes in the upper ocean structure, our long-term goals are shifting partly toward a better understanding of large-scale changes and their connection to global scale forcing. OBJECTIVES Our long-term goals have taken on new significance considering recent changes in the Arctic Ocean. The results of several expeditions in the 1990's indicate the upper Arctic Ocean is increasingly dominated by the Atlantic Water. The salinity of the upper 200 m of the Makarov Basin has increased by over 2.5 o/oo. A warm core of Atlantic Water now lies over the Lomonosov Ridge and the halocline is thinning. Our immediate objectives are to determine the effect of shelf processes and their changes on the upper ocean properties, and we hope to determine if similar changes in ocean properties have occurred before. Having seen the scope of the change in the last decade and recognizing that many observational programs have been curtailed, we aim to develop a community wide program of long-term observations and modeling to understand the changes in the Arctic. On a smaller scale, and using our newly developed Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) tools, we aim to understand the effect of horizontal variability in stably stratified, under-ice boundary layers. APPROACH This grant is taking several approaches to understanding the changing Arctic environment. First we are examining the role of shelf processes and their effect on the upper ocean. To do this we are comparing U.S. and Russian data to results from a basin wide ice-ocean model. Second, this grant augments our efforts to develop the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH). This consists of organizing workshops, giving talks on SEARCH, and preparing the SEARCH Science Plan and related material. Finally, this grant funds the PI to supervise a graduate student, Mr. Dan Hayes, in analyzing data gathered ...