Impacts of Changed Ice-Ocean Stress on the North Atlantic Ocean: Role of Ocean Surface Currents

• Published in: Frontiers in Marine Science
• Main Authors: Yang Wu, Zhaomin Wang, Chengyan Liu
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021
• Subjects: ice-ocean stress; sea ice extent; Ekman pumping; Atlantic meridional overturning circulation; Labrador Sea; Nordic Seas; Science; Q; General. Including nature conservation; geographical distribution; QH1-199.5; Arctic; North Atlantic; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.628892; https://doaj.org/article/c734c4e3c5a04eac9ae938b8a3633d64

The importance of considering ocean surface currents in ice-ocean stress calculation in the North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic sea ice is investigated for the first time using a global coupled ocean-sea ice model. Considering ocean surface currents in ice-ocean stress calculation weakens the ocean surface stress and Ekman pumping by about 7.7 and 15% over the North Atlantic Ocean, respectively. It also significantly reduces the mechanical energy input to ageostrophic and geostrophic currents, and weakens the mean and eddy kinetic energy by reducing the energy conversion rates of baroclinic and barotropic pathways. Furthermore, the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the Nordic Seas MOC, and the North Atlantic subpolar gyre are found to be reduced considerably (by 14.3, 31.0, and 18.1%, respectively). The weakened AMOC leads to a 0.12 PW reduction in maximum northward ocean heat transport, resulting in a reduced surface heat loss and lower sea surface temperature over the North Atlantic Ocean. This reduction also leads to a shrink in sea ice extent and an attenuation of sea ice thickness. These findings highlight the importance of properly considering both the geostrophic and ageostrophic components of ocean surface currents in ice-ocean stress calculation on ocean circulation and climate studies.