Water Masses Variability in Inner Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) During 2010–2020
Kongsfjorden is an Arctic fjord located in the Svalbard archipelago. Its hydrography is influenced by the warm and saline Atlantic Water (AW) in the West Spitsbergen Current and the cold and fresh Polar Water circulating on the shelf. We assess the so-called atlantification of Kongsfjorden in the 20...
Published in: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.741075 https://doaj.org/article/de01e8d89c83437baf474c1cca2a1f6c |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:de01e8d89c83437baf474c1cca2a1f6c |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:de01e8d89c83437baf474c1cca2a1f6c 2023-05-15T15:15:27+02:00 Water Masses Variability in Inner Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) During 2010–2020 Francesco De Rovere Leonardo Langone Katrin Schroeder Stefano Miserocchi Federico Giglio Stefano Aliani Jacopo Chiggiato 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.741075 https://doaj.org/article/de01e8d89c83437baf474c1cca2a1f6c EN eng Frontiers Media S.A. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.741075/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.741075 https://doaj.org/article/de01e8d89c83437baf474c1cca2a1f6c Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 9 (2022) atlantification Kongsfjorden Svalbard water masses characterisation temperature and salinity trends Atlantic water intrusion Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.741075 2022-12-31T07:37:37Z Kongsfjorden is an Arctic fjord located in the Svalbard archipelago. Its hydrography is influenced by the warm and saline Atlantic Water (AW) in the West Spitsbergen Current and the cold and fresh Polar Water circulating on the shelf. We assess the so-called atlantification of Kongsfjorden in the 2010–2020 decade by inspecting modifications in water properties and water masses variability through moored data and summer CTD surveys. Atlantification in this fjord has emerged as an increasing temperature and salinity, resulting from enhanced advection of Atlantic waters from the West Spitsbergen Current. The water column in inner Kongsfjorden warmed by 0.13°C/yr at 35 m and 0.06°C/yr at 85 m depth from 2010 to 2020, while salinity increased by 0.3 PSU. Depth-averaged temperatures have increased by 0.26°C/yr in the warmest months of the year, whereas they appear relatively stable in the coldest months. Both temperature and salinity present a linear regression change point in January 2017, with latter years featuring decreasing values. Highly diluted AW is found at the beginning of the decade, which give way to more and more pure AW in latter years, culminating in extensive intrusions in 2016 and 2017 determining the warmest and saltiest conditions over the decade in inner Kongsfjorden. Observations in the 2010–2020 decade confirm that Kongsfjorden has transitioned to an Atlantic-type fjord, featuring depleted sea ice conditions and rather regular shallow intrusions of AW in summer and frequently also in winter. Although single intrusions of AW are associated with dynamical events on the shelf, we found that the long-term temperature evolution in the inner Kongsfjord is consistent with the meridional temperature transport of the West Spitsbergen Current. The AW current flowing northward from lower latitudes along the western Svalbard archipelago thus has profoundly driven local conditions in the inner fjord in this decade. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Sea ice Svalbard Spitsbergen Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Kongsfjord ENVELOPE(29.319,29.319,70.721,70.721) Svalbard Svalbard Archipelago Frontiers in Marine Science 9 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
atlantification Kongsfjorden Svalbard water masses characterisation temperature and salinity trends Atlantic water intrusion Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
spellingShingle |
atlantification Kongsfjorden Svalbard water masses characterisation temperature and salinity trends Atlantic water intrusion Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 Francesco De Rovere Leonardo Langone Katrin Schroeder Stefano Miserocchi Federico Giglio Stefano Aliani Jacopo Chiggiato Water Masses Variability in Inner Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) During 2010–2020 |
topic_facet |
atlantification Kongsfjorden Svalbard water masses characterisation temperature and salinity trends Atlantic water intrusion Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
description |
Kongsfjorden is an Arctic fjord located in the Svalbard archipelago. Its hydrography is influenced by the warm and saline Atlantic Water (AW) in the West Spitsbergen Current and the cold and fresh Polar Water circulating on the shelf. We assess the so-called atlantification of Kongsfjorden in the 2010–2020 decade by inspecting modifications in water properties and water masses variability through moored data and summer CTD surveys. Atlantification in this fjord has emerged as an increasing temperature and salinity, resulting from enhanced advection of Atlantic waters from the West Spitsbergen Current. The water column in inner Kongsfjorden warmed by 0.13°C/yr at 35 m and 0.06°C/yr at 85 m depth from 2010 to 2020, while salinity increased by 0.3 PSU. Depth-averaged temperatures have increased by 0.26°C/yr in the warmest months of the year, whereas they appear relatively stable in the coldest months. Both temperature and salinity present a linear regression change point in January 2017, with latter years featuring decreasing values. Highly diluted AW is found at the beginning of the decade, which give way to more and more pure AW in latter years, culminating in extensive intrusions in 2016 and 2017 determining the warmest and saltiest conditions over the decade in inner Kongsfjorden. Observations in the 2010–2020 decade confirm that Kongsfjorden has transitioned to an Atlantic-type fjord, featuring depleted sea ice conditions and rather regular shallow intrusions of AW in summer and frequently also in winter. Although single intrusions of AW are associated with dynamical events on the shelf, we found that the long-term temperature evolution in the inner Kongsfjord is consistent with the meridional temperature transport of the West Spitsbergen Current. The AW current flowing northward from lower latitudes along the western Svalbard archipelago thus has profoundly driven local conditions in the inner fjord in this decade. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Francesco De Rovere Leonardo Langone Katrin Schroeder Stefano Miserocchi Federico Giglio Stefano Aliani Jacopo Chiggiato |
author_facet |
Francesco De Rovere Leonardo Langone Katrin Schroeder Stefano Miserocchi Federico Giglio Stefano Aliani Jacopo Chiggiato |
author_sort |
Francesco De Rovere |
title |
Water Masses Variability in Inner Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) During 2010–2020 |
title_short |
Water Masses Variability in Inner Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) During 2010–2020 |
title_full |
Water Masses Variability in Inner Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) During 2010–2020 |
title_fullStr |
Water Masses Variability in Inner Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) During 2010–2020 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Water Masses Variability in Inner Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) During 2010–2020 |
title_sort |
water masses variability in inner kongsfjorden (svalbard) during 2010–2020 |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.741075 https://doaj.org/article/de01e8d89c83437baf474c1cca2a1f6c |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(29.319,29.319,70.721,70.721) |
geographic |
Arctic Kongsfjord Svalbard Svalbard Archipelago |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Kongsfjord Svalbard Svalbard Archipelago |
genre |
Arctic Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Sea ice Svalbard Spitsbergen |
genre_facet |
Arctic Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Sea ice Svalbard Spitsbergen |
op_source |
Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 9 (2022) |
op_relation |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.741075/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.741075 https://doaj.org/article/de01e8d89c83437baf474c1cca2a1f6c |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.741075 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
container_volume |
9 |
_version_ |
1766345821977051136 |