Arctic Mixed Layer Dynamics

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Morison, James H
Other Authors: WASHINGTON UNIV SEATTLE POLAR SCIENCE CENTER
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 2000
Subjects:
Physical and Dynamic Oceanography
*ARCTIC OCEAN
*DYNAMICS
*MIXED LAYER(MARINE)
*THERMODYNAMICS
ARCTIC REGIONS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BASINS(GEOGRAPHIC)
BOUNDARY LAYER
OCEAN MODELS
SALINITY
UNDERWATER VEHICLES
AUV(AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLES)
SEARCH(STUDY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ARCTIC CHANGE)
SHEBA(SURFACE HEAT BALANCE OF THE ARCTIC OCEAN)
Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Makarov Basin
Lomonosov Ridge
makarov basin
Study of Environmental Arctic Change
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA609740
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA609740
Description
Summary: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. 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.

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