Winter Arctic outflow winds cause upper ocean cooling and reoxygenation in a temperate Canadian fjord

• Main Authors: Jackson, J., Klymak, J., Holmes, K., Hannah, C., Hare, A., Bianucci, L., Floyd, B., Evans, W., Wan, D.
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Arctic; Climate change
• Online Access: https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5020413

Arctic outflow or gap winds in British Columbia bring cold air from the continent to the coastline through mountain passes. Using observational data and a 2-D model, we show that a February 2019 outflow event caused the 100 m in Bute Inlet (within the traditional territory of the Homalco Nation) to cool by as much as 1.9℃ and gain as much as 4.1 mLL -1 of oxygen. The impact of the outflow winds persisted for almost 1 year within the 1023 to 1023.5 kgm -3 isopycnal range. Atmospheric data from 1929 to 2022 and oceanographic data from 1951 to 2022 were examined and a statistically significant relationship between continental air temperature at Tatlayoko Lake and temperature and oxygen in Bute Inlet was observed. This local negative feedback that counters some of the effects of climate change could create a biological refugia as surrounding waters warm and lose oxygen at a faster rate.