The Eurasian Arctic Ocean along the MOSAiC drift in 2019–2020: An interdisciplinary perspective on physical properties and processes

The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC, 2019–2020), a year-long drift with the Arctic sea ice, has provided the scientific community with an unprecedented, multidisciplinary dataset from the Eurasian Arctic Ocean, covering high atmosphere to deep ocean acr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Elem Sci Anth
Main Authors: Schulz, Kirstin, Koenig, Zoe Charlotte, Muilwijk, Morven, Bauch, Dorotea, Hoppe, Clara J.M., Droste, Elise S., Hoppmann, Mario, Chamberlain, Emelia J., Laukert, Georgi, Stanton, Tim, Quintanilla-Zurita, Alejandra, Fer, Ilker, Heuzé, Céline, Karam, Salar, Mieruch-Schnülle, Sebastian, Baumann, Till Martin, Vredenborg, Myriel, Tippenhauer, Sandra, Granskog, Mats
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Polaroseanografi
Polar oceanography
Polhavet
Arctic ocean
VDP::Oseanografi: 452
VDP::Oceanography: 452
Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Yermak Plateau
Fram Strait
Nansen Basin
Polhav*
Sea ice
Yermak plateau
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3152683
https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2023.00114
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Summary:The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC, 2019–2020), a year-long drift with the Arctic sea ice, has provided the scientific community with an unprecedented, multidisciplinary dataset from the Eurasian Arctic Ocean, covering high atmosphere to deep ocean across all seasons. However, the heterogeneity of data and the superposition of spatial and temporal variability, intrinsic to a drift campaign, complicate the interpretation of observations. In this study, we have compiled a quality-controlled physical hydrographic dataset with best spatio-temporal coverage and derived core parameters, including the mixed layer depth, heat fluxes over key layers, and friction velocity. We provide a comprehensive and accessible overview of the ocean conditions encountered along the MOSAiC drift, discuss their interdisciplinary implications, and compare common ocean climatologies to these new data. Our results indicate that, for the most part, ocean variability was dominated by regional rather than seasonal signals, carrying potentially strong implications for ocean biogeochemistry, ecology, sea ice, and even atmospheric conditions. Near-surface ocean properties were strongly influenced by the relative position of sampling, within or outside the river-water influenced Transpolar Drift, and seasonal warming and meltwater input. Ventilation down to the Atlantic Water layer in the Nansen Basin allowed for a stronger connectivity between subsurface heat and the sea ice and surface ocean via elevated upward heat fluxes. The Yermak Plateau and Fram Strait regions were characterized by heterogeneous water mass distributions, energetic ocean currents, and stronger lateral gradients in surface water properties in frontal regions. Together with the presented results and core parameters, we offer context for interdisciplinary research, fostering an improved understanding of the complex, coupled Arctic System. publishedVersion

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