The Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current
We present high?resolution simulations and observational data as evidence of a fast current flowing along the shelf break of the Siberian and Alaskan shelves in the Arctic Ocean. Thus far, the Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current (ACBC) has been seen as comprising two branches: the Fram Strait and Ba...
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ftsouthampton:oai:eprints.soton.ac.uk:202517 2023-08-27T04:06:39+02:00 The Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current Aksenov, Yevgeny Ivanov, Vladimir V. Nurser, A.J. George Bacon, Sheldon Polyakov, Igor V. Coward, Andrew C. Naveira Garabato, Alberto C. Beszczynska-Moeller, Agnieszka 2011-09 text https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/202517/ https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/202517/1/pdf en eng https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/202517/1/pdf Aksenov, Yevgeny, Ivanov, Vladimir V., Nurser, A.J. George, Bacon, Sheldon, Polyakov, Igor V., Coward, Andrew C., Naveira Garabato, Alberto C. and Beszczynska-Moeller, Agnieszka (2011) The Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current. Journal of Geophysical Research, 116 (C9), C09017. (doi:10.1029/2010JC006637 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010JC006637>). Article PeerReviewed 2011 ftsouthampton https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JC006637 2023-08-03T22:19:47Z We present high?resolution simulations and observational data as evidence of a fast current flowing along the shelf break of the Siberian and Alaskan shelves in the Arctic Ocean. Thus far, the Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current (ACBC) has been seen as comprising two branches: the Fram Strait and Barents Sea Branches (FSB and BSB, respectively). Here we describe a new third branch, the Arctic Shelf Break Branch (ASBB). We show that the forcing mechanism for the ASBB is a combination of buoyancy loss and non?local wind, creating high pressure upstream in the Barents Sea. The potential vorticity influx through the St. Anna Trough dictates the cyclonic direction of flow of the ASBB, which is the most energetic large?scale circulation structure in the Arctic Ocean. It plays a substantial role in transporting Arctic halocline waters and exhibits a robust seasonal cycle with a summer minimum and winter maximum. The simulations show the continuity of the FSB all the way around the Arctic shelves and the uninterrupted ASBB between the St. Anna Trough and the western Fram Strait. The BSB flows continuously along the Siberian shelf as far as the Chukchi Plateau, where it partly diverges from the continental slope into the ocean interior. The Alaskan Shelf break Current (ASC) is the analog of the ASBB in the Canadian Arctic. The ASC is forced by the local winds and high upstream pressure in Bering Strait, caused by the drop in sea surface height between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Bering Strait Chukchi Fram Strait University of Southampton: e-Prints Soton Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Bering Strait Pacific St. Anna Trough ENVELOPE(69.500,69.500,80.750,80.750) Journal of Geophysical Research 116 C9 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Southampton: e-Prints Soton |
op_collection_id |
ftsouthampton |
language |
English |
description |
We present high?resolution simulations and observational data as evidence of a fast current flowing along the shelf break of the Siberian and Alaskan shelves in the Arctic Ocean. Thus far, the Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current (ACBC) has been seen as comprising two branches: the Fram Strait and Barents Sea Branches (FSB and BSB, respectively). Here we describe a new third branch, the Arctic Shelf Break Branch (ASBB). We show that the forcing mechanism for the ASBB is a combination of buoyancy loss and non?local wind, creating high pressure upstream in the Barents Sea. The potential vorticity influx through the St. Anna Trough dictates the cyclonic direction of flow of the ASBB, which is the most energetic large?scale circulation structure in the Arctic Ocean. It plays a substantial role in transporting Arctic halocline waters and exhibits a robust seasonal cycle with a summer minimum and winter maximum. The simulations show the continuity of the FSB all the way around the Arctic shelves and the uninterrupted ASBB between the St. Anna Trough and the western Fram Strait. The BSB flows continuously along the Siberian shelf as far as the Chukchi Plateau, where it partly diverges from the continental slope into the ocean interior. The Alaskan Shelf break Current (ASC) is the analog of the ASBB in the Canadian Arctic. The ASC is forced by the local winds and high upstream pressure in Bering Strait, caused by the drop in sea surface height between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Aksenov, Yevgeny Ivanov, Vladimir V. Nurser, A.J. George Bacon, Sheldon Polyakov, Igor V. Coward, Andrew C. Naveira Garabato, Alberto C. Beszczynska-Moeller, Agnieszka |
spellingShingle |
Aksenov, Yevgeny Ivanov, Vladimir V. Nurser, A.J. George Bacon, Sheldon Polyakov, Igor V. Coward, Andrew C. Naveira Garabato, Alberto C. Beszczynska-Moeller, Agnieszka The Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current |
author_facet |
Aksenov, Yevgeny Ivanov, Vladimir V. Nurser, A.J. George Bacon, Sheldon Polyakov, Igor V. Coward, Andrew C. Naveira Garabato, Alberto C. Beszczynska-Moeller, Agnieszka |
author_sort |
Aksenov, Yevgeny |
title |
The Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current |
title_short |
The Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current |
title_full |
The Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current |
title_fullStr |
The Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current |
title_sort |
arctic circumpolar boundary current |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/202517/ https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/202517/1/pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(69.500,69.500,80.750,80.750) |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Bering Strait Pacific St. Anna Trough |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Bering Strait Pacific St. Anna Trough |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Bering Strait Chukchi Fram Strait |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Bering Strait Chukchi Fram Strait |
op_relation |
https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/202517/1/pdf Aksenov, Yevgeny, Ivanov, Vladimir V., Nurser, A.J. George, Bacon, Sheldon, Polyakov, Igor V., Coward, Andrew C., Naveira Garabato, Alberto C. and Beszczynska-Moeller, Agnieszka (2011) The Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current. Journal of Geophysical Research, 116 (C9), C09017. (doi:10.1029/2010JC006637 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010JC006637>). |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JC006637 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research |
container_volume |
116 |
container_issue |
C9 |
_version_ |
1775347497579839488 |