Wintertime warming of Arctic shelves in response to large-scale atmospheric circulation

Observations on the West Spitsbergen Shelf have shown that the dynamic response of the shelf to wind forcing has a profound effect on the heat content of the water. Hydrographic and atmospheric data have been analysed with respect to the relative importance of surface heat fluxes and advective proce...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical Research Letters
Main Authors: Cottier, Finlo, Nilsen, Frank, Inall, Mark, Gerland, S, Tverberg, Vigdis, Svendsen, Harald
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2007
Subjects:
KONGSFJORDEN
Geosciences
Multidisciplinary
WATER
FLUX
SEA
VARIABILITY
WEST SPITSBERGEN CURRENT
FJORD
SVALBARD
OCEAN
Arctic
Svalbard
Kongsfjord*
Kongsfjorden
Sea ice
Spitsbergen
Online Access:https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/893b0be1-c91d-471d-88e6-c7605ce235f5
https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL029948
Description
Summary:Observations on the West Spitsbergen Shelf have shown that the dynamic response of the shelf to wind forcing has a profound effect on the heat content of the water. Hydrographic and atmospheric data have been analysed with respect to the relative importance of surface heat fluxes and advective processes on ocean temperature. During the Arctic winter of 2005/06 periods of sustained along-shelf winds generated upwelling and cross-shelf exchange causing extensive flooding of the coastal waters with warm Atlantic Water from the West Spitsbergen Current. The winter temperature of the West Spitsbergen Shelf reverted to that typical of fall, interrupting the normal cycle of sea ice formation in the region.

Similar Items