Numerical investigations of the hydrography, dynamics, and ice distributions of Chukchi Sea shelf
Dissertation (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2019 Warm, moderately salty Bering Sea Water (BSW) carried into the Chukchi Sea through Bering Strait provides an oceanic heat flux for melting sea ice comparable to that of the solar heat flux. Intrusions of BSW transport heat and nutrients via i...
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ftunivalaska:oai:scholarworks.alaska.edu:11122/10628 2023-05-15T15:43:59+02:00 Numerical investigations of the hydrography, dynamics, and ice distributions of Chukchi Sea shelf Lu, Kofan Danielson, Seth Weingartner, Thomas Hedstrom, Kate Shimada, Koji Winsor, Peter 2019-08 http://hdl.handle.net/11122/10628 en_US eng http://hdl.handle.net/11122/10628 Department of Oceanography sea ice Chukchi Sea hydrology Dissertation phd 2019 ftunivalaska 2023-02-23T21:37:32Z Dissertation (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2019 Warm, moderately salty Bering Sea Water (BSW) carried into the Chukchi Sea through Bering Strait provides an oceanic heat flux for melting sea ice comparable to that of the solar heat flux. Intrusions of BSW transport heat and nutrients via intrapycnocline eddies vertically beneath the sea ice and laterally across structural fronts near the ice edge, setting up hydrographic features important to ice edge communities and the seasonal evolution of the ice melt-back. However, the intrapycnocline eddy dynamics and associated hydrography near the fronts have not previously been well described or characterized. Three numerical models using the Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) are integrated to systematically investigate the importance of the intrapycnocline eddy field and the factors that affect its dynamics. The models suggest that the heat transported by eddies depends on frontal stratification, which is influenced primarily by the Bering Strait inflow discharge and salinity. The eddy field is also indirectly modified by the sea surface height, which varies with strong winds. Two frontal zones near the ice edge are identified according to the model-derived hydrographic structures and eddy dynamics: the Shelf Water Transition Zone (SWTZ) and the Melt Water Transition Zone (MWTZ). Improved understanding of these frontal zones will benefit future research of the ice edge ecosystem. Our models show a noticeable effect of strong wind events on ice edge displacement and vertical transports, both of which may be important to primary production in the frontal zones. Changing winds associated with increasing sea surface temperatures could alter the manifestation of the processes highlighted in this study. BOEM, US Dept. of Interior, and ConocoPhillips Alaska Company, Shell Exploration and Production Company, and Statoil USA E+P, Inc Introduction -- Chapter 1. Lateral mixing across ice meltwater fronts of the Chukchi Sea shelf -- Chapter 2. Assessing the role ... Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis Bering Sea Bering Strait Chukchi Chukchi Sea Sea ice Alaska University of Alaska: ScholarWorks@UA Bering Sea Bering Strait Chukchi Sea Fairbanks |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Alaska: ScholarWorks@UA |
op_collection_id |
ftunivalaska |
language |
English |
topic |
sea ice Chukchi Sea hydrology |
spellingShingle |
sea ice Chukchi Sea hydrology Lu, Kofan Numerical investigations of the hydrography, dynamics, and ice distributions of Chukchi Sea shelf |
topic_facet |
sea ice Chukchi Sea hydrology |
description |
Dissertation (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2019 Warm, moderately salty Bering Sea Water (BSW) carried into the Chukchi Sea through Bering Strait provides an oceanic heat flux for melting sea ice comparable to that of the solar heat flux. Intrusions of BSW transport heat and nutrients via intrapycnocline eddies vertically beneath the sea ice and laterally across structural fronts near the ice edge, setting up hydrographic features important to ice edge communities and the seasonal evolution of the ice melt-back. However, the intrapycnocline eddy dynamics and associated hydrography near the fronts have not previously been well described or characterized. Three numerical models using the Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) are integrated to systematically investigate the importance of the intrapycnocline eddy field and the factors that affect its dynamics. The models suggest that the heat transported by eddies depends on frontal stratification, which is influenced primarily by the Bering Strait inflow discharge and salinity. The eddy field is also indirectly modified by the sea surface height, which varies with strong winds. Two frontal zones near the ice edge are identified according to the model-derived hydrographic structures and eddy dynamics: the Shelf Water Transition Zone (SWTZ) and the Melt Water Transition Zone (MWTZ). Improved understanding of these frontal zones will benefit future research of the ice edge ecosystem. Our models show a noticeable effect of strong wind events on ice edge displacement and vertical transports, both of which may be important to primary production in the frontal zones. Changing winds associated with increasing sea surface temperatures could alter the manifestation of the processes highlighted in this study. BOEM, US Dept. of Interior, and ConocoPhillips Alaska Company, Shell Exploration and Production Company, and Statoil USA E+P, Inc Introduction -- Chapter 1. Lateral mixing across ice meltwater fronts of the Chukchi Sea shelf -- Chapter 2. Assessing the role ... |
author2 |
Danielson, Seth Weingartner, Thomas Hedstrom, Kate Shimada, Koji Winsor, Peter |
format |
Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
author |
Lu, Kofan |
author_facet |
Lu, Kofan |
author_sort |
Lu, Kofan |
title |
Numerical investigations of the hydrography, dynamics, and ice distributions of Chukchi Sea shelf |
title_short |
Numerical investigations of the hydrography, dynamics, and ice distributions of Chukchi Sea shelf |
title_full |
Numerical investigations of the hydrography, dynamics, and ice distributions of Chukchi Sea shelf |
title_fullStr |
Numerical investigations of the hydrography, dynamics, and ice distributions of Chukchi Sea shelf |
title_full_unstemmed |
Numerical investigations of the hydrography, dynamics, and ice distributions of Chukchi Sea shelf |
title_sort |
numerical investigations of the hydrography, dynamics, and ice distributions of chukchi sea shelf |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/10628 |
geographic |
Bering Sea Bering Strait Chukchi Sea Fairbanks |
geographic_facet |
Bering Sea Bering Strait Chukchi Sea Fairbanks |
genre |
Bering Sea Bering Strait Chukchi Chukchi Sea Sea ice Alaska |
genre_facet |
Bering Sea Bering Strait Chukchi Chukchi Sea Sea ice Alaska |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/10628 Department of Oceanography |
_version_ |
1766378204372664320 |