Ice-tethered profiler measurements of dissolved oxygen under permanent ice cover in the Arctic Ocean

• Published in: Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology
• Main Authors: Timmermans, Mary-Louise, Krishfield, Richard A., Laney, Samuel R., Toole, John M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Meteorological Society 2010
• Subjects: Profilers; Ice shelves; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Arctic Sciences Section; ice pack; Ice Shelves; National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/1912/4165

Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2010. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 27 (2010): 1936-1949, doi:10.1175/2010JTECHO772.1. Four ice-tethered profilers (ITPs), deployed between 2006 and 2009, have provided year-round dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements from the surface mixed layer to 760-m depth under the permanent sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean. These ITPs drifted with the permanent ice pack and returned 2 one-way profiles per day of temperature, salinity, and DO. Long-term calibration drift of the oxygen sensor can be characterized and removed by referencing to recently calibrated ship DO observations on deep isotherms. Observed changes in the water column time series are due to both drift of the ITP into different water masses and seasonal variability, driven by both physical and biological processes within the water column. Several scientific examples are highlighted that demonstrate the considerable potential for sustained ITP-based DO measurements to better understand the Arctic Ocean circulation patterns and biogeochemical processes beneath the sea ice. The National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs Arctic Sciences Section under Awards ARC-0519899, ARC-0856479, and ARC-0806306 provided funding.