Decadal variability shown by the arctic ocean hydrochemical data and reproduced by an ice-ocean model

Abstract

The Arctic is experiencing a significant warming trend as well as a decadal oscillation. The atmospheric circulation represented by the Polar Vortex and the sea ice cover show decadal variabilities, while it has been difficult to reveal the decadal oscillation from the ocean interior. The recent distribution of Russian hydrochemical data collected from the Arctic Basin provides useful information on ocean interior variabilities. Silicate is used to provide the most valuable data for showing the boundary between the silicate-rich Pacific Water and the opposite Atlantic Water. Here, it is assumed that the silicate distribution receives minor influence from seasonal biological productivity and Siberian Rivers outflow. It shows a clear maximum around 100m depth in the Canada Basin, along with a vertical gradient below 100 m, which provides information on the vertical motion of the upper boundary of the Atlantic Water at a decadal time scale. The boundary shifts upward (downward), as realized by the silicate reduction (increase) at a fixed depth, responding to a more intense (weaker) Polar Vortex or a positive (negative) phase of the Arctic Oscillation. A coupled ice-ocean model is employed to reconstruct this decadal oscillation.