The role of the Atlantic Water in multidecadal ocean variability in the Nordic and Barents Seas

Yashayaev, Igor; Seidov, Dan

doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2014.11.009

Cited by 87 publications

(97 citation statements)

References 74 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This is cold intermediate water that was horizontally transported (it did not appear in the upper layers) possibly coming from as far as Cape Farewell where tip-jet wind is known to cause cooling (Moore and Renfrew 2005). The time required for the water to travel from the southern tip of Greenland to the site at the speed of 5-10 cm s -1 was consistent with this conclusion (Yashayaev and Seidov 2015). The water properties in the vicinity of the L. pertusa are summarized in Fig.…”

Section: Physical Description Of the Areasupporting

confidence: 61%

“…This water is carried there by the Irminger Current, which is often associated or even combined with the West Greenland Current, but other than being partly and locally linked and sharing the same general direction, these flows have different origin, composition and location of their cores relative to the shelf break (e.g., Yashayaev 2007;Yashayaev et al 2007). Dullo et al (2008) associate the occurrence of L. pertusa in the northeast Atlantic with Atlantic Water, which is being carried to the Nordic Seas by various branches of the North Atlantic Current (Yashayaev and Seidov 2015). One of its branches forms the Irminger Current that takes warm saline water toward the Labrador Sea.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Water mass characteristics and associated fauna of a recently discovered Lophelia pertusa (Scleractinia: Anthozoa) reef in Greenlandic waters

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The first living sample of Lophelia pertusa from Greenlandic waters was inadvertently collected at 60.3675°, -48.45528°, entangled together with other corals to a seawater sampler and property sensor (CTD) package. We collected in situ photographs taken at two sites in the same area in order to determine whether a reef was present. We identified reef-like structures formed by living and dead L. pertusa at 886-932 m depth on a steep slope. We assembled and analyzed hydrographic data to characterize the reef environment in order to facilitate future localization of other reefs and predictions of the impacts of climate change. We showed that the reef was located in a layer of modified Atlantic Water of relatively stable bottom temperature (4.1-5.0°C) and salinity (34.90-34.98) with density slightly higher (27.62-27.71 kg m -3 ) than that reported for the occurrence of reefs in the northeast Atlantic, and in an area with exceptionally and persistently high currents of [15 cm s -1 at 1000 m. The intermediatedepth salinity maximum was found in the depth range where the corals were found. We discovered signals of consistent vertical and horizontal transports at 700-900 m over the reef area. Although this area is not directly influenced by intermediate and deep convection in the Labrador Sea, the seasonal evolution of near-bottom temperature, salinity and density for the 700-900 m depth range revealed strong seasonal patterns with both temperature and salinity reducing to their annual minimal values at the end of March and staying low for 1 month with an indication of a second minimum in June, 3 months later. The occurrence and temporal extent of these minima likely arose through a combination of local convection from the surface and advection of cooled and freshened waters at depth from the Irminger Sea. A diversified associated fauna was described; the short list of species compiled from our limited sample comprised species common in the area, as well as rare species, species new to Greenland, and species new to science.

show abstract

Section: Physical Description Of the Areasupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water mass characteristics and associated fauna of a recently discovered Lophelia pertusa (Scleractinia: Anthozoa) reef in Greenlandic waters

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, they emphasized the fact that the average does not account for a very complex situation, where some areas might even experience cooling episodes. They also found that multi-decadal variability of the ocean was more closely connected with the AMO than with the NAO, though the year to year changes of the AMO index were inversely correlated with those of the NAO (Yashayaev and Seidov, 2015). Note that the role of the AMO is not investigated in this paper since the AMO mainly helps to characterize the multi-decadal variability; the period we consider here is too short to allow such an analysis.…”

Section: Climate Change and Low-frequency Variability Of The Barents Seamentioning

confidence: 91%

“…In a study limited to the 100-150 m layer of the Barents Sea, Levitus et al (2009) also found that the multi-decadal variability was correlated with the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO), which is an indicator of the temperature of the Atlantic Water and consequently of the Atlantic inflow. More recently, Seidov et al (2015) analyzed the multidecadal variability of the ocean north of 60 • N and found that the waters were warming as a whole. However, they emphasized the fact that the average does not account for a very complex situation, where some areas might even experience cooling episodes.…”

Section: Climate Change and Low-frequency Variability Of The Barents Seamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The role of the Atlantic Water in multi-decadal ocean variability has been analyzed in depth by Yashayaev and Seidov (2015) from the World Ocean Database. They found that the temperature records revealed a warming trend and a series of relatively warm and cold periods, which lag the periods of relatively low or high NAO events with a delay of about 4-5 years (the inverse for the AMO).…”

Section: Climate Change and Low-frequency Variability Of The Barents Seamentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Barents Sea frontal zones and water masses variability (1980–2011)

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. The polar front separates the warm and saline Atlantic Water entering the southern Barents Sea from the cold and fresh Arctic Water located in the north. These water masses can mix together (mainly in the center of the Barents Sea), be cooled by the atmosphere and receive salt because of brine release; these processes generate dense water in winter, which then cascades into the Arctic Ocean to form the Arctic Intermediate Water. To study the interannual variability and evolution of the frontal zones and the corresponding variations of the water masses, we have merged data from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute and have built a new database, which covers the 1980-2011 period. The summer data were interpolated on a regular grid. A probability density function is used to show that the polar front splits into two branches east of 32 • E where the topographic constraint weakens. Two fronts can then be identified: the Northern Front is associated with strong salinity gradients and the Southern Front with temperature gradients. Both fronts enclose the denser Barents Sea Water. The interannual variability of the water masses is apparent in the observed data and is linked to that of the ice cover. The frontal zones variability is found by using data from a general circulation model. The link with the atmospheric variability, represented here by the Arctic Oscillation, is not clear. However, model results suggest that such a link could be validated if winter data were taken into account. A strong trend appears: the Atlantic Water (Arctic Water) occupies a larger (smaller) volume of the Barents Sea. This trend amplifies during the last decade and the model study suggests that this could be accompanied by a northwards displacement of the Southern Front in the eastern part of the Barents Sea. The results are less clear for the Northern Front. The observations show that the volume of the Barents Sea Water remains nearly unchanged, which suggests a northwards shift of the Northern Front to compensate for the northward shift of the Southern Front. Lastly, we noticed that the seasonal variability of the position of the front is small.

show abstract

On the flow of Atlantic water and temperature anomalies in the Nordic Seas toward the Arctic Ocean

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The climatic conditions over the Arctic Ocean are strongly influenced by the inflow of warm Atlantic water conveyed by the Norwegian Atlantic Slope Current (NwASC). Based on sea surface height (SSH) data from altimetry, we develop a simple dynamical measure of the NwASC transport to diagnose its spatio‐temporal variability. This supports a dynamical division of the NwASC into two flow regimes; the Svinøy Branch (SvB) in the southern Norwegian Sea, and the Fram Strait Branch (FSB) west of Spitsbergen. The SvB transport is well correlated with the SSH and atmospheric variability within the Nordic Seas, factors that also affect the inflow to the Barents Sea. In contrast, the FSB is influenced by regional atmospheric conditions around Svalbard and northern Barents Sea. Using a composite analysis, we further relate anomalous strong SvB flow events to temperature fluctuations along the core of Atlantic water. A warm composite anomaly is found to propagate northward, with a tendency to amplify enroute, after these events. A roughly 12 months delayed temperature signal is identified in the FSB. However, also in the Lofoten Basin interior a delayed temperature signal is found, which appears to originate from the NwASC. This study suggests that hydrographic anomalies both upstream from the North Atlantic, and locally generated in the Norwegian Sea, are important for the oceanic heat and salt transport that eventually enters into the Arctic.

show abstract

The role of the Atlantic Water in multidecadal ocean variability in the Nordic and Barents Seas

Cited by 87 publications

References 74 publications

Water mass characteristics and associated fauna of a recently discovered Lophelia pertusa (Scleractinia: Anthozoa) reef in Greenlandic waters

Water mass characteristics and associated fauna of a recently discovered Lophelia pertusa (Scleractinia: Anthozoa) reef in Greenlandic waters

The Barents Sea frontal zones and water masses variability (1980–2011)

On the flow of Atlantic water and temperature anomalies in the Nordic Seas toward the Arctic Ocean

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About