NOCS Computer Simulations Improving Understanding of Arctic Ocean Circulation
11.12.2009 - Water & Oceans, Ice & Snow, Other, Arctic
Scientists of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NCOS) have been using high-resolution computer simulations to get a better understanding of the inflow of warm water form the North Atlantic into the Arctic Ocean and how this affects ocean climate. The simulations, which have been corroborated by other long-term measurements and data, take into account the shape of the seabed and the influence of ice melting, precipitations, solar radiation and winds into account.
Through their simulations, the scientists examined three routes North Atlantic water takes when flowing into the Arctic Ocean: one delivering warm saline water through the Fram Strait, and two others bringing in cooled and freshened North Atlantic water into the Arctic Ocean via the Barents Sea. Most of the heat that entered the Arctic Ocean between 1989 and 2009 entered via the Fram Strait.
According to Dr. Yevgeny Aksenov from the NCOS, the study hopes to obtain "a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms driving ocean climate change." The warming of the Arctic has been taking place at an increasingly rapid pace since the early 1990's, which is important as changes in the Arctic Ocean can influence climate around the world.
