Episodic warming of near‐bottom waters under the Arctic sea ice on the central Laptev Sea shelf


Contact
Markus.Janout [ at ] awi.de

Abstract

A multiyear mooring record (2007-2014) and satellite imagery highlight the strong temperature variability and unique hydrographic nature of the Laptev Sea. This Arctic shelf is a key region for river discharge and sea ice formation and export and includes submarine permafrost and methane deposits, which emphasizes the need to understand the thermal variability near the seafloor. Recent years were characterized by early ice retreat and a warming near-shore environment. However, warming was not observed on the deeper shelf until year-round under-ice measurements recorded unprecedented warm near-bottom waters of +0.6°C in winter 2012/2013, just after the Arctic sea ice extent featured a record minimum. In the Laptev Sea, early ice retreat in 2012 combined with Lena River heat and solar radiation produced anomalously warm summer surface waters, which were vertically mixed, trapped in the pycnocline, and subsequently transferred toward the bottom until the water column cooled when brine rejection eroded stratification.



Item Type
Article
Authors
Divisions
Primary Division
Programs
Primary Topic
Publication Status
Published
Eprint ID
39291
DOI https://www.doi.org/10.1002/2015gl066565

Cite as
Janout, M. , Hölemann, J. , Juhls, B. , Krumpen, T. , Rabe, B. , Bauch, D. , Wegner, C. , Kassens, H. and Timokhov, L. (2016): Episodic warming of near‐bottom waters under the Arctic sea ice on the central Laptev Sea shelf , Geophysical Research Letters, 43 (1), pp. 264-272 . doi: https://www.doi.org/10.1002/2015gl066565


Download
[thumbnail of Janout_GRL2016_LaptevBottomWarming.pdf]
Preview
PDF
Janout_GRL2016_LaptevBottomWarming.pdf

Download (5MB) | Preview
Cite this document as:

Share


Citation

Geographical region

Research Platforms
N/A

Campaigns
N/A


Actions
Edit Item Edit Item