Articles | Volume 20, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-981-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-981-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
13 Aug 2024
Research article |
| 13 Aug 2024
| 13 Aug 2024
An emerging pathway of Atlantic Water to the Barents Sea through the Svalbard Archipelago: drivers and variability
Department of Arctic Geophysics, University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
Ragnheid Skogseth
Department of Arctic Geophysics, University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
Till M. Baumann
Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen, Norway
Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway
Eva Falck
Department of Arctic Geophysics, University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
Ilker Fer
Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen, Norway
Department of Arctic Geophysics, University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2854, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2854, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Ocean Science (OS).
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Thirty years of in-situ hydrographic measurements combined with satellite observations reveal that Atlantic Water flowing northward along Norway is cooling less than before. We find that reduced surface heat loss and faster advection are likely drivers, though their relative effect varies over time. These changes result in more ocean heat reaching the Arctic, with likely impacts on climate, sea ice, and marine ecosystems.
Lukas Frank, Jon Albretsen, Ragnheid Skogseth, Frank Nilsen, and Marius Opsanger Jonassen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1721, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1721, 2025
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West of Svalbard, warm Atlantic Water frequently deviates from the West Spitsbergen Current onto shallow shelf areas, with significant implications for the regional climate system. The intrusions can be triggered by different processes, but their depths ultimately depend on the density difference between the intruding and the ambient shelf water. These findings are an important step toward a better understanding of how warm Atlantic Water eventually reaches the fjords of Svalbard.
Gillian Mary Damerell, Anthony Bosse, and Ilker Fer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-433, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-433, 2025
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The Lofoten Vortex is an unusual feature in the ocean: a permanent eddy which doesn’t dissipate as most eddies do. We have long thought that other eddies must merge into the Vortex in order to maintain its heat content and energetics, but such mergers are very difficult to observe due to their transient, unpredictable nature. For the first time, we have observed a merger using an ocean glider and high resolution satellite data and can document how the merger affects the properties of the Vortex.
Eivind H. Kolås, Ilker Fer, and Till M. Baumann
Ocean Sci., 20, 895–916, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-895-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-895-2024, 2024
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In the northwestern Barents Sea, we study the Barents Sea Polar Front formed by Atlantic Water meeting Polar Water. Analyses of ship and glider data from October 2020 to February 2021 show a density front with warm, salty water intruding under cold, fresh water. Short-term variability is linked to tidal currents and mesoscale eddies, influencing front position, density slopes and water mass transformation. Despite seasonal changes in the upper layers, the front remains stable below 100 m depth.
Ivan Kuznetsov, Benjamin Rabe, Alexey Androsov, Ying-Chih Fang, Mario Hoppmann, Alejandra Quintanilla-Zurita, Sven Harig, Sandra Tippenhauer, Kirstin Schulz, Volker Mohrholz, Ilker Fer, Vera Fofonova, and Markus Janout
Ocean Sci., 20, 759–777, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-759-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-759-2024, 2024
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Our research introduces a tool for dynamically mapping the Arctic Ocean using data from the MOSAiC experiment. Incorporating extensive data into a model clarifies the ocean's structure and movement. Our findings on temperature, salinity, and currents reveal how water layers mix and identify areas of intense water movement. This enhances understanding of Arctic Ocean dynamics and supports climate impact studies. Our work is vital for comprehending this key region in global climate science.
Eivind H. Kolås, Tore Mo-Bjørkelund, and Ilker Fer
Ocean Sci., 18, 389–400, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-389-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-389-2022, 2022
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A turbulence instrument was installed on a light autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and deployed in the Barents Sea in February 2021. We present the data quality and discuss limitations when measuring turbulence from the AUV. AUV vibrations contaminate the turbulence measurements, yet the measurements were sufficiently cleaned when the AUV operated in turbulent environments. In quiescent environments the noise from the AUV became relatively large, making the turbulence measurements unreliable.
Johannes S. Dugstad, Pål Erik Isachsen, and Ilker Fer
Ocean Sci., 17, 651–674, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-651-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-651-2021, 2021
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We quantify the mesoscale eddy field in the Lofoten Basin using Lagrangian model trajectories and aim to estimate the relative importance of eddies compared to the ambient flow in transporting warm Atlantic Water to the Lofoten Basin as well as modifying it. Water properties are largely changed in eddies compared to the ambient flow. However, only a relatively small fraction of eddies is detected in the basin. The ambient flow therefore dominates the heat transport to the Lofoten Basin.
Zoe Koenig, Eivind H. Kolås, and Ilker Fer
Ocean Sci., 17, 365–381, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-365-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-365-2021, 2021
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The Arctic Ocean is a major sink for heat and salt for the global ocean. Ocean mixing contributes to this sink by mixing the Atlantic and Pacific waters with surrounding waters. We investigate the drivers of ocean mixing north of Svalbard based on observations collected during two research cruises in 2018 as part of the Nansen Legacy project. We found that wind and tidal forcing are the main drivers and that 1 % of the Atlantic Water heat loss can be attributed to vertical turbulent mixing.
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Short summary
Atlantic water (AW) is a key driver of change in the Barents Sea. We studied an emerging pathway through the Svalbard Archipelago that allows AW to enter the Barents Sea. We found that the Atlantic sector near the study site has warmed over the past 2 decades; that Atlantic-origin waters intermittently enter the Barents Sea through the aforementioned pathway; and that heat transport is driven by tides, wind events, and variations in the upstream current system.
Atlantic water (AW) is a key driver of change in the Barents Sea. We studied an emerging pathway...
