Atlantic Water flow through Fram Strait to the Arctic Ocean measured by repeated glider transects

Dundas, Vår; Fer, Ilker

doi:10.5194/os-22-1003-2026

Articles | Volume 22, issue 2

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1003-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Special issue:

Advances in ocean science from underwater gliders

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1003-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 22, issue 2

Research article

|

25 Mar 2026

Research article |

| 25 Mar 2026

Atlantic Water flow through Fram Strait to the Arctic Ocean measured by repeated glider transects

Vår Dundas and Ilker Fer

Data sets

Physical oceanography data from Seaglider missions west of Svalbard, October 2020–February 2023 [dataset] Ilker Fer et al. https://doi.org/10.21335/NMDC-1222822416

E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information (CMEMS), Marine Data Store (MDS) Global Ocean Gridded L4 Sea Surface Heights And Derived Variables Reprocessed 1993 Ongoing https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00148

ERA5 hourly data on single levels from 1940 to present H. Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.adbb2d47

Model code and software

GliderToolsCommunity/GliderTools: v2021.05.26 J. Busecke et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4815417

Short summary

We used ocean gliders to measure separate circulation branches of warm Atlantic water flowing into the Arctic through a key passage west of Svalbard. Over three years, gliders revealed that two main current branches together carry about five million m³ s^-1 northward, with large variations linked to wind patterns. These currents influence Arctic ice and climate. Our study shows gliders can capture changes missed by traditional methods, and year-round missions are needed for a complete picture.