OS Ocean Science OS Ocean Sci. 1812-0792 Copernicus Publications Göttingen, Germany 10.5194/os-6-219-2010 Heat in the Barents Sea: transport, storage, and surface fluxes Smedsrud L. H. 1 Ingvaldsen R. 1 2 Nilsen J. E. Ø. 1 3 Skagseth Ø. 1 2 Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen, Norway Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Centre, Bergen, Norway 11 02 2010 6 1 219 234 Copyright: © 2010 L. H. Smedsrud et al. 2010 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ This article is available from https://os.copernicus.org/articles/6/219/2010/os-6-219-2010.html The full text article is available as a PDF file from https://os.copernicus.org/articles/6/219/2010/os-6-219-2010.pdf

A column model is set up for the Barents Sea to explore sensitivity of surface fluxes and heat storage from varying ocean heat transport. Mean monthly ocean transport and atmospheric forcing are synthesised and force the simulations. Results show that by using updated ocean transports of heat and freshwater the vertical mean hydrographic seasonal cycle can be reproduced fairly well. <br><br> Our results indicate that the ~70 TW of heat transported to the Barents Sea by ocean currents is lost in the southern Barents Sea as latent, sensible, and long wave radiation, each contributing 23–39 TW to the total heat loss. Solar radiation adds 26 TW in the south, as there is no significant ice production. <br><br> The northern Barents Sea receives little ocean heat transport. This leads to a mixed layer at the freezing point during winter and significant ice production. There is little net surface heat loss annually in the north. The balance is achieved by a heat loss through long wave radiation all year, removing most of the summer solar heating. <br><br> During the last decade the Barents Sea has experienced an atmospheric warming and an increased ocean heat transport. The Barents Sea responds to such large changes by adjusting temperature and heat loss. Decreasing the ocean heat transport below 50 TW starts a transition towards Arctic conditions. The heat loss in the Barents Sea depend on the effective area for cooling, and an increased heat transport leads to a spreading of warm water further north.

 References Aagaard, K. and Carmack, E.: The role of Sea Ice and Other Fresh Water in the Arctic Circulation, J. Geophys. Res., 94, 14485–14489, 1989. Ådlandsvik, B.: The Polar Front in the Barents Sea, in preparation, 2010. Aksenov, Y., Bacon, S., Coward, A., and Nurser, A.: The North Atlantic inflow to the {Arctic Ocean}: High-resolution model study, J. Marine Syst., 79(1–2), 1–22, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2009.05.003">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2009.05.003</a>, 2010. Årthun, M. and Schrum, C.: Ocean surface heat flux variability in the Barents Sea, J. Marine Syst., submitted, 2010. Björk, G.: A One-Dimensional Time-Dependant Model for the Vertical Stratification of the Upper Arctic Ocean, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 19, 52–67, 1989. Björk, G.: The relation between ice deformation, oceanic heat flux, and the ice thickness distribution in the Arctic Ocean, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 18689–18698, 1997. Björk, G. and Söderkvist, J.: Dependence of the Arctic Ocean ice thickness distribution on the poleward energy flux in the atmosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 107(C10), 3173, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2000JC000723">https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JC000723</a>, 2002. Björk, G., Söderkvist, J., Winsor, P., Nikolopoulus, A., and Steele, M.: Return of the cold halocline layer to the Amundsen Basin in the Arctic Ocean: Implications for sea ice mass balance, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 1513, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2001GL014157">https://doi.org/10.1029/2001GL014157</a>, 2002. Blindheim, J.: Cascading of Barents Sea bottom water into the Norwegian Sea, Rapports et Proces-verbaux Réunions Conceil permanent International pour l'Exploration de la Mer, 226, 49–58, 1989. Børresen, J.&nbsp;A.: Wind Atlas for the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea, Tech. rep., The Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Norwegian University Press, ISBN 82-00-35276-5, 1987. Budgell, P.: Numerical simulation of ice–ocean variability in the Barents Sea region Towards dynamical downscaling, Ocean Dynam., 55(3–4), 370–387, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-005-0008-3, 2005. Dankers, R. and Middelkoop, H.: River discharge and freshwater runoff to the Barents Sea under present and future climate conditions, Climate Change, 87, 131–153, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-007-9349-x, 2008. Dickson, R., Osborn, T., Hurrell, J., Meincke, J., Blindheim, J., Ådlandsvik, B., Vinje, T., Alekseev, G., and Maslowski, W.: The Arctic Ocean Response to the North Atlantic Oscillation, J. Climate, 13, 2671–2696, 2000. Dickson, R., Rudels, B., Dye, S., Karcher, M., Meincke, J., and Yashayaev, I.: Current estimates of freshwater flux through Arctic and subarctic seas, Prog. Oceanogr., 73, 210–230, 2007. Drange, H., Gerdes, R., Gao, Y., Karcher, M., Kauker, F., and Bentsen, M.: Ocean general circulation modelling of the Nordic Seas, in: The Nordic Seas, An Integrated Perspective, edited by: Drange, H., Dokken, T., Furevik, T., Gerdes, R., and Berger, W., American Geophysical Union, Washington DC, 199–220, 2005. Eisenman, I., Untersteiner, N., and Wettlaufer, J.: On the reliability of simulated Arctic sea ice in global climate models, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L10501, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2007GL029914">https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL029914</a>, 2007. Furevik, T.: Annual and interannual variability of Atlantic Water temperatures in the Norwegian Seas: 1980–1996, Deep-Sea Res., 48, 383–404, 2001. Gammelsrød, T., Leikvin, Ø., Lien, V., Budgell, W., Loeng, H., and Maslowski, W.: Mass and heat transports in the {NE Barents Sea}: Observations and models, J. Marine Syst., 75, 56–69, https://doi.org/10.1016/j..marsys.2008.07.010, 2009. Gerdes, R., Karcher, M., Kauker, F., and Schauer, U.: Causes and development of repeated Arctic Ocean warming events, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30, 1980, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL018080">https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL018080</a>, 2003. Harms, I., Schrum, C., and Hatten, K.: Numerical sensitivity studies on the variability of climate-relevant processes in the Barents Sea, J. Geophys. Res., 110, C06002, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004JC002559, 2005. Ingvaldsen, R. and Gjøsæter, H.: Impact of climate variability, stock size and age composition on the spatial distribution of Barents Sea capelin, submitted, 2010. Ingvaldsen, R., Loeng, H., Ottersen, G., and Ådlandsvik, B.: Climate variability in the Barents Sea during the 20th century with focus on the 1990s, ICES Marine Science Symposia, 219, 160–168, 2003. Ingvaldsen, R., Asplin, L., and Loeng, H.: The seasonal cycle in the Atlantic transport to the Barents Sea during the years 1997–2001, Cont. Shelf Res., 24, 1015–1032, 2004. Karcher, M., Kulakov, M., Pivovarov, S., Schauer, U., Kauker, F., and Schlitzer, R.: Atlantic Water flow to the {Kara Sea}: Comparing model results with observations, in: Proceeding in Marine Science, Siberian River Run-off in the Kara Sea: Characterisation, Quantification, Variability and Environmental Significance, edited by: R.&nbsp;Stein, R., Fahl, K., Futterer, D., and Galimov, E., 47–69, 2003. Loeng, H.: Features of the physical oceanographic conditions of the Barents Sea, Polar Res, 10, 5–18, 1991. Loeng, H., Ozhigin, V., and Ådlandsvik, B.: Water fluxes through the Barents Sea, ICES J. Marine Sci., 54, 310–317, 1997. Maslowski, W., Marble, D., Walczowski, W., Schauer, U., Clement, J.&nbsp;L., and Semtner, A.&nbsp;J.: On climatological mass, heat, and salt transports through the Barents Sea and Fram Strait from a pan-{Arctic} ice-ocean model simulation, J. Geophys. Res., 109, C03032, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2001JC001039">https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JC001039</a>, 2004. Maykut, G.: Large scale heat exchange and ice production in the central Arctic, J. Geophys. Res., 87, 7971–7984, 1982. Montgomery, R.: Comments on seasonal variability of Florida Current - Niiler and Richardson, J. Marine Res., 32, 533–534, 1974. Mosby, H.: Water, salt and heat balance of the North Polar Sea and the of the Norwegian Sea, Geofysiske Publikasjoner (Geophysica Norvegica), 24, 289–313, 1962. Nilsen, J. E.&nbsp;Ø., Hátún, H., Mork, K.&nbsp;A., and Valdimarsson, H.: The NISE Dataset, Technical Report 08-01, Faroese Fisheries Laboratory, Box 3051, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, 2008. O'Dwyer, J., Kasajima, Y., and Nøst, O.: North Atlantic Water in the Barents Sea Opening, 1997 to 1999, Polar Res., 2, 209–216, 2001. Pavlov, V., Pavlova, O., and Korsnes, R.: Sea ice fluxes and drift trajectories from potential pollution sources, computed with a statistical sea ice model of the Arctic Ocean, J. Marine Syst., 48, 133–157, 2004. Rudels, B., Anderson, L., and Jones, E.: Formation and evolution of the surface mixed layer and halocline of the Arctic Ocean, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 8807–8821, 1996. Sandø, A.&nbsp;B., Nilsen, J. E.&nbsp;Ø., Gao, Y., and Lohmann, K.: The importance of Heat Transports and local Air–Sea Heat Fluxes to the Barents Sea Climate Variability, J. Geophys. Res., submitted, 2010. Schauer, U., Loeng, H., Rudels, B., Ozhigin, V., and Dieck, W.: Atlantic Water flow through the Barents and Kara Seas, Deep-Sea Res I, 49, 2281–2298, 2002. Schauer, U., Beszczynska-Möller, A., Walczowski, W., Fahrbach, E., Piechura, J., and Hansen, E.: Variation of Measured Heat Flow Through the Fram Strait Between 1997 and 2006, in: Arctic - Subarctic Ocean Fluxes, edited by Dickson, R., Meincke, J., and Rhines, P., Springer Verlag, 65–85, 2008. Serreze, M., Barrett, A., Slater, A., Woodgate, R.&nbsp;A., Aagaard, K., Lammers, R.&nbsp;B., Steele, M., and Moritz, R.: The large-scale freshwater cycle of the Arctic, J. Geophys. Res., 111, C11010, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2005JC003424">https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JC003424</a>, 2006. Serreze, M., Barrett, A., Slater, A., Steele, M., Zhang, J., and Trenberth, K.: The large-scale energy budget of the Arctic, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D11122, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2006JD008230">https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JD008230</a>, 2007. Simonsen, K. and Haugan, P.&nbsp;M.: Heat budgets for the Arctic Mediterranean and sea surface heat flux parameterizations for the Nordic Seas, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 6553–6576, 1996. Skagseth, Ø.: Recirculation of Atlantic Water in the western Barents Sea, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L11606, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2008GL033785">https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL033785</a>, 2008. Skagseth, Ø., Furevik, T., Ingvaldsen, R., Loeng, H., Mork, K., Orvik, K., and Ozhigin, V.: Volume and heat transport to the Arctic Ocean via the Norwegian and Barents Seas, in: Arctic – Subarctic Ocean Fluxes, edited by: Dickson, R., Meincke, J., and Rhines, P., Springer Verlag, 45–64, 2008. Skagseth, Ø., Drinkwater, K., and Terrile, E.: Wind-induced transport of the Norwegian Coastal Current in the Barents Sea, J. Geophys. Res., submitted, 2010. Sorteberg, A. and Kvingedal, B.: Atmospheric Forcing on the Barents Sea Winter Ice Extent, J. Climate, 19, 4772–4784, 2006. Vinje, T.: Anomalies and trends of sea-ice extent and atmospheric circulation in the Nordic Seas during the period 1865–1998, J. Climate, 14, 255–267, 2001. Walsh, J., Kattsov, V., Portis, D., and Meleshko, V.: Arctic Precipitation and Evaporation: Model Results and Observatinal Estimates, J. Climate, 11, 72–87, 1998. Zhang, X. and Zhang, J.: Heat and freshwater budgets and pathways in the Arctic Mediterranean in a coupled Ocean/Sea-ice Model, J. Oceanogr., 57, 207–234, 2001. Zhang, X., Sorteberg, A., Zhang, J., Gerdes, R., and Comiso, J.: Recent radical shifts of atmospheric circulations and rapid changes in Arctic climate system, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L22701, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2008GL035607">https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL035607</a>, 2008.