OS - recent papers

Thermohaline gradients and frontal regimes in the northwestern Tropical Atlantic

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Thermohaline gradients and frontal regimes in the northwestern Tropical Atlantic Dante C. Napolitano, Jonathan Gula, Solange Coadou-Chaventon, Sabrina Speich, Cesar B. Rocha, James C. McWilliams, Dongxiao Zhang, and Xavier Carton Ocean Sci., 22, 2425–2447, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2425-2026, 2026 The Amazon River plume interaction with the North Brazil Current creates sharp temperature-salinity differences called fronts that are important for modulating air-sea interactions and biogeochemical cycles. This study uses data from robotic sailboats and a numerical model to provide a comprehensive picture of these fronts associated with the local dynamics. We characterize three distinct frontal regimes and the temperature-salinity relations linked to the Amazon discharge and current strength.

Water mass modification of the warm Atlantic Inflow towards the Arctic across the Iceland-Faroe Ridge

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Water mass modification of the warm Atlantic Inflow towards the Arctic across the Iceland-Faroe Ridge Guðrið Eriksdóttir, Bogi Hansen, Karin Margretha H. Larsen, Steffen M. Olsen, Andrea M. U. Gierisch, and Sólveig Rósa Ólafsdóttir Ocean Sci., 22, 2405–2423, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2405-2026, 2026 The Atlantic inflow across the Iceland-Faroe Ridge carries almost half of the warm water towards the Arctic. This study explores the modifications of the Atlantic water on its way to and across this underwater ridge. While crossing the ridge, the water is strongly cooled and freshened, which can reduce the ability for deep-water formation. Understanding these processes is important for improving ocean and climate models so more realistic forecasts can be made in a warming climate.

Impact of mesoscale eddy parameterization on Arctic Atlantic Water circulation and heat transport in the eddy-permitting grey zone

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Impact of mesoscale eddy parameterization on Arctic Atlantic Water circulation and heat transport in the eddy-permitting grey zone Per Pemberton, Iréne Wåhlström, and Sam T. Fredriksson Ocean Sci., 22, 2375–2404, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2375-2026, 2026 Mesoscale ocean eddies (10–100 km) are crucial for transporting heat and salt in global circulation. While traditionally parameterized in ocean models, advances in computational power allow them to be partly resolved, questioning whether parameterizations should be used in this regime. We examine implications for Atlantic water circulation and heat transport to the Arctic, highlighting challenges in using – or omitting – mesoscale eddy parameterizations.

Sea surface salinity downscaling using deep generative diffusion models

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Sea surface salinity downscaling using deep generative diffusion models Enzo Forestier, Luther Ollier, Roy El Hourany, Jacqueline Boutin, Carlos Mejia, and Sylvie Thiria Ocean Sci., 22, 2357–2373, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2357-2026, 2026 This study evaluates deep generative diffusion models for downscaling sea surface salinity in the Gulf Stream. Using a reanalysis dataset as a controlled framework, it assesses the added value of high-resolution sea surface temperature and sea surface height as auxiliary constraints. The results show that diffusion-based reconstructions preserve plausible fine-scale variability, highlighting the method’s potential for future applications to satellite products.

Eddy kinetic energy and energy conversion rates along the Atlantic Water boundary current north of Svalbard

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Eddy kinetic energy and energy conversion rates along the Atlantic Water boundary current north of Svalbard Kjersti Kalhagen, Ilker Fer, Till M. Baumann, Jon Albretsen, and Lukas Frank Ocean Sci., 22, 2333–2355, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2333-2026, 2026 Warm Atlantic Water flowing eastward north of Svalbard loses heat faster than can be explained by cooling to the atmosphere and mixing alone. Using year-long mooring observations and an ocean model, we found that mesoscale variability and energy transfer into eddies are largest in autumn and winter, when the boundary current is also at its strongest and warmest. This mesoscale activity enhances lateral heat exchange and likely contributes to the observed cooling of Atlantic Water along its path.

Climate modes synergistically influence marine heatwaves in the North Sea

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Climate modes synergistically influence marine heatwaves in the North Sea Yuxin Lin, Zhiqiang Liu, Feng Zhou, Qicheng Meng, and Wenyan Zhang Ocean Sci., 22, 2287–2305, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2287-2026, 2026 Marine heatwaves, periods of unusually warm sea temperatures, are increasing worldwide. Using observed sea surface temperature data and statistical clustering, this study shows that the North Sea contains two regions with different seasonal responses to climate patterns. Winter heatwaves in the south are driven by regional circulation, while summer events in the north reflect Atlantic and Pacific influences. These insights can help improve regional forecasting.

North Atlantic response to a quasi-realistic Greenland meltwater forcing in eddy-rich EC-Earth3P-VHR hosing simulations

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

North Atlantic response to a quasi-realistic Greenland meltwater forcing in eddy-rich EC-Earth3P-VHR hosing simulations Eneko Martin-Martinez, Eduardo Moreno-Chamarro, Fraser William Goldsworth, Jin-Song von Storch, Cristina Arumi, Daria Kuznetsova, Saskia Loosveldt-Tomas, Pierre-Antoine Bretonnière, and Pablo Ortega Ocean Sci., 22, 2307–2331, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2307-2026, 2026 We investigate the impact of Greenland meltwaters on the ocean circulation and the North Atlantic region. To this end, we impose a quasi-realistic distribution of freshwater fluxes in a global climate model with 8-km horizontal resolution, much finer than the standard 100-km scale. The study reveals that the meltwaters disperse unevenly across the North Atlantic, guided by boundary currents and modulated by gradual changes in the large-scale circulation, which undergoes a progressive weakening.

Documenting the 2015–2017 freshening of the eastern Eurasian Basin of the Arctic Ocean and evaluating its drivers and consequences

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Documenting the 2015–2017 freshening of the eastern Eurasian Basin of the Arctic Ocean and evaluating its drivers and consequences Dolly More, Igor V. Polyakov, and Andrey V. Pnyushkov Ocean Sci., 22, 2267–2285, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2267-2026, 2026 The Arctic Ocean is changing fast, and river runoff plays a key role. Between 2015 and 2017, unusually large flows from Siberia’s Yenisey and Ob Rivers made the eastern Arctic much fresher. This stabilized the ocean, slowed currents, and reduced heat from below, allowing thicker sea ice to persist through summer. The study shows how bursts of river discharge can reshape the Arctic and help sea ice survive.

Bottom topography effects on the internal wave climate in the Ionian Sea

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Bottom topography effects on the internal wave climate in the Ionian Sea Florian Kokoszka, Stefania Sparnocchia, Davide Cavaliere, Vincenzo Artale, Mireno Borghini, Beatrice Giambenedetti, and Federico Falcini Ocean Sci., 22, 2249–2265, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2249-2026, 2026 The deep Ionian Sea strongly influences how the Mediterranean water masses circulate. By studying how internal waves interact with the seafloor, we found that rougher terrain changes how wave energy is spread out. Energy shifts from large to small scales, affecting deep water mixing. These findings help improve models of Mediterranean circulation by showing how seafloor shape impacts mixing in the deep sea.

The answer is blowing in the wind: seasonal hydrography and mixing of the inner sea of Tierra del Fuego, Southern Patagonia

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

The answer is blowing in the wind: seasonal hydrography and mixing of the inner sea of Tierra del Fuego, Southern Patagonia Manuel I. Castillo, Constanza Zuñiga, Carmen Barrios-Guzmán, Natalia Cisternas, José Garcés-Vargas, Mauricio F. Landaeta, Andrea Piñones, Marcela Rojas, Alicia I. Guerrero, and Maritza Sepúlveda Ocean Sci., 22, 2221–2247, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2221-2026, 2026 The study use Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD) measurement (including seals-borne CTD) to describe the seasonality of the stratification and mixing of one of the southernmost Fjords of Patagonia: The Almirantazgo Fjord. The region, typically tidal was indicated as the most important forcing for mixing the inner-sea of Tierra del Fuego, here the study shows that the persistent an episodic strong along-fjord winds could perturb the pynoclyne and rivals to the estuarine circulation.

Linking large-scale climate modes to local wave climate and storm surge: insights from a weather typing approach

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Linking large-scale climate modes to local wave climate and storm surge: insights from a weather typing approach Zehua Zhong, Hachem Kassem, Ivan D. Haigh, Dafni E. Sifnioti, Ye Liu, and Paula Camus Ocean Sci., 22, 2197–2220, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2197-2026, 2026 This work examines how large-scale climate modes affect waves and storm surges on the northeast coast of England. We combine weather types with a multivariate analysis of sea states. We find that the North Atlantic Oscillation and Scandinavian pattern influence local waves and surges by altering the occurrence probabilities of synoptic conditions associated with specific winds, storm locations, and pressure systems. Our results improve the understanding of climate impacts on coastal conditions.

Improving ocean bottom pressure fields using space gravity data in state estimation

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Improving ocean bottom pressure fields using space gravity data in state estimation Rui M. Ponte, E. Nishchitha S. Silva, Ou Wang, Ichiro Fukumori, and Mengnan Zhao Ocean Sci., 22, 2179–2196, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2179-2026, 2026 Ocean bottom pressure (pb) is a key variable for monitoring the ocean circulation, yet global space gravimetry observations offer limited coverage in space and time. Our work examines how to improve estimates of pb by optimally combining information in available data with an ocean circulation model. Results indicate that gravimetry data contain information complementary to that available in other ocean datasets and are thus important for determining variations in pb and related circulations.

TS-Cast: deep learning for subsurface ocean reconstruction from satellite observations in the northwestern Pacific

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

TS-Cast: deep learning for subsurface ocean reconstruction from satellite observations in the northwestern Pacific Jeong-Yeob Chae, Kathleen A. Donohue, and Jae-Hun Park Ocean Sci., 22, 2161–2177, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2161-2026, 2026 We introduce TS (Temperature-Salinity)-Cast, a novel deep neural network that reconstructs subsurface thermohaline structures from satellite observations. Validated against independent time-series data, TS-Cast achieves root mean squared errors of < 1 °C and < 0.1 psu in the upper 500 m of the Kuroshio Extension, comparable or surpassing data-assimilated numerical models. Critically, we demonstrate that the physical limitations of the input satellite data fundamentally constrain the model's predictive skill.

Filamentogenesis and Filamentolysis of a Low-Density Filament: Dynamic Processes in the Near-Surface Ocean Under Tidal Forcing

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Filamentogenesis and Filamentolysis of a Low-Density Filament: Dynamic Processes in the Near-Surface Ocean Under Tidal Forcing Michelle Albinus, Thomas H. Badewien, Lisa Gassen, Oliver Wurl, and Jens Meyerjürgens Ocean Sci., 22, 2143–2160, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2143-2026, 2026 This study reveals the structure and alteration of a narrow freshwater-driven ocean low-density filament and its evolution through tidal modulationa an dlocale filament kinematics. Using multi-platform in situ observations, it is shown that these submesoscale features can rapidly being altered and reshape in near-surface waters, influencing how energy and heat alter just below the ocean-atmosphere interface.

Wave-induced sediment resuspension potential in the Finnish Archipelago, Baltic Sea: integrating field measurements with large-scale numerical model simulations

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Wave-induced sediment resuspension potential in the Finnish Archipelago, Baltic Sea: integrating field measurements with large-scale numerical model simulations Jan-Victor Björkqvist, Mari Savela, Heidi Pettersson, Victor Alari, and Alf Norkko Ocean Sci., 22, 2123–2141, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2123-2026, 2026 Strong motions caused by surface waves can set the material at the bottom in motion. How strong the wave motions need to be depends on the bottom type, for example mud or sand. We estimated how often waves can lift particles from the bottom by comparing wave model results to sea floor samples in the laboratory. We included the effect of seasonal biological activity, which was found to be significant.

A T-DINEOF model for multiple oceanic variables reconstruction

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

A T-DINEOF model for multiple oceanic variables reconstruction Bo Ping, Ruiting Yang, Yunshan Meng, Fenzhen Su, and Cunjin Xue Ocean Sci., 22, 2101–2122, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2101-2026, 2026 Satellite observations are often incomplete due to cloud cover, resulting in missing ocean data. To address this, we developed T-DINEOF (Data Interpolating Empirical Orthogonal Function), a reconstruction method that simultaneously estimates sea surface temperature, chlorophyll concentration, and wind conditions by learning relationships among variables. Results show that T-DINEOF improves reconstruction accuracy, especially in regions with sparse data or weak correlations, providing more reliable ocean information for environmental monitoring.

A multidecadal sea level rise and its hiatus in the tropical Atlantic margin off northwest Africa

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

A multidecadal sea level rise and its hiatus in the tropical Atlantic margin off northwest Africa Hamed D. Ibrahim and Yunfang Sun Ocean Sci., 22, 2059–2081, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2059-2026, 2026 This study characterizes a multidecadal sea level rise and its pause in the tropical North Atlantic margin off northwest Africa hosting important marine fisheries. The pause in sea level rise is owing to temperature-driven seawater contraction that counteracted salt-driven expansion and mass accumulation. Currents originating elsewhere freshened the margin with low-salinity water, highlighting a multidecadal linkage between salinity and sea level anomalies in different North Atlantic regions.

A Digital Twin Ocean: can we improve coastal ocean forecasts using targeted marine autonomy?

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 21:24:18 +0200

A Digital Twin Ocean: can we improve coastal ocean forecasts using targeted marine autonomy? Dale Partridge, Deep Banerjee, David Ford, Ke Wang, Jozef Skákala, Juliane Wihsgott, Prathyush P. Menon, Susan Kay, Daniel Clewley, Andrea Rochner, Emma Sullivan, and Matthew Palmer Ocean Sci., 22, 2083–2100, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2083-2026, 2026 This study outlines the development and testing of a Digital Twin Ocean (DTO) framework, aimed at improving coastal ocean forecasts through the use of autonomous underwater gliders. A fleet of gliders were deployed in the western English Channel during August–September 2024 to collect measurements of temperature, salinity, chlorophyll and oxygen, aiming to track the movement of the harmful algal bloom Karenia mikimotoi.

The past evolution of marine heatwaves and their drivers in the southern North Sea

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:24:18 +0200

The past evolution of marine heatwaves and their drivers in the southern North Sea Tobias Schulzki, Franziska U. Schwarzkopf, and Arne Biastoch Ocean Sci., 22, 2027–2058, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-2027-2026, 2026 Marine heatwaves are periods of unusually warm ocean temperatures that can affect ecosystems and weather. In the North Sea, they have become more frequent over recent decades, but their peak intensity has decreased in many areas. Our results show that marine heatwaves depend on both short-term weather and longer seasonal to decadal variability. The local atmospheric conditions play a key role in the German Bight.

Dynamically downscaled future projections of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean across low to high emissions scenarios

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 21:24:18 +0200

Dynamically downscaled future projections of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean across low to high emissions scenarios Dongmin Kim, Andrew C. Ross, Sang-Ik Shin, Fabian A. Gomez, Jasmin G. John, Denis L. Volkov, Sang-Ki Lee, Michael A. Alexander, and Charles A. Stock Ocean Sci., 22, 1987–2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1987-2026, 2026 Using high-resolution Modular Ocean Model version 6, we projected Northwest Atlantic changes under four future emission scenarios. Results show a weakening Gulf Stream reduces upwelling, causing significant shelf warming and salinification. This also leads to dynamic sea-level rise along the US East Coast, particularly in the South Atlantic Bight, with critical implications for marine ecosystems and coastal risks.