Beaufort Gyre Freshwater Experiment: Study of Freshwater Accumulation and Release Mechanism and the Role of Fresh Water in Arctic Climate Variability

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The primary goal of this research is to investigate basin-scale mechanisms that regulate freshwater content in the Arctic Ocean, and particularly in the Beaufort Gyre. The research addresses the hypothesis that the Gyre accumulates fresh water from various sources during periods of anticyclonic (clockwise) wind forcing the then releases this fresh water when the wind forcing weakens or reverses to a cyclonic (anticlockwise) direction. It is further hypothesized that this accumulation and release mechanism is responsible for observed salinity anomalies in the North Atlantic ocean, and for an observed decadal variability of the Arctic system. The research will collect new field data and will synthesize these with historical data and model results to test these hypotheses. Expected results include identification of links among fresh water accumulation, atmospheric, hydrologic, cryospheric and oceanographic processes, quantification of the relevant fresh water fluxes, and assessment of the controlling factors under global warming conditions. As an integrating mechanism, freshwater content of the Beaufort Gyre is expected to be a primary indicator of the Arctic Ocean response to climate change.