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

本研究的主要目标是研究调节北冰洋淡水含量的盆地尺度机制，特别是在波弗特环流中。该研究提出了一个假设，即环流在反气旋（顺时针）风迫使期间从各种来源积累淡水，然后在风力减弱或逆转到气旋（逆时针）方向时释放这些淡水。进一步假设，这种积累和释放机制是观测到的北大西洋盐度异常和观测到的北极系统年代际变化的原因。该研究将收集新的现场数据，并将这些数据与历史数据和模型结果综合起来，以检验这些假设。预期结果包括确定淡水积累与大气、水文、冰冻圈和海洋学过程之间的联系，量化相关淡水通量，以及评估全球变暖条件下的控制因素。作为一种整合机制，波弗特环流的淡水含量有望成为北冰洋对气候变化响应的主要指标。

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.