Intensification of the Atlantic Water supply to the Arctic Ocean through
Fram Strait induced by Arctic sea ice decline
Abstract
Substantial changes have occurred in the Arctic Ocean in the last
decades. Not only sea ice has retreated significantly, but also the
ocean at mid-depth showed a warming tendency. By using simulations we
identified a mechanism that intensifies the upward trend in ocean heat
supply to the Arctic Ocean through Fram Strait. The reduction in sea ice
export through Fram Strait induced by Arctic sea ice decline increases
the salinity in the Greenland Sea, which lowers the sea surface height
and strengthens the cyclonic gyre circulation in the Nordic Seas. The
Atlantic Water (AW) volume transport to the Nordics Seas and Arctic
Ocean is consequently strengthened. This enhances the warming trend of
the Arctic AW layer, potentially contributing to the “Atlantification”
of the Eurasian Basin. Therefore, the Nordic Seas can play the role of a
switchyard for the Arctic sea ice decline to influence the Arctic heat
budget at mid-depth.