In the last 30 years, the Arctic has lost ~ 75% of its summer sea ice
volume. This dramatic change is driven (it is thought) by a host of
atmospheric and oceanic drivers. From the ocean side, both the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans have influence on the Arctic - Atlantic
waters entering through the Fram Strait and Barents Sea, and the fresher
(and seasonally warmer) Pacific waters entering through the Bering
Strait, a narrow (85km), shallow (50m) passage between the USA and
Russia. Though this Pacific inflow (1Sv) is smaller than the net
Atlantic inflow (~3-7Sv, depending on whom you ask), it is found to have
a clear influence on the melt back of sea ice in the western Arctic.
Year-round mooring observations in the Bering Strait show significant
flow increase and warming since the 1990s, the only Arctic gateway to
show significant trends. But what drives the Bering Strait flow in the
first place? And what is causing the recent changes? And why (polar
bears aside) should you care about a small strait on the other side of
the world anyhow? Starting from an overview of key Arctic Oceanography
and recent Arctic Change, we will move to addressing the 60-yr old
riddle of what drives the Pacific Inflow to the Arctic Ocean.
Date:
Friday 8 March 2019 - 11:00 to 12:00
Location:
NOC Southampton - Henry Charnock Lecture Theatre (Waterfront Campus).
Speaker:
Rebecca Woodgate
Seminar category:
POC seminars