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The Arctic Ocean: Physical Processes and their Effects on Climate and the Ecosystem
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On the Nature of Wind-Forced Upwelling in Barrow Canyon
Wednesday 9th @ 1510-1530, Conference Room 5
Maria N. Pisareva* , Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
Robert S. Pickart* , Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA
Paula S. Fratantoni, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA;
Present Address: Northeast Fisheries Science Center, USA
Thomas J. Weingartner, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA
Peigen Lin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA
Presenter Email: mnpisareva@gmail.com |
| Barrow Canyon is a known biological hotspot and major conduit for shelf-basin exchange between Chukchi Sea shelf and the Arctic basin. As such it is critical to understand the dynamical processes that influence the water mass properties, mixing, and associated fluxes of biogenic materials. Using timeseries from a mooring deployed from 2002-4 near the head of the canyon, together with atmospheric and sea ice data, we investigate the seasonal signals in the canyon as well as aspects of upwelling and the wind-forcing that drives it. In total, 52 upwelling events were identified, which occur when the Beaufort High is strong and the Aleutian Low is deep. Some events bring dense water onto the shelf, while others advect lighter water from the basin. More than 80% of the upwelled flow consisted of cold Pacific-origin winter water, which dominated during the warm season. Upwelling of Atlantic water occurred during the cold season, consistent with previous studies on the Beaufort slope. A statistically significant relationship was found between the strength of the northerly winds and the occurrence of upwelling. The strongest events advect Atlantic water to the head of the canyon. Oftentimes multiple events are induced by a prolonged northerly wind event, bringing both heavier and lighter waters up the canyon. The effect of pack ice on the upwelling is discussed as well. |
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