Recent oceanic changes in the Arctic in the context of long-term observations
Permanent link
https://hdl.handle.net/10037/6059Date
2013Type
Journal articleTidsskriftartikkel
Peer reviewed
Author
Polyakov, Igor V; Bhatt, Uma; Walsh, John E.; Abrahamsen, Einar Povl; Pnyushkov, A.V.; Wassmann, PaulAbstract
This synthesis study assesses recent changes of Arctic Ocean physical
parameters using a unique collection of observations from the 2000s and places them in the
context of long-term climate trends and variability. Our analysis demonstrates that the 2000s
were an exceptional decade with extraordinary upper Arctic Ocean freshening and
intermediate Atlantic water warming. We note that the Arctic Ocean is characterized by
large amplitude multi-decadal variability in addition to a long-term trend, making the link of
observed changes to climate drivers problematic. However, the exceptional magnitude of
recent high-latitude changes (not only oceanic, but also ice and atmospheric) strongly suggests
that these recent changes signify a potentially irreversible shift of the Arctic Ocean to a new
climate state. These changes have important implications for the Arctic Ocean’s marine
ecosystem, especially those components that are dependent on sea ice or that have
temperature-dependent sensitivities or thresholds. Addressing these and other questions
requires a carefully orchestrated combination of sustained multidisciplinary observations and
advanced modeling.
Publisher
Ecological Society of AmericaCitation
Ecological Applications 23(2013) nr. 8 s. 1745-1764Metadata
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