Investigation of Physical Processes in the Upper Arctic Ocean
Abstract
Much of our understanding of the Arctic Ocean and its interactions with climate is well founded conceptually and has been reproduced in numerical models. The observational basis remains, however, inadequate to identify critical processes and geographical regions, to quantify the parameters used in models, or to verify many aspects of the model results. The primary goal of this program has been to improve our understanding of the roles of small-scale and mesoscale processes within the Arctic Ocean system through participation in field activities and analyses of the resulting data. A secondary goal has been to provide modelers with information suitable for improved parameterization and validation. Specific objectives contributing to this goal have included: (1) Describe upper layer physical oceanographic conditions in the Arctic Ocean with the geographical emphasis on the Eurasian Basin and topical emphases on small-scale and mesoscale features. (2) Assess the influence, through estimation of the spatial distributions of mean and internal wave shear and their influence on mixing, on the Arctic Warm Water layer of vertical mixing associated with the peripheral slope boundary currents. (3) Assess, through description and physical reasoning, possible influences of mesoscale features such as fronts and eddies on the horizontal transfer of heat and dissolved material from the peripheral slope currents to the interior basins. (4) Improve, through integration of the above and through collaboration with researchers who are carrying out concurrent tracer analyses of the Arctic Ocean, processes and rates by which the central Arctic Ocean basins are ventilated.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA629351
Entities
People
- Robin D. Muench