Denis L. Volkov

Annual and interannual variability of sea level in the northern North Atlantic Ocean

[1] The combined TOPEX/Poseidon + ERS-1/2 sea level anomaly (SLA) data from the northern North Atlantic Ocean for the time period 22 October 1992 to 29 December 2000 (300 cycles) were processed. The annual and interannual signals were examined, and their contribution to the total variance is estimated. Both signals appeared to be responsible for a greatest portion of variability outside the North Atlantic Current (NAC) and its branches. The annual signal manifested consistency with seasonal changes in the heat storage, possibly enhanced by seasonal variations of advection. A considerable interannual change was monitored in the vast areas of the northern North Atlantic Ocean as well as along the NAC. The interannual change in SLA was found to be consistent with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index when it changed from its positive to its negative phase in 1996. The significant negative correlation coefficient between the annually averaged SLA and NAO index time series was estimated in all dynamically calm areas outside the NAC. Hydrographic data obtained during several cruises for the time interval studied were also investigated and coupled with the variations of SLA and NAO index. The analysis showed a good agreement between the altimeter-derived SLA and dynamic height anomalies suggesting that the sea level changes in the northern North Atlantic have a baroclinic nature.

Do the North Atlantic winds drive the nonseasonal variability of the Arctic Ocean sea level

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites have observed coherent and nearly uniform nonseasonal fluctuations of bottom pressure throughout the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic Seas. Strong correlation between the nonseasonal GRACE and satellite altimetry data is found in the Nordic and Barents Seas, which suggests a possibility of using the longer altimetry records in these areas as a proxy for the nonseasonal sea level variability over the entire Arctic. This study identifies the dominant pattern of the nonseasonal atmospheric pressure variability that drives strong zonal wind anomalies over the northeastern North Atlantic associated with the nonseasonal sea level anomalies in the Nordic Seas. Our results show that wind-driven northward Ekman transport anomalies in the northeastern North Atlantic may induce coherent changes of sea level across the entire Arctic Ocean.

Decade-long deep-ocean warming detected in the subtropical South Pacific

The persistent energy imbalance at the top of the atmosphere, inferred from satellite measurements, indicates that the Earths climate system continues to accumulate excess heat. As only sparse and irregular measurements of ocean heat below 2000 m depth exist, one of the most challenging questions in global climate change studies is whether the excess heat has already penetrated into the deep ocean. Here we perform a comprehensive analysis of satellite and in situ measurements to report that a significant deep-ocean warming occurred in the subtropical South Pacific Ocean over the past decade (2005-2014). The local accumulation of heat accounted for up to a quarter of the global ocean heat increase, with directly and indirectly inferred deep ocean (below 2000 m) contribution of 2.4 ± 1.4 and 6.1-10.1 ± 4.4%, respectively. We further demonstrate that this heat accumulation is consistent with a decade-long intensification of the subtropical convergence, possibly linked to the persistent La Niña-like state.

Shelfbreak current over the Canadian Beaufort Sea continental slope: Wind‐driven events in January 2005

The shelfbreak current over the Beaufort Sea continental slope is known to be one of the most energetic features of the Beaufort Sea hydrography. In January 2005, three oceanographic moorings deployed over the Canadian (eastern) Beaufort Sea continental slope simultaneously recorded two consecutive shelfbreak current events with along-slope eastward bottom-intensified flow up to 120 cm s−1. Both events were generated by the local wind forcing associated with two Pacific-born cyclones passing north of the Beaufort Sea continental slope toward the Canadian Archipelago. Over the mooring array, the associated westerly wind exceeded 15 m s−1. These two cyclones generated storm surges along the Beaufort Sea coast with sea surface height (SSH) rising up to 1.4 m following the two westerly wind maxima. We suggest that the westerly along-slope wind generated a surface Ekman onshore transport. The associated SSH increase over the shelf produced a cross-slope pressure gradient that drove an along-slope eastward geostrophic current, in the same direction as the wind. This wind-driven barotropic flow was superimposed on the background baroclinic bottom-intensified shelfbreak current that consequently amplified. Summer-fall satellite altimetry data for 1992–2013 show that the SSH gradient in the southeastern Beaufort Sea is enhanced over the upper continental slope in response to frequent storm surge events. Because the local wind forcing and/or sea-ice drift could not explain the reduction of sea-ice concentration over the Beaufort Sea continental slope in January 2005, we speculate that wind-driven sea level fluctuations may impact the sea-ice cover in winter.

Dynamic response of the Black Sea elevation to intraseasonal fluctuations of the Mediterranean sea level

Response of the Black Sea elevation to intraseasonal sea level changes in the Mediterranean is studied using satellite altimetry data and a linear analytical model. Satellite observations show that the nonseasonal sea level in the Black Sea (η1) is coherent with that in the Aegean and Marmara Seas (η0) but lags behind them by 10–40 days at subannual periods. The observed time lag is mainly due to friction that constrains the exchange through the Bosphorus Strait. Using realistic friction and characteristic η0 forcing in the model, we find that the amplitude of η1 reaches the amplitude of η0 at about 1 year period, and the time lag increases from 10 to 22 days at periods 50–250 days. Freshwater fluxes, atmospheric pressure, and to a smaller extent the along-strait wind also influence the Black Sea elevation, but sea level fluctuations in the Mediterranean appear to be the dominant forcing mechanism.

Low Frequency Change of Sea Level in the North Atlantic Ocean as Observed with Satellite Altimetry

The TOPEX/POSEIDON and ERS-1/2 satellite altimetry missions have revealed significant low-frequency changes of sea level in the North Atlantic Ocean. This work describes the changes that occurred from 1993 to 2001. Decomposition of total variance in three main modes of variability - annual, inter-annual and high frequency (basically eddies) - has been performed. As the analysis has shown, the annual and inter-annual signals are responsible for a greatest portion of variability in the northern North Atlantic outside the North Atlantic Current and its branches. In the areas where the inter-annual change is found to be significant, the sea level change followed the North Atlantic Oscillation index when it changed from its positive phase to negative in winter of 1995 - 1996 and 2000–2001.

Wind-driven ocean dynamics impact on the contrasting sea-ice trends around West Antarctica

Since late 1978, Antarctic sea-ice extent in the East Pacific has retreated persistently over the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas in warm seasons, but expanded over the Ross and Amundsen Seas in cold seasons, while almost opposite seasonal trends have occurred in the Atlantic over the Weddell Sea. By using a surface-forced ocean and sea-ice coupled model, we show that regional wind-driven ocean dynamics played a key role in driving these trends. In the East Pacific, the strengthening Southern Hemisphere (SH) westerlies in the region enhanced the Ekman upwelling of warm upper Circumpolar Deep Water and increased the northward Ekman transport of cold Antarctic surface water. The associated surface ocean warming south of 68°S and the cooling north of 68°S directly contributed to the retreat of sea ice in warm seasons and the expansion in cold seasons, respectively. In the Atlantic, the poleward shifting SH westerlies in the region strengthened the northern branch of the Weddell Gyre, which in turn increased the meridional thermal gradient across it as constrained by the thermal wind balance. Ocean heat budget analysis further suggests that the strengthened northern branch of the Weddell Gyre acted as a barrier against the poleward ocean heat transport, and thus produced anomalous heat divergence within the Weddell Gyre and anomalous heat convergence north of the gyre. The associated cooling within the Weddell Gyre and the warming north of the gyre contributed to the expansion of sea ice in warm seasons and the retreat in cold seasons, respectively.

Near-surface salinity and temperature structure observed with dual-sensor drifters in the subtropical South Pacific

Three surface drifters equipped with temperature and salinity sensors at 0.2 m and 5 m depths were deployed in April/May 2015 in the subtropical South Pacific with the objective of measuring near-surface salinity differences seen by satellite and in situ sensors and examining the causes of these differences. Measurements from these drifters indicate that water at a depth of 0.2 m is about 0.013 psu fresher than at 5 m and about 0.024°C warmer. Events with large temperature and salinity differences between the two depths are caused by anomalies in surface freshwater and heat fluxes, modulated by wind. While surface freshening and cooling occurs during rainfall events, surface salinification is generally observed under weak wind conditions (≤4 m/s). Further examination of the drifter measurements demonstrates that (i) the amount of surface freshening and strength of the vertical salinity gradient heavily depend on wind speed during rain events, (ii) salinity differences between 0.2 m and 5 m are positively correlated with the corresponding temperature differences for cases with surface salinification, and (iii) temperature exhibits a diurnal cycle at both depths, whereas the diurnal cycle of salinity is observed only at 0.2 m when the wind speed is less than 6 m/s. The amplitudes of the diurnal cycles of temperature at both depths decrease with increasing wind speed. The mean diurnal cycle of surface salinity is dominated by events with winds less than 2 m/s.