Abstracts
SEARCH Open Science Meeting
October 27, 2003
Seattle, Washington, USA
A Data-Model Comparison Study of the Arctic Ocean's Response to Annular Atmospheric Modes
Bruno Tremblay1, Robert Newton2, Peter Schlosser3
1Ocean and Climate Physics, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, 61 Rt 9W, Palisades, NV, 10964-8000, USA, Phone 845-365-8767, Fax 845-365-8736, tremblay@ldeo.columbia.edu
2Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, 61 Rt 9W, Palisades, NY, 10964-8000, USA, Phone 845-365-8686, bnewton@ldeo.columbia.edu
3Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, PO Box 1000, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA, Phone 845-365-8707, Fax 845-365-8155, peters@ldeo.columbia.edu
A simple model simulating the basin-scale barotropic response of the Arctic Ocean to changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation (or Arctic Oscillation) is presented. The model distills concepts developed by Hunkins, Proshutinsky and others into an anylitic calculation of the balance between inputs of vorticity to the surface of the Arctic ocean and their dissipation within the Ocean-Ice system. The results of the model are compared with tide-gauge data from various coastal stations and with a new synthesis of isotope tracer data collected during the last 15 years. The observations and theory are applied to the problem of freshwater storage in and export from the Arctic Ocean. Using this simple model and preliminary 3-D coupled ice-ocean model simulations (validated against tracer and sea-surface height observations) we discuss potential links between atmospheric variability, Arctic Ocean dynamics and the export of freshwater to the Nordic Seas.
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