Coastal Freshening Prevents Fjord Bottom Water Renewal in Northeast Greenland: A Mooring Study From 2003 to 2015

Abstract The freshwater content of the Arctic Ocean and its bordering seas has recently increased. Observing freshening events is an important step toward identifying the drivers and understanding the effects of freshening on ocean circulation and marine ecosystems. Here we present a 13 year (2003–2...

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Main Authors: Wieter Boone, Søren Rysgaard, Daniel F. Carlson, Lorenz Meire, Sergei Kirillov, John Mortensen, Igor Dmitrenko, Leendert Vergeynst, Mikael K. Sejr
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-03-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076591
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author Wieter Boone
Søren Rysgaard
Daniel F. Carlson
Lorenz Meire
Sergei Kirillov
John Mortensen
Igor Dmitrenko
Leendert Vergeynst
Mikael K. Sejr
author_facet Wieter Boone
Søren Rysgaard
Daniel F. Carlson
Lorenz Meire
Sergei Kirillov
John Mortensen
Igor Dmitrenko
Leendert Vergeynst
Mikael K. Sejr
author_sort Wieter Boone
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The freshwater content of the Arctic Ocean and its bordering seas has recently increased. Observing freshening events is an important step toward identifying the drivers and understanding the effects of freshening on ocean circulation and marine ecosystems. Here we present a 13 year (2003–2015) record of temperature and salinity in Young Sound‐Tyrolerfjord (74°N) in Northeast Greenland. Our observations show that strong freshening occurred from August 2005 to August 2007 (−0.92 psu or −0.46 psu yr−1) and from August 2009 to August 2013 (−0.66 psu or −0.17 psu yr−1). Furthermore, temperature‐salinity analysis from 2004 to 2014 shows that freshening of the coastal water (~range at sill depth: 33.3 psu in 2005 to 31.4 psu in 2007) prevented renewal of the fjord's bottom water. These data provide critical observations of interannual freshening rates in a remote fjord in Greenland and in the adjacent coastal waters and show that coastal freshening impacts the fjord hydrography, which may impact the ecosystem dynamics in the long term.
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publishDate 2018-03-01
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spelling doaj-art-3e220c218bc94e3a82bd44cea5d7df222024-12-20T12:14:58ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072018-03-014562726273310.1002/2017GL076591Coastal Freshening Prevents Fjord Bottom Water Renewal in Northeast Greenland: A Mooring Study From 2003 to 2015Wieter Boone0Søren Rysgaard1Daniel F. Carlson2Lorenz Meire3Sergei Kirillov4John Mortensen5Igor Dmitrenko6Leendert Vergeynst7Mikael K. Sejr8Centre for Earth Observation Science University of Manitoba Winnipeg CanadaCentre for Earth Observation Science University of Manitoba Winnipeg CanadaArctic Research Centre Aarhus University Aarhus DenmarkGreenland Climate Research Centre Greenland Institute of Natural Resources Nuuk GreenlandCentre for Earth Observation Science University of Manitoba Winnipeg CanadaGreenland Climate Research Centre Greenland Institute of Natural Resources Nuuk GreenlandCentre for Earth Observation Science University of Manitoba Winnipeg CanadaArctic Research Centre Aarhus University Aarhus DenmarkArctic Research Centre Aarhus University Aarhus DenmarkAbstract The freshwater content of the Arctic Ocean and its bordering seas has recently increased. Observing freshening events is an important step toward identifying the drivers and understanding the effects of freshening on ocean circulation and marine ecosystems. Here we present a 13 year (2003–2015) record of temperature and salinity in Young Sound‐Tyrolerfjord (74°N) in Northeast Greenland. Our observations show that strong freshening occurred from August 2005 to August 2007 (−0.92 psu or −0.46 psu yr−1) and from August 2009 to August 2013 (−0.66 psu or −0.17 psu yr−1). Furthermore, temperature‐salinity analysis from 2004 to 2014 shows that freshening of the coastal water (~range at sill depth: 33.3 psu in 2005 to 31.4 psu in 2007) prevented renewal of the fjord's bottom water. These data provide critical observations of interannual freshening rates in a remote fjord in Greenland and in the adjacent coastal waters and show that coastal freshening impacts the fjord hydrography, which may impact the ecosystem dynamics in the long term.https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076591fresheningfjord dynamicsoceanographyclimate variabilitycoastal processes
spellingShingle Wieter Boone
Søren Rysgaard
Daniel F. Carlson
Lorenz Meire
Sergei Kirillov
John Mortensen
Igor Dmitrenko
Leendert Vergeynst
Mikael K. Sejr
Coastal Freshening Prevents Fjord Bottom Water Renewal in Northeast Greenland: A Mooring Study From 2003 to 2015
Geophysical Research Letters
freshening
fjord dynamics
oceanography
climate variability
coastal processes
title Coastal Freshening Prevents Fjord Bottom Water Renewal in Northeast Greenland: A Mooring Study From 2003 to 2015
title_full Coastal Freshening Prevents Fjord Bottom Water Renewal in Northeast Greenland: A Mooring Study From 2003 to 2015
title_fullStr Coastal Freshening Prevents Fjord Bottom Water Renewal in Northeast Greenland: A Mooring Study From 2003 to 2015
title_full_unstemmed Coastal Freshening Prevents Fjord Bottom Water Renewal in Northeast Greenland: A Mooring Study From 2003 to 2015
title_short Coastal Freshening Prevents Fjord Bottom Water Renewal in Northeast Greenland: A Mooring Study From 2003 to 2015
title_sort coastal freshening prevents fjord bottom water renewal in northeast greenland a mooring study from 2003 to 2015
topic freshening
fjord dynamics
oceanography
climate variability
coastal processes
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076591
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