Atlantic Water structure, variability, and fluxes into the Amerasian Basin: a first look using SODA4
Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Atlantic Water (AW) inflow plays a central role in Arctic Ocean warming and Atlantification, yet its transport into the Amerasian Basin remains poorly constrained. Using four ocean–sea ice reanalyses, including the new high-resolution SODA4, we assess the time-mean structure, long-term trends, and variability of AW transport. Only SODA4 realistically captures the observed volume, heat, and salt fluxes into the Amerasian Basin across the Lomonosov Ridge. The ensemble mean shows that AW heat transport increases at a rate of 0.36 TW/year (1984–2016) yielding a 5 ZJ increase in Amerasian Basin heat content, with the greatest increase in SODA4. A dominant interdecadal mode, linked to the Arctic Dipole, seems to modulate AW transport across the ridge. These results suggest that accurately resolving AW structure and transport, as in SODA4, is essential for attributing ocean-driven Arctic warming.
Authors: Shaun Eisner, James A. Carton, Léon Chafik
Institutions: University of Maryland, College Park, Stockholm University
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4413815734