Role of acoustics in oceanographic monitoring of the Arctic ocean

Abstract

Acoustic soundings of the Arctic ocean (AO) along some tracks in crucial regions of the ocean can provide satisfactory information for the monitoring of the most important oceanographic features of the AO waters, namely, the heat content of the Atlantic water layer in the AO and the upper ocean salinity. Optimal location of the acoustic tracks for monitoring of the heat content space-time variability is discussed. It is shown that the remote sensing of the upper ocean salinity by acoustic tomography (acoustic halinometry) is quite possible since changes in the sound speed in the upper AO are due to changes in salinity, while temperature here is nearly always close to the freezing point. The results of the acoustic halinometry numerical modeling are demonstrated using oceanographic data obtained in the Amundsen Basin of the AO. The effect of a combination of different in situ and remote sensing measurements for monitoring of the salinity flux through the Bering Strait is discussed. [Work supported by RFFR and CRDF.]