Warm Water Intrusion Research Articles

Novel terrestrial haul-out behaviour by ringed seals (Pusa hispida) in Svalbard, in association with harbour seals (Phoca vitulina)

ABSTRACTRinged seals (Pusa hispida) are the most ice-associated of all Arctic pinnipeds. In the Svalbard area, this species has always given birth, moulted and rested on sea ice. In addition, much of their food has been comprised of ice-associated prey. Recently, ringed seals have been reported to be using terrestrial substrates as a haul-out platform in some fjords on the west coast of Spitsbergen. In many cases the seals involved are harbour seals (Phoca vitulina), which are extending their distribution into new areas within the Svalbard Archipelago and which are being misclassified as ringed seals. However, this study reports that terrestrial haul-out by ringed seals is also now taking place on rocks exposed at low tide as well as on the coastline. Recent intrusions of warm Atlantic Water (with associated prey) have extended deep into the fjords of western Spitsbergen, resulting in deteriorated ice conditions for ringed seals and expanded habitat for harbour seals. Over the last decade, ringed seals ha...

Long-term temperature variation of the Southern Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass from 1976 to 2006

This paper discusses the long-term temperature variation of the Southern Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (SYSCWM) and examines those factors that influence the SYSCWM, based on hydrographic datasets of the China National Standard Section and the Korea Oceanographic Data Center. Surface air temperature, meridional wind speed, and sea surface temperature data are used to describe the seasonal changes. Mean temperature of the two centers of the SYSCWM had different long-term trends. The temperature of the center in the west of the SYSCWM was rising whereas that of the center in the east was falling. Mean temperature of the western center was related to warm water intrusion of the Yellow Sea Warm Current, the winter meridional wind, and the winter air temperature. Summer process played a primary role in the cooling trend of temperature in the eastern center. A decreasing trend of salinity in the eastern half of the SYSCWM showed that warm water intrusion from the south might weaken, as could the SYSCWM circulation. Weakened circulation provided less horizontal heat input to the eastern half of the SYSCWM. Less lateral heat input may have led to the decreasing trend in temperature of the eastern center of the SYSCWM. Further, warmer sea surface temperatures and less heat input in the deep layers intensified the thermocline of the eastern SYSCWM. A stronger thermocline had less heat flux input from upper layers to this half of the SYSCWM. Stronger thermocline and weakened heat input can be seen as two main causes of the cooling temperature trend of the eastern center of the SYSCWM.

Tamoya haplonema (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) from Uruguayan and adjacent waters: oceanographic context of new and historical findings

New records of the cubozoan jellyfish Tamoya haplonema in Uruguayan waters are reported together with historical records for the region, and associated with the oceanographic conditions at the moment of the finding. Occurrences of the species are mainly associated with positive Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies especially during summer months when the intrusion of warm oceanic waters to the Uruguayan coastline is stronger. This was particularly strong during 2012–2013, when a dry period enhanced this scenario. This species is the only cubozoan present in Uruguay, with a sporadic occurrence and so far has no appreciated negative effects on public health. However, from observed increasing frequency of positive temperature anomalies it would be reasonable to predict a future southward shift in the latitudinal distribution of T. haplonema. In this context, occurrence of this toxic species along Uruguayan coastal waters must be considered with particular attention to the potential negative impact on tourism and on general public health.

Detection and communication in the “Beaufort Lens”

The WHOI Ice Tethered Profilers in the Beaufort has confirmed a “sound speed duct” at depths between 100 to 250 m labeled as the “Beaufort Lens.” It is thought to be caused by warm water intrusion from the Bering Strait. A significant consequence of the duct is the prediction of 10 dB lower transmission losses at ranges of 100 km for sources and receivers both within the duct. We examine how the properties of the duct impact detection and communication. Transmission loss is strongly affected by frequency. Ducted propagation is not supported below a modal cutoff and absorption losses become consequential at higher frequencies. For active sonar, where wideband waveforms are employed, dispersion effects and multipath become important. The shape of the duct, especially boundary gradients, impacts this dispersion. While a vertical line array spanning the duct can potentially exploit the multipath ray/mode coherence and the resolution of the array impacts whether coherent or incoherent combination should be employed to achieve desired gains. Data for validating and verifying long range transmission loss in the duct were acquired by two submarines participating in ICEX-16. This presentation examines the signal processing for detection and communication within the so called “Beaufort Lens.”

The influence of Pacific Equatorial Water on fish diversity in the southern California Current System

AbstractThe California Undercurrent transports Pacific Equatorial Water (PEW) into the Southern California Bight from the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. PEW is characterized by higher temperatures and salinities, with lower pH, representing a source of potentially corrosive (aragonite, ) water to the region. We use ichthyoplankton assemblages near the cores of the California Current and the California Undercurrent to determine whether PEW influenced fish diversity. We use hydrographic data to characterize the interannual and seasonal variability of estimated pH and aragonite saturation with depth. Although there is substantial variability in PEW presence as measured by spice on the 26.25–26.75 isopycnal layer, as well as in pH and aragonite saturation, we found fish diversity to be stable over the decades 1985–1996 and 1999–2011. We detected significant difference in species structure during the 1998 La Niña period, due to reduced species evenness. Species richness due to rare species was higher during the 1997/1998 El Niño compared to the La Niña but the effect on species structure was undetectable. Lack of difference in the species abundance structure in the decade before and after the 1997/1999 ENSO event showed that the assemblage reverted to its former structure following the ENSO perturbation, indicating resilience. While the interdecadal species structure remained stable, the long tail of the distributions shows that species richness increased between the decades consistent with intrusion of warm water with more diverse assemblages into the southern California region.

Characterization of seawater properties and ocean heat content in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard Archipelago

Increased melting of tidewater glaciers had been widely reported in Greenland and Svalbard, and one possible reason has been attributed in the interaction of warming ocean water with the portion of the ice terminus in contact with the sea. In Kongsfjorden, there are five major tidewater glaciers positioned in the innermost part of the fjord and it experiences a periodic intrusion of warm water of Atlantic origin down to the innermost part. These warm veins are expected to provide the heat for melting of tidewater glaciers. The aim of this paper is to report on the hydrology and ocean heat content (OHC) in Kongsfjorden, especially focussing on its innermost part. OHC estimates were based on calculations of the volume of water in the major basins of Kongsfjorden as inferred by a dedicate and accurate bathymetric survey and by CTD casts. Ocean water after interaction with freshwater of glacial origin evidenced a drop in temperature up to 2 $$^{\circ }$$ C. We calculated OHC over a profile ranging from the lower limit of surface fresh water exiting the fjord (−7.5 m) to 40 m depth m, assuming deeper heat was not relevant to regularly interact with glaciers because of the depth of the submerged moraine. OHC in outer area was $$4.66 \times 10^{16}$$ J, whereas in the southern part was $$1.47 \times 10^{16}$$ J and was $$1.17 \times 10^{16}$$ J in the northern part of tidewater glaciers fronts.

Turbulent heat exchange between water and ice at an evolving ice–water interface

We conduct laboratory experiments on the time evolution of an ice layer cooled from below and subjected to a turbulent shear flow of warm water from above. Our study is motivated by observations of warm water intrusion into the ocean cavity under Antarctic ice shelves, accelerating the melting of their basal surfaces. The strength of the applied turbulent shear flow in our experiments is represented in terms of its Reynolds number $Re$, which is varied over the range $2.0\times 10^{3}\leqslant Re\leqslant 1.0\times 10^{4}$. Depending on the water temperature, partial transient melting of the ice occurs at the lower end of this range of $Re$ and complete transient melting of the ice occurs at the higher end. Following these episodes of transient melting, the ice reforms at a rate that is independent of $Re$. We fit our experimental measurements of ice thickness and temperature to a one-dimensional model for the evolution of the ice thickness in which the turbulent heat transfer is parameterized in terms of the friction velocity of the shear flow. Applying our model to field measurements at a site under the Antarctic Pine Island Glacier ice shelf yields a predicted melt rate that exceeds present-day observations.

Generation of periodic intrusions at Suruga Bay when the Kuroshio follows a large meandering path

We measured the vertical profiles of currents at the eastern mouth of the Suruga Bay using a moored acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). Currents vertical profiles were found to be mostly barotropic in structure when intrusions occurred at the eastern mouth of the bay. Warm-water intrusions at the Suruga Bay and sea level elevations at the bay and at islands on the Izu Ridge located off the bay have the same period of 26 days. The temporal variation in the sea levels occurs in response to Kuroshio frontal waves, and the two phases are consistent. The sea level rise propagates from Hachijo Island to the Suruga Bay via Miyake Island and Kozu Island, i.e., from off the Suruga Bay to in or near the bay. The perturbation of the sea level along the Izu Ridge occurs as waves with a period of 26 days, a wavelength of 500km, and a phase speed of 23cm/sec. The propagated waves and those of the Kuroshio frontal waves have the same features. This means that the periodic inflows at the eastern mouth of the Suruga Bay are caused by the passage of Kuroshio frontal waves off the bay.

Impacts of warm water on Antarctic ice shelf stability through basal channel formation

The Antarctic Ice Sheet is buttressed by floating ice shelves. Remote sensing data show extensive basal channels, particularly in West Antarctica, which grow quickly in response to warm water intrusion. Antarctica’s ice shelves provide resistance to the flow of grounded ice towards the ocean. If this resistance is decreased as a result of ice shelf thinning or disintegration1, acceleration of grounded ice can occur, increasing rates of sea-level rise. Loss of ice shelf mass is accelerating, especially in West Antarctica, where warm seawater is reaching ocean cavities beneath ice shelves2. Here we use satellite imagery, airborne ice-penetrating radar and satellite laser altimetry spanning the period from 2002 to 2014 to map extensive basal channels in the ice shelves surrounding Antarctica. The highest density of basal channels is found in West Antarctic ice shelves. Within the channels, warm water flows northwards, eroding the ice shelf base and driving channel evolution on annual to decadal timescales. Our observations show that basal channels are associated with the development of new zones of crevassing, suggesting that these channels may cause ice fracture. We conclude that basal channels can form and grow quickly as a result of warm ocean water intrusion, and that they can structurally weaken ice shelves, potentially leading to rapid ice shelf loss in some areas.

Study on the current structure of the thermohaline front in the southeastern entrance of the Yellow Sea during winter

A thermohaline front is located at the southeastern entrance of the Yellow Sea in winter, and it is generated by the intrusion of warm saline water into the Yellow Sea caused by a strong northerly wind. Recently, a westward transversal current traveling away from the west coast of Korea toward the open sea area along the front was reported. The westward transversal current is dominant in the surface layer during the temperature inversion period. The formation and structure of this current are examined using a numerical vertical ocean-slice model. When two different water masses meet, a front is formed and adjusted geostrophically. In this frontal zone, a horizontal pressure gradient flow by the vertically inclined isopycnal occurs under the thermal wind process in a baroclinic effect, and the cold fresh coastal water moves westward along the front in the upper layer. The barotropic effect across the front and the bottom friction effect strengthen the westward component of the velocity. The velocity of the bottom layer decreases remarkably in the increase of the bottom drag coefficient. This means that the bottom friction with the strong background tidal current causes a reduction in the current in the bottom layer.

Linear sea-level response to abrupt ocean warming of major West Antarctic ice basin

Ice shelves lose ice through both melting caused by warm marine waters and instability. For the Filchner–Ronne ice shelf, West Antarctica, ice loss is dominated by melt due to warm water intrusion, rather than marine ice-sheet instability.

Modal analysis of broadband signal arrival on Beaufort shelf

Using previously reported temperature and salinity data collected over the past decade, time evolving sound speed profiles were constructed and used (Prog. Oceanography, 127, pp.1-20, 2014) as input to a parabolic equation model. Modeling of broadband acoustic signal propagation in the Arctic shelf-basin region during ice free sea surface season was reported recently (J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 136(4), Pt. 2, 2317, 2014). It was shown that when broadband acoustic signals propagate from deep water to shallow water, the modal dispersion is changed. The change is mostly affected by the water thermocline behavior in time and space and by source depth. The modal arrival structure can be influenced by a number of factors including the degree of Pacific warm water intrusion, upwelling of the warm saline Atlantic water into the cold surface layer, the range-dependence of the water layers over the shelf break, and the depth of the source. In this paper, we analyze the range-dependent propagation in terms of adiabatic and coupled mode regimes in order to explain the model results. [Work supported by ONR.]

Effects of Kuroshio Intrusions on the atmosphere northeast of Taiwan Island

AbstractThe Kuroshio loses bathymetric support off northeast Taiwan Island, causing large variability in its path. The resultant covariability of sea surface temperature (SST) and the lower atmosphere is investigated using satellite observations. In winter and spring off northeast Taiwan Island, the intrusions of warm Kuroshio water onto the continental shelf cause a large increase in local SST, intensify the northeasterly monsoonal winds, and lead to the increases in water vapor and rainfall. Key to this air‐sea interaction is the existence of anomalous heat advection by the Kuroshio intrusions. The Kuroshio intrusions are partly due to westward propagating ocean eddies east of Taiwan Island with a lead time of 3 weeks, hinting at the possibility of improved weather prediction near northeast Taiwan Island by considering ocean variability east of Taiwan Island.

Indicator species and seasonal succession of planktonic copepod assemblages driven by the interplay of subtropical and temperate waters in the southern East China Sea

The northeastern region off Taiwan exhibits a high marine diversity favoured by the influence of northern and subtropical water masses driven by the East China Sea Water and the Kuroshio current (KC), respectively. A total of 87 species of copepods representing 36 genera were identified in present study. Calanoida was the most dominant order, while Temora turbinata (Dana, 1849), Paracalanus parvus (Claus, 1863) and Ditrichocorycaeus affinis (McMurrich, 1916) appeared as most dominant species. However, we noticed the unusual presence of the copepod Calanoides philippinensis Kitou & Tanaka, 1969 in concurrence with the dominant influence of KC, which suggests a larger intrusion of South China Sea (SCS) waters into the northeast Taiwan region. C. philippinensis is an exclusive species of the warm subtropical Pacific waters. Its presence in the northern Taiwan region may reflect a larger intrusion of warm SCS waters. We therefore suggest its potential use as a bioindicator of southern, tropical waters in the northern Taiwan area.

Influences of Kuroshio Warm Water Intrusion on Flow Structure and Material Transport in Tokyo Bay Mouth in Winter

Influences of Kuroshio Warm Water Intrusion on Flow Structure and Material Transport in Tokyo Bay Mouth in Winter

Vertical heat transfer based on direct microstructure measurements in the ice-free Pacific-side Arctic Ocean: the role and impact of the Pacific water intrusion

This study quantifies diapycnal mixing and vertical heat transfer in the Pacific side of the Arctic Ocean, where sea-ice cover has disappeared between July and September in the last few decades. We conducted microstructure measurements in the open water region around the Canada Basin from late summer to fall in 2009 and 2010 using R/V Mirai. In the study domain, the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy, e, is typically as low level as O(10−10) W kg−1, resulting in vertical heat diffusivity of O(10−7) m2 s−1, which is close to the molecular diffusivity of heat, suggesting comparatively little predominance of mechanical turbulent mixing. An exception is the case at the Barrow Canyon, where the strong baroclinic throughflow generates substantial vertical mixing, producing e > O(10−7) W kg−1, because of the shear flow instability. Meanwhile, in the confluence region, where the warm/salty Pacific water and the cold/fresh Arctic basin water encounter, the micro-temperature profiles revealed a localized enhancement in vertical diffusivity of heat, reaching O(10−5) m2 s−1 or greater. In this region, an intrusion of warm Pacific water creates a horizontally interleaved structure, where the double-diffusive mixing facilitates vertical heat transfer between the intruding Pacific water and the surrounding basin waters.

Spatio-temporal variability of copepod abundance along the 20 °S monitoring transect in the Northern Benguela upwelling system from 2005 to 2011.

Long-term data sets are essential to understand climate-induced variability in marine ecosystems. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of longer-term temporal and spatial variations in zooplankton abundance and copepod community structure in the northern Benguela upwelling system from 2005 to 2011. Samples were collected from the upper 200 m along a transect at 20°S perpendicular to the coast of Namibia to 70 nm offshore. Based on seasonal and interannual trends in surface temperature and salinity, three distinct time periods were discernible with stronger upwelling in spring and extensive warm-water intrusions in late summer, thus, high temperature amplitudes, in the years 2005/06 and 2010/11, and less intensive upwelling followed by weaker warm-water intrusions from 2008/09 to 2009/10. Zooplankton abundance reflected these changes with higher numbers in 2005/06 and 2010/11. In contrast, zooplankton density was lower in 2008/09 and 2009/10, when temperature gradients from spring to late summer were less pronounced. Spatially, copepod abundance tended to be highest between 30 and 60 nautical miles off the coast, coinciding with the shelf break and continental slope. The dominant larger calanoid copepods were Calanoides carinatus, Metridia lucens and Nannocalanus minor. On all three scales studied, i.e. spatially from the coast to offshore waters as well as temporally, both seasonally and interannually, maximum zooplankton abundance was not coupled to the coldest temperature regime, and hence strongest upwelling intensity. Pronounced temperature amplitudes, and therefore strong gradients within a year, were apparently important and resulted in higher zooplankton abundance.

Simulated melt rates for the Totten and Dalton ice shelves

Abstract. The Totten Glacier is rapidly losing mass. It has been suggested that this mass loss is driven by changes in oceanic forcing; however, the details of the ice–ocean interaction are unknown. Here we present results from an ice shelf–ocean model of the region that includes the Totten, Dalton and Moscow University ice shelves, based on the Regional Oceanic Modeling System for the period 1992–2007. Simulated area-averaged basal melt rates (net basal mass loss) for the Totten and Dalton ice shelves are 9.1 m ice yr−1 (44.5 Gt ice yr−1) and 10.1 m ice yr−1 (46.6 Gt ice yr−1), respectively. The melting of the ice shelves varies strongly on seasonal and interannual timescales. Basal melting (mass loss) from the Totten ice shelf spans a range of 5.7 m ice yr−1 (28 Gt ice yr−1) on interannual timescales and 3.4 m ice yr−1 (17 Gt ice yr−1) on seasonal timescales. This study links basal melt of the Totten and Dalton ice shelves to warm water intrusions across the continental shelf break and atmosphere–ocean heat exchange. Totten ice shelf melting is high when the nearby Dalton polynya interannual strength is below average, and vice versa. Melting of the Dalton ice shelf is primarily controlled by the strength of warm water intrusions across the Dalton rise and into the ice shelf cavity. During periods of strong westward coastal current flow, Dalton melt water flows directly under the Totten ice shelf further reducing melting. This is the first such modelling study of this region to provide a valuable framework for directing future observational and modelling efforts.

엘리뇨/라니냐와 정상 기간 동중국해 북부해역의 자치어의 군집구조 비교

The aim of this study was to compare community structure of larval fish species in the northern East China Sea during normal meteorological conditions in autumn 2009, during the El Ni<TEX>$\tilde{n}$</TEX>o period in 2009-2010, and during the La Nina period in 2010. Fifty taxa were recorded during the study period; the most dominant species were Benthosema pterotum and Gobiidae spp. In October 2008 during the normal period, warm water from the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) intruded more into the surface and middle layers, and cold water affected by the Yellow Sea Cold Water (YSCW) intruded into the bottom layer. In October 2009 during the El Ni<TEX>$\tilde{n}$</TEX>o period, intrusion of the China Coastal Water (CCW), which has low salinity (<32.2 psu), was more apparent than intrusion of the TWC or YSCW. In October 2010 during the La Nina period, intrusion of the TWC and CCW was relatively weak, resulting in the lowest temperature and highest salinity observed during the study period in the eastern part of the study area. Hierarchical cluster, one-way ANOSIM (analysis of similarities), and SIMPER (similarity-percentages procedure) analyses provided two main results. First, the abundance of the most dominant larval fish species in autumn of the normal period was greater than that in autumn of the El Ni<TEX>$\tilde{n}$</TEX>o/La Nina periods, resulting in a significant difference in ichthyoplankton community structure between the periods. The abundance of Benthosema pterotum increased in the normal period, possibly influenced by the intrusion of cold water from the YSCW; the abundance of species residing in Korean waters (e.g., Gobiidae spp.) probably decreased during the El Ni<TEX>$\tilde{n}$</TEX>o/La Nina periods. The second finding was that the abundance of subtropical larval fish in autumn of the normal period was generally larger than that during autumn of the El Ni<TEX>$\tilde{n}$</TEX>o/La Nina periods. This could have been induced by the stronger intrusion of warm water from the TWC during the normal period. Although differences in oceanographic conditions between El Ni<TEX>$\tilde{n}$</TEX>o and La Nina periods were observed, the differences in ichthyoplankton community structure between the two periods were not significant.

Variability of Circumpolar Deep Water transport onto the Amundsen Sea Continental shelf through a shelf break trough

The presence of warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) intrusions on the Amundsen continental shelf has been linked to recent thinning of the outlet glaciers draining the West Antarctic ice sheet into the Amundsen Sea. Inflow of the CDW onto the shelf is thought to occur within a series of troughs that intersect the continental shelf break. We use observations between 1994 and 2011 and a numerical model to investigate the variability of CDW transport in a trough intersecting the shelf break at 113°W. The location of the main CDW inflow into the trough varies between its eastern flank and center, while the western part of the trough is filled by a recirculation that commonly entrains cooler water originating further south on the shelf. Thermocline depth decreases between the early and late 2000s with an indication that the depth of the 1994 thermocline was similar to the later years. Mooring results show that the CDW layer cools and thins in summer and thickens and warms in winter. In addition to a deeper thermocline in summer, we observe a stronger presence of Lower CDW in the bottom of the trough. Heat flux onto the shelf is controlled by current velocities rather than CDW temperature and the majority of the heat is carried onto the shelf by background flow rather than episodic events.