A One-Dimensional Time-Dependent Model for the Vertical Stratification of the Upper Arctic Ocean

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Abstract
A one-dimensional time-dependent model of the upper Arctic Ocean is presented. It describes the circulation above a dynamically passive reservoir of Atlantic water. The model is driven by freshwater runoff from land, ice production and export, Bering Strait inflow and wind. The mixed layer thickness is controlled by the shortest among the following three length scales; the depth to the upper pycnocline, the Ekman length and the Monin-Obukov length. The outflow is assumed to occur as geostrophically controlled coastal currents. Four integral quantities are defined in order to make objective comparisons between model generated and observed salt and temperature profiles. The model generates a seasonally varying mixed layer in qualitative agreement with measurements. A halocline with water near the freezing temperature is also generated. This structure is sustained by the water coming from the Bering Strait. By comparing the model result with the observed freshwater content in the basin, likely value... Abstract A one-dimensional time-dependent model of the upper Arctic Ocean is presented. It describes the circulation above a dynamically passive reservoir of Atlantic water. The model is driven by freshwater runoff from land, ice production and export, Bering Strait inflow and wind. The mixed layer thickness is controlled by the shortest among the following three length scales; the depth to the upper pycnocline, the Ekman length and the Monin-Obukov length. The outflow is assumed to occur as geostrophically controlled coastal currents. Four integral quantities are defined in order to make objective comparisons between model generated and observed salt and temperature profiles. The model generates a seasonally varying mixed layer in qualitative agreement with measurements. A halocline with water near the freezing temperature is also generated. This structure is sustained by the water coming from the Bering Strait. By comparing the model result with the observed freshwater content in the basin, likely value...

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