Ashjian Carin J.

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Ashjian

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Carin J.

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Improved parametrization of Antarctic krill target strength models

(Acoustical Society of America, 2006-01) Lawson, Gareth L. ; Wiebe, Peter H. ; Ashjian, Carin J. ; Chu, Dezhang ; Stanton, Timothy K.

There are historical discrepancies between empirical observations of Antarctic krill target strength and predictions using theoretical scattering models. These differences are addressed through improved understanding of key model parameters. The scattering process was modeled using the distorted-wave Born approximation, representing the shape of the animal as a bent and tapered cylinder. Recently published length-based regressions were used to constrain the sound speed and density contrasts between the animal and the surrounding seawater, rather than the earlier approach of using single values for all lengths. To constrain the parameter governing the orientation of the animal relative to the incident acoustic wave, direct measurements of the orientation of krill in situ were made with a video plankton recorder. In contrast to previous indirect and aquarium-based observations, krill were observed to orient themselves mostly horizontally. Averaging predicted scattering over the measured distribution of orientations resulted in predictions of target strength consistent with in situ measurements of target strength of large krill (mean length 40–43 mm) at four frequencies (43–420 kHz), but smaller than expected under the semi-empirical model traditionally used to estimate krill target strength.
Bowhead whale distribution and feeding near Barrow, Alaska, in late summer 2005–06

(Arctic Institute of North America, 2010-06) Moore, Sue E. ; George, John C. ; Sheffield, Gay ; Bacon, Joshua ; Ashjian, Carin J.

Aerial surveys for bowhead whales were conducted in conjunction with oceanographic sampling near Barrow, Alaska, in late summer of 2005 and 2006. In 2005, 145 whales were seen, mostly in two distinct aggregations: one (ca. 40 whales) in deep water in Barrow Canyon and the other (ca. 70 whales) in very shallow (< 10 m) water just seaward of the barrier islands. Feeding behaviours observed in the latter group included whales lying on their sides with mouths agape and groups of 5–10 whales swimming synchronously in turbid water. In 2006, 78 bowheads were seen, with ca. 40 whales feeding in dispersed groups of 3–11 whales. Feeding behaviours observed included surface skimming, echelon swimming, and synchronous diving and surfacing. Surfacing behaviour included head lunges by single animals and groups of 2–4 whales. Of 29 whales harvested at Barrow, 24 had been feeding. Euphausiids were the dominant prey in 2006 (10 of 13 stomachs), but not in 2005 (4 of 11 stomachs). Copepods were the dominant prey in the stomachs of three whales harvested near Barrow Canyon in 2005. Mysiids were the dominant prey in four stomachs, isopods in two, and amphipods in one although these taxa were not routinely captured during plankton sampling conducted in the weeks prior to the autumn harvest.
An introduction and overview of the Bering Sea Project : volume IV

( 2016-08-18) Van Pelt, Thomas I. ; Napp, Jeffrey M. ; Ashjian, Carin J. ; Harvey, H. Rodger ; Lomas, Michael W. ; Sigler, Michael F. ; Stabeno, Phyllis J.

The seasonal rhythm of sea-ice advance and retreat in the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) moves ice hundreds of kilometers across the broad continental shelf and exerts a powerful influence on the ecology of these waters. In winter, the combination of latitude, geology, winds, and ocean currents produces ice cover extending far into the southern Bering Sea. In the spring and summer, retreating ice, longer daylight hours, and nutrient-rich ocean water result in exceptionally high marine production, vital to both sea life and people. The intense burst of spring production, together with more episodic summer and early fall production, provides the energy that powers the complex food web and ultimately sustains nearly half of the US annual commercial fish landings, as well as providing food and cultural value to thousands of Bering Sea coastal and island residents.
Modeling the impact of declining sea ice on the Arctic marine planktonic ecosystem

(American Geophysical Union, 2010-10-08) Zhang, Jinlun ; Spitz, Yvette H. ; Steele, Michael ; Ashjian, Carin J. ; Campbell, Robert G. ; Berline, Leo ; Matrai, Patricia

We have developed a coupled 3-D pan-Arctic biology/sea ice/ocean model to investigate the impact of declining Arctic sea ice on the marine planktonic ecosystem over 1988–2007. The biophysical model results agree with satellite observations of a generally downward trend in summer sea ice extent during 1988–2007, resulting in an increase in the simulated photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) at the ocean surface and marine primary productivity (PP) in the upper 100 m over open water areas of the Arctic Ocean. The simulated Arctic sea ice thickness has decreased steadily during 1988–2007, leading to an increase in PAR and PP in sea ice-covered areas. The simulated total PAR in all areas of the Arctic Ocean has increased by 43%, from 146 TW in 1988 to 209 TW in 2007; the corresponding total PP has increased by 50%, from 456 Tg C yr−1 in 1988 to 682 Tg C yr−1 in 2007. The simulated PAR and PP increases mainly occur in the seasonally and permanently ice-covered Arctic Ocean. In addition to increasing PAR, the decline in sea ice tends to increase the nutrient availability in the euphotic zone by enhancing air-sea momentum transfer, leading to strengthened upwelling and mixing in the water column and therefore increased nutrient input into the upper ocean layers from below. The increasing nutrient availability also contributes to the increase in the simulated PP, even though significant surface nutrient drawdown in summer is simulated. In conjunction with increasing surface absorption of solar radiation and rising surface air temperature, the increasing surface water temperature in the Arctic Ocean peripheral seas further contributes to the increase in PP. As PP has increased, so has the simulated biomass of phytoplankton and zooplankton.
The great 2012 Arctic Ocean summer cyclone enhanced biological productivity on the shelves

(John Wiley & Sons, 2014-01-16) Zhang, Jinlun ; Ashjian, Carin J. ; Campbell, Robert G. ; Hill, Victoria ; Spitz, Yvette H. ; Steele, Michael

A coupled biophysical model is used to examine the impact of the great Arctic cyclone of early August 2012 on the marine planktonic ecosystem in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean (PSA). Model results indicate that the cyclone influences the marine planktonic ecosystem by enhancing productivity on the shelves of the Chukchi, East Siberian, and Laptev seas during the storm. Although the cyclone's passage in the PSA lasted only a few days, the simulated biological effects on the shelves last 1 month or longer. At some locations on the shelves, primary productivity (PP) increases by up to 90% and phytoplankton biomass by up to 40% in the wake of the cyclone. The increase in zooplankton biomass is up to 18% on 31 August and remains 10% on 15 September, more than 1 month after the storm. In the central PSA, however, model simulations indicate a decrease in PP and plankton biomass. The biological gain on the shelves and loss in the central PSA are linked to two factors. (1) The cyclone enhances mixing in the upper ocean, which increases nutrient availability in the surface waters of the shelves; enhanced mixing in the central PSA does not increase productivity because nutrients there are mostly depleted through summer draw down by the time of the cyclone's passage. (2) The cyclone also induces divergence, resulting from the cyclone's low-pressure system that drives cyclonic sea ice and upper ocean circulation, which transports more plankton biomass onto the shelves from the central PSA. The simulated biological gain on the shelves is greater than the loss in the central PSA, and therefore, the production on average over the entire PSA is increased by the cyclone. Because the gain on the shelves is offset by the loss in the central PSA, the average increase over the entire PSA is moderate and lasts only about 10 days. The generally positive impact of cyclones on the marine ecosystem in the Arctic, particularly on the shelves, is likely to grow with increasing summer cyclone activity if the Arctic continues to warm and the ice cover continues to shrink.
The influence of sea ice and snow cover and nutrient availability on the formation of massive under-ice phytoplankton blooms in the Chukchi Sea

(Elsevier, 2015-03-09) Zhang, Jinlun ; Ashjian, Carin J. ; Campbell, Robert G. ; Spitz, Yvette H. ; Steele, Michael ; Hill, Victoria

A coupled biophysical model is used to examine the impact of changes in sea ice and snow cover and nutrient availability on the formation of massive under-ice phytoplankton blooms (MUPBs) in the Chukchi Sea of the Arctic Ocean over the period 1988–2013. The model is able to reproduce the basic features of the ICESCAPE (Impacts of Climate on EcoSystems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment) observed MUPB during July 2011. The simulated MUPBs occur every year during 1988–2013, mainly in between mid-June and mid-July. While the simulated under-ice blooms of moderate magnitude are widespread in the Chukchi Sea, MUPBs are less so. On average, the area fraction of MUPBs in the ice-covered areas of the Chukchi Sea during June and July is about 8%, which has been increasing at a rate of 2% yr–1 over 1988–2013. The simulated increase in the area fraction as well as primary productivity and chlorophyll a biomass is linked to an increase in light availability, in response to a decrease in sea ice and snow cover, and an increase in nutrient availability in the upper 100 m of the ocean, in conjunction with an intensification of ocean circulation. Simulated MUPBs are temporally sporadic and spatially patchy because of strong spatiotemporal variations of light and nutrient availability. However, as observed during ICESCAPE, there is a high likelihood that MUPBs may form at the shelf break, where the model simulates enhanced nutrient concentration that is seldom depleted between mid-June and mid-July because of generally robust shelf-break upwelling and other dynamic ocean processes. The occurrence of MUPBs at the shelf break is more frequent in the past decade than in the earlier period because of elevated light availability there. It may be even more frequent in the future if the sea ice and snow cover continues to decline such that light is more available at the shelf break to further boost the formation of MUPBs there.
Spring plankton dynamics in the Eastern Bering Sea, 1971–2050 : mechanisms of interannual variability diagnosed with a numerical model

(John Wiley & Sons, 2016-02-20) Banas, Neil S. ; Zhang, Jinlun ; Campbell, Robert G. ; Sambrotto, Raymond N. ; Lomas, Michael W. ; Sherr, Evelyn B. ; Sherr, Barry F. ; Ashjian, Carin J. ; Stoecker, Diane K. ; Lessard, Evelyn J.

A new planktonic ecosystem model was constructed for the Eastern Bering Sea based on observations from the 2007–2010 BEST/BSIERP (Bering Ecosystem Study/Bering Sea Integrated Ecosystem Research Program) field program. When run with forcing from a data-assimilative ice-ocean hindcast of 1971–2012, the model performs well against observations of spring bloom time evolution (phytoplankton and microzooplankton biomass, growth and grazing rates, and ratios among new, regenerated, and export production). On the southern middle shelf (57°N, station M2), the model replicates the generally inverse relationship between ice-retreat timing and spring bloom timing known from observations, and the simpler direct relationship between the two that has been observed on the northern middle shelf (62°N, station M8). The relationship between simulated mean primary production and mean temperature in spring (15 February to 15 July) is generally positive, although this was found to be an indirect relationship which does not continue to apply across a future projection of temperature and ice cover in the 2040s. At M2, the leading direct controls on total spring primary production are found to be advective and turbulent nutrient supply, suggesting that mesoscale, wind-driven processes—advective transport and storminess—may be crucial to long-term trends in spring primary production in the southeastern Bering Sea, with temperature and ice cover playing only indirect roles. Sensitivity experiments suggest that direct dependence of planktonic growth and metabolic rates on temperature is less significant overall than the other drivers correlated with temperature described above.
Biophysical consequences of a relaxing Beaufort Gyre

(American Geophysical Union, 2019-12-19) Zhang, Jinlun ; Spitz, Yvette H. ; Steele, Michael ; Ashjian, Carin J. ; Campbell, Robert G. ; Schweiger, Axel

A biophysical model shows that Beaufort Gyre (BG) intensification in 2004–2016 is followed by relaxation in 2017–2018, based on a BG variability index. BG intensification leads to enhanced downwelling in the central Canada Basin (CCB) and upwelling along the coast. In the CCB, enhanced downwelling reduces nutrients, thus lowering primary productivity (PP) and plankton biomass. Enhanced upwelling along the coast and in parts of the Chukchi shelf/slope increases nutrients, leading to elevated PP/biomass in the Pacific Arctic Ocean (PAO) outside of the CCB. The overall PAO PP/biomass is dominated by the shelf/slope response and thus increases during BG intensification. As the BG relaxes in 2017–2018, these processes largely reverse, with increasing PP/biomass in the CCB and decreasing PP/biomass in most of the shelf/slope regions. Because the shelf/slope regions are much more productive than the CCB, BG relaxation has the tendency to reduce the overall production in the PAO.
Climate variability, oceanography, bowhead whale distribution, and Iñupiat subsistence whaling near Barrow, Alaska

(Arctic Institute of North America, 2010-06) Ashjian, Carin J. ; Braund, Stephen R. ; Campbell, Robert G. ; George, John C. ; Kruse, Jack ; Maslowski, Wieslaw ; Moore, Sue E. ; Nicolson, Craig R. ; Okkonen, Stephen R. ; Sherr, Barry F. ; Sherr, Evelyn B. ; Spitz, Yvette H.

The annual migration of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) past Barrow, Alaska, has provided subsistence hunting to Iñupiat for centuries. Bowheads recurrently feed on aggregations of zooplankton prey near Barrow in autumn. The mechanisms that form these aggregations, and the associations between whales and oceanography, were investigated using field sampling, retrospective analysis, and traditional knowledge interviews. Oceanographic and aerial surveys were conducted near Barrow during August and September in 2005 and 2006. Multiple water masses were observed, and close coupling between water mass type and biological characteristics was noted. Short-term variability in hydrography was associated with changes in wind speed and direction that profoundly affected plankton taxonomic composition. Aggregations of ca. 50–100 bowhead whales were observed in early September of both years at locations consistent with traditional knowledge. Retrospective analyses of records for 1984–2004 also showed that annual aggregations of whales near Barrow were associated with wind speed and direction. Euphausiids and copepods appear to be upwelled onto the Beaufort Sea shelf during Eor SEwinds. A favorable feeding environment is produced when these plankton are retained and concentrated on the shelf by the prevailing westward Beaufort Sea shelf currents that converge with the Alaska Coastal Current flowing to the northeast along the eastern edge of Barrow Canyon.
Event logs from the U.S. GLOBEC Georges Bank project, from 10 vessels and 104 cruises in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank area from 1994-1999 (GB project)

(Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). Contact: bco-dmo-data@whoi.edu, 2019-02-18) Ashjian, Carin J. ; Bollens, Steve M. ; Bucklin, Ann ; Campbell, Robert ; Davis, Cabell S. ; Durbin, Edward ; Gallager, Scott ; Garrahan, Peter ; Gibson, James ; Gifford, Dian J. ; Green, John ; Greene, Charles H ; Hebert, Dave ; Horgan, Erich ; Houghton, Robert W ; Incze, Lewis ; Irish, Jim ; Ledwell, James R. ; Lentz, Steven J. ; Limeburner, Richard ; Lough, Greg ; Madin, Laurence P. ; Miller, Charles B. ; Mountain, David ; Oakey, Neil ; Schlitz, Ronald ; Sibunka, John ; Smith, Peter C. ; Taylor, Maureen ; Weller, Robert A. ; Wiebe, Peter H. ; Williams, Albert J. ; Wishner, Karen ; Lee, Craig

Event logs from the U.S. GLOBEC Georges Bank project, from 10 vessels and 104 cruises in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank area from 1994-1999. Event logs provide an overall summary of the sampling activities during a cruise. For a complete list of measurements, refer to the full dataset description in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/2321
Video Plankton Recorder data from R/V Columbus Iselin, R/V Endeavor cruises CI9407, EN259, and EN262 in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank from 1994-1995 (GB project)

(Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). Contact: bco-dmo-data@whoi.edu, 2020-01-27) Ashjian, Carin J.

Video Plankton Recorder data from R/V Columbus Iselin, R/V Endeavor cruises CI9407, EN259, and EN262 in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank from 1994-1995 For a complete list of measurements, refer to the full dataset description in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/2331
Surface chlorophyll anomalies induced by mesoscale eddy-wind interactions in the northern Norwegian Sea

(Frontiers Media, 2022-09-29) Dong, Huizi ; Zhou, Meng ; Raj, Roshin P. ; Smith, Walker O. ; Basedow, Sünnje L. ; Ji, Rubao ; Ashjian, Carin ; Zhang, Zhaoru ; Hu, Ziyuan

The substantial productivity of the northern Norwegian Sea is closely related to its strong mesoscale eddy activity, but how eddies affect phytoplankton biomass levels in the upper ocean through horizontal and vertical transport-mixing has not been well quantified. To assess mesoscale eddy induced ocean surface chlorophyll-a concentration (CHL) anomalies and modulation of eddy-wind interactions in the region, we constructed composite averaged CHL and wind anomalies from 3,841 snapshots of anticyclonic eddies (ACEs) and 2,727 snapshots of cyclonic eddies (CEs) over the period 2000-2020 using satellite altimetry, scatterometry, and ocean color products. Results indicate that eddy pumping induces negative (positive) CHL anomalies within ACEs (CEs), while Ekman pumping caused by wind-eddy interactions induces positive (negative) CHL anomalies within ACEs (CEs). Eddy-induced Ekman upwelling plays a key role in the unusual positive CHL anomalies within the ACEs and results in the vertical transport of nutrients that stimulates phytoplankton growth and elevated productivity of the region. Seasonal shoaling of the mixed layer depth (MLD) results in greater irradiance levels available for phytoplankton growth, thereby promoting spring blooms, which in combination with strong eddy activity leads to large CHL anomalies in May and June. The combined processes of wind-eddy interactions and seasonal shallowing of MLD play a key role in generating surface CHL anomalies and is a major factor in the regulation of phytoplankton biomass in the northern Norwegian Sea.
Coastal upwelling enhances abundance of a symbiotic diazotroph (UCYN-A) and its haptophyte host in the Arctic Ocean

(Frontiers Media, 2022-09-05) Selden, Corday R. ; Einarsson, Sveinn V. ; Lowry, Kate E. ; Crider, Katherine E. ; Pickart, Robert S. ; Lin, Peigen ; Ashjian, Carin J. ; Chappell, P. Dreux

The apparently obligate symbiosis between the diazotroph Candidatus Atelocyanobacterium thalassa (UCYN-A) and its haptophyte host,Braarudosphaera bigelowii , has recently been found to fix dinitrogen (N2) in polar waters at rates (per cell) comparable to those observed in the tropical/subtropical oligotrophic ocean basins. This study presents the novel observation that this symbiosis increased in abundance during a wind-driven upwelling event along the Alaskan Beaufort shelfbreak. As upwelling relaxed, the relative abundance of B. bigelowii among eukaryotic phytoplankton increased most significantly in waters over the upper slope. As the host’s nitrogen demands are believed to be supplied primarily by UCYN-A, this response suggests that upwelling may enhance N2 fixation as displaced coastal waters are advected offshore, potentially extending the duration of upwelling-induced phytoplankton blooms. Given that such events are projected to increase in intensity and number with ocean warming, upwelling-driven N2 fixation as a feedback on climate merits investigation.
Zooplankton abundance and stages from MOCNESS nets from the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer from the Southern Ocean, 2001-2002 (SOGLOBEC project, Southern Ocean Krill project)

(Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). Contact: bco-dmo-data@whoi.edu, 2019-02-06) Ashjian, Carin J. ; Wiebe, Peter H.

Zooplankton from MOCNESS nets were identified and the net sample displacement volume was measured from the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer, Southern Ocean, 2001-2002. For a complete list of measurements, refer to the full dataset description in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/2387
BIOMAPERII environmental data from the Video Plankton Recorder (VPR) data stream from RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer cruises NBP0103 and NBP0104 in the Southern Ocean from 2001 (SOGLOBEC project)

(Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). Contact: bco-dmo-data@whoi.edu, 2019-03-04) Ashjian, Carin J.

BIOMAPERII environmental data from the Video Plankton Recorder (VPR) data stream from RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer cruises NBP0103 and NBP0104 in the Southern Ocean from 2001 (SOGLOBEC project) For a complete list of measurements, refer to the full dataset description in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/2355
Zooplankton abundance and biomass from MOCNESS silhouettes, from the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer NBP0103, NBP0104 from the Southern Ocean, 2001-2002 (SOGLOBEC project, Southern Ocean Krill project)

(Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). Contact: bco-dmo-data@whoi.edu, 2019-02-06) Ashjian, Carin J. ; Wiebe, Peter H.

Zooplankton abundance and biomass from MOCNESS silhouettes, from the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer NBP0103, NBP0104 from the Southern Ocean, austral fall and winter, 2001-2002 For a complete list of measurements, refer to the full dataset description in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/2389
Biological structure and seasonality in the Japan/East Sea

(Oceanography Society, 2006-09) Ashjian, Carin J. ; Arnone, Robert ; Davis, Cabell S. ; Jones, Burton ; Kahru, Mati ; Lee, Craig M. ; Mitchell, B. Gregory

The Japan/East Sea (JES) contains several oceanic regions separated by dynamic boundaries. These distinct regions, and the physical features that establish and maintain the boundaries between the regions, have significant impacts on its ocean biology. Until recently, most studies of the biology of the JES have focused on nearshore regions, with few detailed studies of the interior of the JES or the dynamic features that define the different regions. In addition, the classic sampling methods used in previous work have not allowed high-resolution studies of biological-physical interactions associated with key dynamic mesoscale frontal zones, quasi-synoptic surveys of water column and biological structure in three dimensions, or broad-scale description of the seasonal cycles in the different biogeographic regions of the JES.
Biogeographic responses of the copepod Calanus glacialis to a changing Arctic marine environment

( 2017-08-24) Feng, Zhixuan ; Ji, Rubao ; Ashjian, Carin J. ; Campbell, Robert G. ; Zhang, Jinlun

Dramatic changes have occurred in the Arctic Ocean over the past few decades, especially in terms of sea ice loss and ocean warming. Those environmental changes may modify the planktonic ecosystem with changes from lower to upper trophic levels. This study aimed to understand how the biogeographic distribution of a crucial endemic copepod species, Calanus glacialis, may respond to both abiotic (ocean temperature) and biotic (phytoplankton prey) drivers. A copepod individual-based model coupled to an ice-ocean-biogeochemical model was utilized to simulate temperature- and food-dependent life cycle development of C. glacialis annually from 1980 to 2014. Over the 35-year study period, the northern boundaries of modeled diapausing C. glacialis expanded poleward and the annual success rates of C. glacialis individuals attaining diapause in a circumpolar transition zone increased substantially. Those patterns could be explained by a lengthening growth season (during which time food is ample) and shortening critical development time (the period from the first feeding stage N3 to the diapausing stage C4). The biogeographic changes were further linked to large scale oceanic processes, particularly diminishing sea ice cover, upper ocean warming, and increasing and prolonging food availability, which could have potential consequences to the entire Arctic shelf/slope marine ecosystems.
Intrusion of warm Bering/Chukchi waters onto the shelf in the western Beaufort Sea

(American Geophysical Union, 2009-06-27) Okkonen, Stephen R. ; Ashjian, Carin J. ; Campbell, Robert G. ; Maslowski, Wieslaw ; Clement-Kinney, Jaclyn L. ; Potter, Rachel

Wind-driven changes in the path of warm Bering/Chukchi waters carried by the Alaska Coastal Current (ACC) through Barrow Canyon during late summer are described from high-resolution hydrography, acoustic Doppler current profiler–measured currents, and satellite-measured sea surface temperature imagery acquired from mid-August to mid-September 2005–2007 near Barrow, Alaska. Numerical simulations are used to provide a multidecadal context for these observational data. Four generalized wind regimes and associated circulation states are identified. When winds are from the east or east-southeast, the ACC jet tends to be relatively strong and flows adjacent to the shelf break along the southern flank of Barrow Canyon. These easterly winds drive inner shelf currents northwestward along the Alaskan Beaufort coast where they oppose significant eastward intrusions of warm water from Barrow Canyon onto the shelf. Because these easterly winds promote sea level set down over the Beaufort shelf and upwelling along the Beaufort slope, the ACC jet necessarily becomes weaker, broader, and displaced seaward from the Beaufort shelf break upon exiting Barrow Canyon. Winds from the northeast promote separation of the ACC from the southern flank of Barrow Canyon and establish an up-canyon current along the southern flank that is fed in part by waters from the western Beaufort shelf. When winds are weak or from the southwest, warm Bering/Chukchi waters from Barrow Canyon intrude onto the western Beaufort shelf.
Water properties, heat and volume fluxes of Pacific water in Barrow Canyon during summer 2010

(Elsevier, 2015-04-25) Itoh, Motoyo ; Pickart, Robert S. ; Kikuchi, Takashi ; Fukamachi, Yasushi ; Ohshima, Kay I. ; Simizu, Daisuke ; Arrigo, Kevin R. ; Vagle, Svein ; He, Jianfeng ; Ashjian, Carin J. ; Mathis, Jeremy T. ; Nishino, Shigeto ; Nobre, Carolina

Over the past few decades, sea ice retreat during summer has been enhanced in the Pacific sector of the Arctic basin, likely due in part to increasing summertime heat flux of Pacific-origin water from the Bering Strait. Barrow Canyon, in the northeast Chukchi Sea, is a major conduit through which the Pacific-origin water enters the Arctic basin. This paper presents results from 6 repeat high-resolution shipboard hydrographic/velocity sections occupied across Barrow Canyon in summer 2010. The different Pacific water masses feeding the canyon – Alaskan coastal water (ACW), summer Bering Sea water (BSW), and Pacific winter water (PWW) – all displayed significant intra-seasonal variability. Net volume transports through the canyon were between 0.96 and 1.70 Sv poleward, consisting of 0.41–0.98 Sv of warm Pacific water (ACW and BSW) and 0.28–0.65 Sv of PWW. The poleward heat flux also varied strongly, ranging from 8.56 TW to 24.56 TW, mainly due to the change in temperature of the warm Pacific water. Using supplemental mooring data from the core of the warm water, along with wind data from the Pt. Barrow weather station, we derive and assess a proxy for estimating heat flux in the canyon for the summer time period, which is when most of the heat passes northward towards the basin. The average heat flux for 2010 was estimated to be 3.34 TW, which is as large as the previous record maximum in 2007. This amount of heat could melt 315,000 km2 of 1-meter thick ice, which likely contributed to significant summer sea ice retreat in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean.

Ashjian Carin J.

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