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Arctic warming hotspot in the northern Barents Sea linked to declining sea-ice import

Author

Listed:
  • Sigrid Lind

    (Institute of Marine Research
    University of Bergen and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research)

  • Randi B. Ingvaldsen

    (Institute of Marine Research)

  • Tore Furevik

    (University of Bergen and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research)

Abstract

The Arctic has warmed dramatically in recent decades, with greatest temperature increases observed in the northern Barents Sea. The warming signatures are not constrained to the atmosphere, but extend throughout the water column. Here, using a compilation of hydrographic observations from 1970 to 2016, we investigate the link between changing sea-ice import and this Arctic warming hotspot. A sharp increase in ocean temperature and salinity is apparent from the mid-2000s, which we show can be linked to a recent decline in sea-ice import and a corresponding loss in freshwater, leading to weakened ocean stratification, enhanced vertical mixing and increased upward fluxes of heat and salt that prevent sea-ice formation and increase ocean heat content. Thus, the northern Barents Sea may soon complete the transition from a cold and stratified Arctic to a warm and well-mixed Atlantic-dominated climate regime. Such a shift would have unknown consequences for the Barents Sea ecosystem, including ice-associated marine mammals and commercial fish stocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Sigrid Lind & Randi B. Ingvaldsen & Tore Furevik, 2018. "Arctic warming hotspot in the northern Barents Sea linked to declining sea-ice import," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(7), pages 634-639, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:8:y:2018:i:7:d:10.1038_s41558-018-0205-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-018-0205-y
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. James E. Overland, 2021. "Rare events in the Arctic," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 168(3), pages 1-13, October.
    2. Rashit M. Hantemirov & Christophe Corona & Sébastien Guillet & Stepan G. Shiyatov & Markus Stoffel & Timothy J. Osborn & Thomas M. Melvin & Ludmila A. Gorlanova & Vladimir V. Kukarskih & Alexander Y. , 2022. "Current Siberian heating is unprecedented during the past seven millennia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Caroline V. B. Gjelstrup & Mikael K. Sejr & Laura Steur & Jørgen Schou Christiansen & Mats A. Granskog & Boris P. Koch & Eva Friis Møller & Mie H. S. Winding & Colin A. Stedmon, 2022. "Vertical redistribution of principle water masses on the Northeast Greenland Shelf," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Yoko Yamagami & Masahiro Watanabe & Masato Mori & Jun Ono, 2022. "Barents-Kara sea-ice decline attributed to surface warming in the Gulf Stream," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Andrea Storto & Chunxue Yang, 2024. "Acceleration of the ocean warming from 1961 to 2022 unveiled by large-ensemble reanalyses," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Jie Huang & Robert S. Pickart & Zhuomin Chen & Rui Xin Huang, 2023. "Role of air-sea heat flux on the transformation of Atlantic Water encircling the Nordic Seas," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. S. B. Cornish & H. L. Johnson & R. D. C. Mallett & J. Dörr & Y. Kostov & A. E. Richards, 2022. "Rise and fall of sea ice production in the Arctic Ocean’s ice factories," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.

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