Transpolar Drift

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Transpolar Drift

• By Danielle Holden

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Background

• Moves from Siberian Coast of Russia through Fram
  Strait and joins the Eastern Greenland Current
• Moves at 1-3 cm/s
• Depth 2000 m

Arctic Ocean circulation. Image courtesy of
Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme
(AMAP), Figure 3.29, AMAP (1998).
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Ice/Fresh Water Circulation

• Beaufort Gyre and Transpolar Drift exchange ice
  between each other
• The amount of fresh water transported depends on
  how much ice was melted in the Arctic
• 50-70 albedo in Arctic
• Sensible heat loss into air and ocean
• Transpolar Drift collides ice into Greenland
  coast ridge formation and thick ice

The amount of ice export Source Torben Königk et
al Fram Strait Ice Export Variability and its
Impact on Climate
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Circulation and NAO

• Positive and Negative Phases affect the
  Transpolar Drift differently
• Positive phase creates westerlies in Arctic,
  colder air more sea ice, less ice and water
  transport
• Negative phase weak winds in Arctic, warmer air,
  less sea ice, more ice and water transport

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Circulation and Vorticity

• Decadal Oscillations between () and (-)
  vorticities
• Positive and Negative vorticities affect where
  the current travels. There are 2 paths.
• Positive Vorticity Phase Weak High Pressure in
  Arctic allows fresh water/sea ice to drift
  counterclockwise. (RED)
• Negative Vorticity Phase Strong High Pressure
  forces fresh water clockwise (BLUE)

Transpolar Drift Paths Source Mysak Patterns
of Arctic Circulation
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References

• http//www.giub.unibe.ch/klimet/wanner/nao.html
• http//nsidc.org/seaice/processes/circulation.html
  
• Knauss, John A. Introduction to Physical
  Oceanography. Long Grove Waveland Pr Inc, 2005.
• Koenigk, T., J. Jungclaus, and U. Mikolajewicz.
  "Fram Strait Ice Export Variability and its
  Impact on Climate." American Geohysical Union
  (2004).
• Mysak, Lawrence A. "Patterns of Arctic
  Circulation." Science 293 (2001) 1269-270.