Freshwater in Arctic Ocean 20% up since 1990's

[intaglio]

A coincidental follow on from my post yesterday about arctic ice coverage. (That post here

As Reported in Science Daily

The freshwater content of the upper Arctic Ocean has increased by about 20 percent since the 1990s, according to a new large-scale assessment. This corresponds to a rise of approximately 8,400 cubic kilometres and has the same magnitude as the volume of freshwater annually exported on average from this marine region in liquid or frozen form.

The result is published by researchers of the Alfred Wegener Institute in the journal Deep-Sea Research.

/snip

This freshwater lies as a light layer on top of the deeper salty and warm ocean layers and thus extensively cuts off heat flow to the ice and atmosphere. Changes in this layer are therefore major control parameters for the sensitive heat balance of the Arctic. We can expect that the additional amount of freshwater in the near-surface layer of the Arctic Ocean will flow out into the North Atlantic in the coming years. The amount of freshwater flowing out of the Arctic influences the formation of deep water in the Greenland Sea and Labrador Sea and thus has impacts on global ocean circulation.

If I recall correctly lower salinity in the arctic has an effect on the "Atlantic Conveyor" currents, including the Gulf Stream.

[shraby]

1. Your recall is correct. Once the Gulf Stream quits working

properly, we are in a world of hurt.

[kestrel91316]

2. I've been reassured right here on DU that the Atlantic Conveyer will NEVER shut

down and I should stop my handwringing over it.

[underseasurveyor]

3. Yea what do those dumb scientists, that study and monitor this stuff for years,

think they know anyway :evilgrin: