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Atlantic water recirculation in the northern Barents Sea affects winter sea ice extent

Author

Listed:
  • Finn Ole Heukamp

    (Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research)

  • Claudia Wekerle

    (Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research)

  • Torsten Kanzow

    (Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
    University of Bremen)

  • Rebecca McPherson

    (Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research)

  • Till M. Baumann

    (Institute of Marine Research
    Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research)

Abstract

Over the past 50 years, Arctic sea ice has declined in all seasons, with particularly pronounced winter reductions in the Barents Sea. While temperature changes in the Atlantic Water inflow and atmospheric-driven melt have been identified as key drivers of this decline, the role of the return-flow of Atlantic Water in the northern Barents Sea Opening, linked to its recirculation back into the Nordic Seas, has remained largely unrecognized. Using a global ocean and sea ice model, we find that the volume transport of the Atlantic Water return-flow is strongly correlated with the sea ice area in the Barents Sea. In addition, we find that, over the past 40 years, the return-flow has steadily weakened without a corresponding change in inflow. Here, we show that reduced Atlantic Water removal by a weakened return-flow contributes to both interannual variability and the sustained loss of Barents Sea sea ice.

Suggested Citation

  • Finn Ole Heukamp & Claudia Wekerle & Torsten Kanzow & Rebecca McPherson & Till M. Baumann, 2025. "Atlantic water recirculation in the northern Barents Sea affects winter sea ice extent," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59992-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59992-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Claudia Wekerle & Rebecca McPherson & Wilken-Jon von Appen & Qiang Wang & Ralph Timmermann & Patrick Scholz & Sergey Danilov & Qi Shu & Torsten Kanzow, 2024. "Atlantic Water warming increases melt below Northeast Greenland’s last floating ice tongue," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Binhe Luo & Dehai Luo & Yao Ge & Aiguo Dai & Lin Wang & Ian Simmonds & Cunde Xiao & Lixin Wu & Yao Yao, 2023. "Origins of Barents-Kara sea-ice interannual variability modulated by the Atlantic pathway of El Niño–Southern Oscillation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. 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.
    4. Qi Shu & Qiang Wang & Zhenya Song & Fangli Qiao, 2021. "The poleward enhanced Arctic Ocean cooling machine in a warming climate," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
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