Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of tides on the volume of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean

  • Article
  • Published:
Ocean Science Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Tides are believed to drive vertical mixing in the Arctic Ocean, thereby helping heat to reach the bottom of the sea ice layer, especially in regions with thick ice covers. However, tides are usually not included in ocean models. We investigated the effect of tides on sea ice in the Arctic Ocean using an ice-coupled ocean model that includes tides simultaneously. We found that with tidal forcing, the volume of sea ice increased by 8.5% in Baffin Bay, whereas it decreased by 17.8% in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The increase in sea ice volume in Baffin Bay results from the convergence of sea ice, driven by tidal residual currents. In contrast, the decrease in ice volume in the Canadian Archipelago is due to the suppression of ice formation in winter, especially in areas with steep topography, where the vertical mixing of temperature is enhanced by tides. Our results imply that tides should be directly included into the oceanic general circulation model (OGCM) to realistically reproduce the distribution of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Carton JA, Chepurin G, Cao X, Giese B (2000) A simple ocean data assimilation analysis of the global upper ocean 1950-95. Part 1: methodology. J Phys Oceanogr 30(2):294–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman DC (1985) Numerical treatment of cross-shelf open boundaries in a barotropic coastal ocean model. J Phys Oceanogr 15(8):1060–1075

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fairall CW, Bradley EF, Rogers DP, Edson JB, Young GS (1996) Bulk parameterization of air-sea fluxes for tropical ocean-global atmosphere coupled-ocean atmosphere response. J Geophys Res 101:3747–3764

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flather RA (1976) A tidal model of the northwest European continental shelf. Mem Soc R Sci Liege 10(6):141–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Hakkinen S, Mellor GL (1992) Modeling the seasonal variability of the coupled Arctic ice-ocean system. J Geophys Res 97:20285–20304. doi:10.1029/92JC02037

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holloway G, Proshutinsky A (2007) Role of tides in Arctic ocean/ice climate. J Geophys Res 112:C04S06. doi:10.1029/2006JC003643

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunke EC (2001) Viscous-plastic sea ice dynamics with the evp model: linearization issues. J Comp Phys 170(1):18–38. doi:10.1006/jcph.2001.6710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunke EC, Dukowicz JK (1997) An elastic-viscous-plastic model for sea ice dynamics. J Phys Oceanogr 27(9):1849–1867

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jakobsson M, Mayer L, Coakley B, Dowdeswell JA, Forbes S, Fridman B, Hodnesdal H, Noormets R, Pedersen R, Rebesco M, Schenke HW, Zarayskaya Y, Accettella D, Armstrong A, Anderson RM, Bienhoff P, Camerlenghi A, Church I, Edwards M, Gardner JV, Hall JK, Hell B, Hestvik O, Kristoffersen Y, Marcussen C, Mohammad R, Mosher D, Nghiem SV, Pedrosa MT, Travaglini PG, Weatherall P (2012) The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO) Version 3.0. Geophys Res Lett 39:L12609. doi:10.1029/2012GL052219

    Google Scholar 

  • Kwok R, Rothrock DA (2009) Decline in Arctic sea ice thickness from submarine and ICESat records: 1958–2008. Geophys Res Lett 36:L15501. doi:10.1029/2009GL039035

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Large WG, McWilliams JC, Doney SC (1994) Oceanic vertical mixing: a review and a model with a nonlocal boundary layer parameterization. Rev Geophys 32(4):363–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levine MD, Paulson CA, Morison JH (1987) Observations of internal gravity waves under the Arctic pack ice. J Geophys Res 92(C1):779–782

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luneva MV, Aksenov Y, Harle JD, Holt JT (2015) The effects of tides on the water mass mixing and sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. J Geophys Res 120(10):6669–6699

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marchesiello P, McWilliams JC, Shchepetkin AF (2001) Open boundary conditions for long-term integration of regional ocean models. Ocean Model 3(1):1–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mellor GL, Kantha L (1989) An ice-ocean coupled model. J Geophys Res 94(C8):10937–10954

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Padman L, Dillon TM (1991) Turbulent mixing near the Yermak Plateau during the Coordinated Eastern Arctic Experiment. J Geophys Res 96(C3):4769–4782. doi:10.1029/90JC02260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polyakov IV, Timokhov LA, Dmitrenko IA, Ivanov VV, Simmons HL, Beszczynska-Möller A, Kickson R, Fahrbach E, Fortier L, Gascard JC, Hölemann J, Holliday NP, Hansen E, Mauritzen C, Piechura J, Pickart R, Schauer U, Walczowski W, Steele M (2007) Observational program tracks Arctic Ocean transition to a warmer state. Eos Trans Amer Geophys Union 88(40):398–399. doi:10.1029/2007EO400002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polyakov IV, Timokhov LA, Alexeev VA, Bacon S, Dmitrenko IA, Fortier L, Frolov IE, Gascard JC, Hansen E, Ivanov VV, Laxon S, Mauritzen C, Perovich D, Shimada K, Simmons HL, Sokolov VT, Steele M, Toole J (2010) Arctic Ocean warming contributes to reduced polar ice cap. J Phys Oceanogr 40:2743–2756. doi: 10.1175/2010JPO4339.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rayner NA, Parker DE, Horton EB, Folland CK, Alexander LV, Rowell DP, Kent EC, Kalpan A (2003) Global analyses of sea surface temperature, sea ice, and night marine air temperature since the late nineteenth century. J Geophys Res 108(D14):4407. doi:10.1029/2002JD002670

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rippeth TP, Lincoln BJ, Lenn YD, Mattias Green JA, Sundfjord A, Bacon S (2015) Tide-mediated warming of Arctic halocline by Atlantic heat fluxes over rough topography. Nat Geosci 8:191–194. doi:10.1038/NGEO2350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rothrock DA, Zhang J, Yu Y (2003) The arctic ice thickness anomaly of the 1990s: a consistent view from observations and models. J Geophys Res 108(C3):3083. doi:10.1029/2001JC001208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smagorinsky J (1963) General circulation experiments with the primitive equations, I. The basic experiment. Mon Weather Rev 91:99–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steele M, Boyd T (1998) Retreat of the cold halocline layer in the Arctic Ocean. J Geophys Res 103(C5):10419–10435. doi:10.1029/98JC00580

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steele M, Morley R, Ermold W (2001) PHC: a global ocean hydrography with a high-quality Arctic Ocean. J Climate 14(9):2079–2087

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vancoppenolle M, Fichefet T, Goosse H, Bouillon S, Madec G, Maqueda MAM (2009) Simulating the mass balance and salinity of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. Part 1. Model description and validation. Ocean Model 27(1):33–53. doi:10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.10.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Kwok R, Saucier FJ, Hutchings J, Ikeda M, Hibler W, Haapala J, Coon MD, Markus Meier HE, Eicken H, Tanaka N, Prentki D, Johnson W (2003) Working toward improved small-scale sea ice-ocean modeling in the Arctic Seas. Eos Trans Amer Geophys Union 84(34):325–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilchinsky AV, Feltham DL, Miller PA (2006) A multi-thickness sea ice model accounting for sliding friction. J phys oceanogr 36(9):1719–1738

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodgate RA, Weingartner TJ, Lindsay R (2012) Observed increases in Bering Strait oceanic fluxes from the Pacific to the Arctic from 2001 to 2011 and their impacts on the Arctic Ocean water column. Geophys Res Lett 39:L24603. doi:10.1029/2012GL054092

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yi D, Zwally J (2010) Arctic sea ice freeboard and thickness. National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder. doi:10.5067/SXJVJ3A2XIZT

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ocean Science, College of Ocean Science and Technology, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan, 49112, Korea

    Mi Ok Kwon & Ho Jin Lee

  2. Ocean Science and Technology School, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan, 49112, Korea

    Ho Jin Lee

Authors
  1. Mi Ok Kwon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ho Jin Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ho Jin Lee.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kwon, M.O., Lee, H.J. The effect of tides on the volume of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. Ocean Sci. J. 51, 183–194 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12601-016-0016-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12601-016-0016-x

Key words

Search

Navigation