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The Arctic Ocean's Beaufort Gyre.
Mary-Louise Timmermans1, John M Toole2
1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA;
Annual Review of Marine Science
|August 16, 2022
Summary
The Arctic Ocean's Beaufort Gyre shows significant changes, including intensified circulation and increased heat and freshwater content, linked to sea-ice loss. This review evaluates current understanding of these climate change indicators.
Area of Science:
- Oceanography
- Climate Science
- Arctic Studies
Background:
- The Beaufort Gyre is a key feature of the Arctic Ocean.
- It is a significant indicator of climate change and influences high-latitude climate.
- Recent decades show pronounced changes within the Beaufort Gyre system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current state of knowledge on the wind-driven Beaufort Gyre.
- To evaluate recent changes in the gyre's forcing, sea-ice cover, circulation, and energetics.
- To update time series of heat and freshwater content with the latest observations.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of the Beaufort Gyre.
- Analysis of recent observational data.
- Evaluation of gyre forcing, sea-ice dynamics, and water mass properties.
Main Results:
- The Beaufort Gyre circulation has intensified.
- Significant sea-ice losses have occurred.
- Increasing heat and freshwater content have been observed in the gyre.
Conclusions:
- The Beaufort Gyre is undergoing substantial changes.
- These changes are linked to broader Arctic climate shifts.
- Further understanding is needed to fully grasp the gyre's role in climate regulation.
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