Recent Changes in the Freshwater Distribution of the Arctic Seas

A comparison of upper ocean salinity data obtained through several large monitoring programs in the Arctic Ocean in the 2000s show that the freshwater content (FWC) in the Beaufort Gyre has been increasing, while other regions have not shown any notable changes through 2008. Increasing liquid freshwater fluxes (FWF) in Davis Strait and to a small extent in Fram Strait, indicate that enhanced outflowing fluxes from the Arctic Ocean may lead a decrease of FWC within a few years. Observations north of Greenland in spring 2009 show that fresher surface waters have spread further east towards the exiting straits. This appears to have happened in conjunction with much stronger sea-ice motion across the Arctic and a spin down of the anticyclonic recirculation cell of the Beaufort Gyre. We expect these processes may result in a new positive liquid freshwater anomaly exiting the Arctic soon.