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Sea level rise in the Arctic Ocean
Author(s) -
Proshutinsky Andrey,
Pavlov Vladimir,
Bourke Robert H.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl012760
Subject(s) - arctic sea ice decline , thermohaline circulation , oceanography , climatology , arctic , tide gauge , sea ice , arctic dipole anomaly , environmental science , arctic ice pack , arctic geoengineering , sea level , climate change , effects of global warming on oceans , ocean current , global warming , geology , drift ice
About 60 tide‐gauge stations in the Kara, Laptev, East‐Siberian and Chukchi Seas have recorded the sea level change from the 1950s through 1990s. Over this 40‐year period, most of these stations show a significant sea level rise (SLR). In light of global change, this SLR could be a manifestation of warming in the Arctic coupled with a decrease of sea ice extent, warming of Atlantic waters, changes in the Arctic Ocean circulation, and an increase in coastal erosion and thawing of permafrost. We have analyzed monthly mean sea level data and assessed the role that different factors may play in influencing the process of sea level change in the Arctic Ocean. Analysis of the observational data and model results shows that changes in the patterns of wind‐driven and thermohaline circulation may account for most of the increase of sea level in the Arctic Ocean and their cumulative action can explain more than 80% of the sea level variability during 1950–1990.