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Heat transfer from Atlantic waters to sea ice in the Arctic Ocean: Evidence from dissolved argon
Author(s) -
Moore R. M.,
Spitzer W.
Publication year - 1990
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/gl017i012p02149
Subject(s) - seawater , oceanography , salinity , arctic ice pack , sea ice , temperature salinity diagrams , arctic , geology , environmental science , climatology
In an attempt to determine whether the temperature and salinity properties of Arctic Ocean waters above the Atlantic water temperature maximum are the result of heat transfer to sea‐ice, dissolved Ar has been measured as a temperature tracer. Consistent with such a hypothesis, it is found that there is a transition from supersaturation of Ar in the upper waters to undersaturation below a depth of 275m. Using the known dependence of the solubility of Ar on T and S, and assuming that the water was originally equilibrated with the atmosphere at 760mm Hg, it has been calculated that ca. 0.6° C of cooling can be attributed to transfer of heat to sea‐ice.