Changes in Freshwater Content in the Arctic Basin, Sea Ice Cover Reduction and Warming in the Arctic

Abstract

The paper deals with global changes in regime and climate of Arctic basin. Changes in the content and inflows of freshwater into the upper 100 m layer of the Arctic basin from decade to decade (1950s – 2010s) were determined. Data from national expedition surveys of the Arctic Basin in the 1950s to the 1970s combined with data from expe- ditions in the 1980s to the 2010s were used. The results obtained showed that freshwater content (FWC) decreased in the Eurasian and increased in the Amerasian part of the Arctic basin in the 1990s – 2000s. The decrease in the FWC occurred in the result of increased Atlantic water inflow since the 1990s and the salinization of the upper 100 m layer of Arctic Ocean, despite increased precipitation, river runoff and sea ice melt. The influence from the tropics of the North Atlantic on climatic changes in the structure of Arctic basin waters, on the reduction of the sea ice cover and warming in the Arctic with a delay of 2-3 years was established. Methods of multidimensional correlation analysis, calculation of spectra and coherences, and construction of correlation graphs were used.