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The Earth's Hydrological Cycle pp 661–679Cite as

Toward Improved Estimation of the Dynamic Topography and Ocean Circulation in the High Latitude and Arctic Ocean: The Importance of GOCE

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Part of the book series: Space Sciences Series of ISSI ((SSSI,volume 46))

Abstract

The Arctic plays a fundamental role in the climate system and shows significant sensitivity to anthropogenic climate forcing and the ongoing climate change. Accelerated changes in the Arctic are already observed, including elevated air and ocean temperatures, declines of the summer sea ice extent and sea ice thickness influencing the albedo and CO2 exchange, melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet and increased thawing of surrounding permafrost regions. In turn, the hydrological cycle in the high latitude and Arctic is expected to undergo changes although to date it is challenging to accurately quantify this. Moreover, changes in the temperature and salinity of surface waters in the Arctic Ocean and Nordic Seas may also influence the flow of dense water through the Denmark Strait, which are found to be a precursor for changes in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation with a lead time of around 10 years (Hawkins and Sutton in Geophys Res Lett 35:L11603, 2008). Evidently changes in the Arctic and surrounding seas have far reaching influences on regional and global environment and climate variability, thus emphasizing the need for advanced quantitative understanding of the ocean circulation and transport variability in the high latitude and Arctic Ocean. In this respect, this study combines in situ hydrographical data, surface drifter data and direct current meter measurements, with coupled sea ice–ocean models, radar altimeter data and the latest GOCE-based geoid in order to estimate and assess the quality, usefulness and validity of the new GOCE-derived mean dynamic topography for studies of the ocean circulation and transport estimates in the Nordic Seas and Arctic Ocean.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center, Bergen, Norway

    J. A. Johannessen, R. P. Raj, J. E. Ø. Nilsen, T. Pripp, F. Counillon & L. Bertino

  2. National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark

    P. Knudsen & O. B. Andersen

  3. Center für Erdsystemforschung und Nachhaltigkeit (CEN), University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    D. Stammer, N. Serra & N. Koldunov

Authors
  1. J. A. Johannessen
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  2. R. P. Raj
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  3. J. E. Ø. Nilsen
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  4. T. Pripp
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  5. P. Knudsen
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  6. F. Counillon
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  7. D. Stammer
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  8. L. Bertino
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  9. O. B. Andersen
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  10. N. Serra
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  11. N. Koldunov
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. A. Johannessen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. International Space Science Institute, Hallerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Lennart Bengtsson , R.-M. Bonnet  & M. Calisto ,  & 

  2. Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 8, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden

    G. Destouni

  3. University of Reading, Earley Gate 3, RG6 6AL, Reading, United Kingdom

    R. Gurney

  4. Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center, Thormøhlens gate 47, 5006, Bergen, Norway

    J. Johannessen

  5. Center for the Study of the Biosphere from Space, Avenue Edouard Belin 18, 31401, Toulouse, France

    Y. Kerr

  6. Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Instituttveien 18, 2027, Kjeller, Norway

    W.A. Lahoz

  7. ESA-ESRIN, Via Galileo Galilei, 00044, Frascati, Italy

    M. Rast

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Johannessen, J.A. et al. (2014). Toward Improved Estimation of the Dynamic Topography and Ocean Circulation in the High Latitude and Arctic Ocean: The Importance of GOCE. In: Bengtsson, L., et al. The Earth's Hydrological Cycle. Space Sciences Series of ISSI, vol 46. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8789-5_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8789-5_9

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  • Print ISBN: 978-94-017-8788-8

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