Join IARC for Till Baumann’s PhD thesis defense titled response of major modes of eastern Arctic Ocean variability to climate change. Till is advised by Igor Polyakov.

Abstract: The Arctic Ocean plays a central role in ongoing climate change, with sea-ice loss being the most prominent indicator. In recent years, an increased influence of Atlantic inflows on sea-ice reduction was discovered. This encroaching atlantification of the easternArctic Ocean has substantial impact on the hydrography and ocean dynamics in the region. In this study, we assess the state of hydrographic seasonal cycles and tidal current dynamics in the eastern Eurasian Basin (EEB). The central data set used in this work stems from a set of six moorings deployed across the EEB continental slope along the 125°E meridian between 2013 and 2015 within the NABOS project.Results show a complex pattern of seasonality with a remarkably strong (ΔT=1.4°C), deep reaching (~600m) temperature signal over the continental slope. Tidal analysis reveals avigorous baroclinic (depth and time varying) component of tidal currents in the region.Unprecedented tidal amplitudes of over 40cm/s are observed far offshore during the ice-free summers. These findings indicate a new, more dynamic state of the eastern Arctic Ocean with direct implications for the ecosystem and further sea-ice reduction.In order to investigate the impact of tidal dynamics on an Arctic-wide scale, a pan-Arctic tidal current atlas is developed that synthesizes all available observations from the last ~15 years.

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