The freshwater budget of the Arctic Ocean : [proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on the Freshwater Budget of the Arctic Ocean, Tallinn, Estonia, 27 April - 1 May 1998

Following a decision by the Arctic Ocean Sciences Board (AOSB) in July 1996 the then chainnan, Geoffrey Holland, wrote a letter of invitation to a meeting to plan a "Symposium on the Freshwater Balance of the Arctic". The meeting was held in Ottawa on November 12-13 1996 and was attended by representatives of various organisations, including the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), as well as individual scientists. Results of this meeting included: • Co-sponsorship with AOSB by the Scientific Committee on Ocean Research (SCOR), the Arctic Climate System Study (ACSYS) and the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX). • A decision to apply for funding as a Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Scientific Affairs Division. • That expenses would be covered in part by funds available through an existing NSF grant to the SCOR Executive offices in Baltimore, MD. • The appointment of myself to be Chairman/Manager for the Symposium. • Provision of a recommended list of Scientific Advisors to assist the Chainnan in selecting key speakers. Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Oceanic Freshwater Fluxes in the Climate System....Pages 1-20 Global Atmospheric Circulation Patterns and Relationships to Arctic Freshwater Fluxes....Pages 21-43 Atmospheric Components of the Arctic Ocean Freshwater Balance and Their Interannual Variability....Pages 45-56 Hydroclimatology of the Arctic Drainage Basin....Pages 57-90 The Arctic Ocean’s Freshwater Budget: Sources, Storage and Export....Pages 91-126 The Arctic Ocean Freshwater Budget of a Climate General Circulation Model....Pages 127-139 Atmospheric Components of the Arctic Ocean Hydrologic Budget Assessed from Rawinsonde Data....Pages 141-161 Reanalyses Depictions of the Arctic Atmospheric Moisture Budget....Pages 163-196 Moisture Transport to Arctic Drainage Basins Relating to Significant Precipitation Events and Cyclogenesis....Pages 197-208 Atmospheric Climate Models: Simulation of the Arctic Ocean Fresh Water Budget Components....Pages 209-247 Discharge Observation Networks in Arctic Regions: Computation of the River Runoff into the Arctic Ocean, Its Seasonality and Variability....Pages 249-267 Arctic River Flow: A Review of Contributing Areas....Pages 269-280 The Dynamics of River Water Inflow to the Arctic Ocean....Pages 281-296 River Input of Water, Sediment, Major Ions, Nutrients and Trace Metals from Russian Territory to the Arctic Ocean....Pages 297-322 The Dispersion of Siberian River Flows into Coastal Waters: Meteorological, Hydrological and Hydrochemical Aspects....Pages 323-366 The Variable Climate of the Mackenzie River Basin: Its Water Cycle and Fresh Water Discharge....Pages 367-381 Arctic Estuaries and Ice: A Positive—Negative Estuarine Couple....Pages 383-407 Satellite Views of the Arctic Ocean Freshwater Balance....Pages 409-451 Tracer Studies of the Arctic Freshwater Budget....Pages 453-478 Exchanges of Freshwater through the Shallow Straits of the North American Arctic....Pages 479-502 The Transformations of Atlantic Water in the Arctic Ocean and Their Significance for the Freshwater Budget....Pages 503-532 Modelling the Variability of Exchanges Between the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic Seas....Pages 533-547 Sea Ice Growth, Melt, and Modeling: A Survey....Pages 549-587 Fresh Water Freezing/Melting Cycle in the Arctic Ocean....Pages 589-608 Back Matter....Pages 609-623 Two dozen studies from an April-May 1998 conference in Tallinn, Estonia that were carefully commissioned to provide a snapshot of the state of knowledge about the flow of fresh water from Arctic Ocean as of that weekend, one paper even being written afterward to cover for a presentation that was not ready for publication. Meteorologists, hydrologists, oceanographers, and sea-ice specialists explore such aspects as oceanic freshwater fluxes in the climate system, atmospheric components of the Arctic Ocean freshwater balance and their interannual variability, atmospheric components of the hydrologic budget assessed from Rawinsonde data, moisture transport to the drainage basins relating to significant precipitation events and cyclogenesis, the dynamics of river water inflow, a positive-negative estuarine couple, tracer studies, exchanges of freshwater through the shallow straits of the North American Arctic, modeling the variability of exchanges between the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic seas, and the cycle There have been major changes in the heat content and ice cover of the Arctic Ocean since 1990. Year after year, this observational evidence underscores the likelihood that predictions of global climatic effects will turn out to be true. Changes in the freshwater flow from the Arctic Ocean may have very significant consequences for humanity, including those alive today. It is vital that we develop the capability to predict the magnitude of such effects with far greater certainty, as well as the probability of their occurrence within a giver time frame. To do so, we need the internationally organised commitment of scientific labour and funding.
This book has been written by many of the world's most knowledgable polar oceanographers, meteorologists and hydrologists, takes full account of the latest results and discusses their significance. It draws together assessments by many specialists to present an integrated view of possible future changes in the climate of the Northern hemisphere. Of fresh water freezing and melting. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR