THE SPREAD OF RIVER WATER IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN

V. A. Ryabchenko, G. V. Alekseev, I. A. Neelov, and A. Yu. Dvornikov

A coupled model of large-scale sea ice and ocean circulation is used to delineate domains and pathways of river water in the Arctic Basin. The model adequately simulates seasonal changes in flow velocity, sea ice extent and thickness, water temperature and salinity. Simulations of the spread of a conservative tracer from the permanent source in the mouth of each of the major rivers have been carried out. In the Canadian Basin, river waters are mainly from the Mackenzie River, whereas in the rest of the Arctic Basin they are from Siberian rivers (mainly the Yenisei, Ob, and Lena). The water from these three rivers contributes mainly to the freshwater outflow through Fram Strait.