FORMATION OF THE ANOMALIES OF FRESHWATER CONTENT IN THE UPPER LAYER OF THE ARCTIC BASIN

G. V. Alekseev, L. V. Bulatov, V. F. Zakharov, and O. I. Myakoshin

Mean and interannual variations in the freshwater content (FWC) in the upper Arctic layer are estimated based on the 1950—1989 oceanographic observation data. In the seasonal cycle, the main freshwater inflow to the upper layer coincides with the period of snow and ice melting. Its variability mainly determines the interannual variations in the FWC and salinity in the upper Arctic layer which influence the freshwater inflow to the North Atlantic. It is shown that its possible intensification in the mid-1960s can be attributed to the positive air temperature anomalies in the Arctic, first and foremost in the Canadian—Greenland region.

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