An Innovative Observational Network for Critical Arctic Gateways--Understanding Exchanges through Davis and Fram Straits

This coordinated international effort plans to quantify the variability of fluxes connecting the Arctic and subpolar oceans, understand the role played by the Arctic and sub-Arctic in steering decadal scale climate variability and establish a pan-Arctic integrated observing network. Researcher's investigation will focus on understanding exchanges across a major gateway linking the Arctic with the subpolar North Atlantic Davis Strait (Canadian Arctic Archipelago). Fluxes through Davis Strait represent the net integrated Canadian Archipelago throughflow, modified by terrestrial inputs and oceanic processes during its southward transit through Baffin Bay. By the time they reach Davis Strait, Arctic waters already embody most of the transformations they undergo prior to exerting their influence on the deepwater formation sites in the Labrador Sea. This project will study the Davis Strait watermass variability, volume, liquid freshwater, heat and ice fluxes at weekly to inter-annual timescales. These measurements will be used to advance understanding of the impacts of these exchanges on large scale characteristics of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.