ABSTRACT OPP-9806926 PIs: Johnson, Mark Proshutinsky, Andrey Polyakov, Igor Institution: University of Alaska The investigators will seek to identify decadal scale signals in the Arctic's atmospheric and oceanic systems to understand the major self-regulated and external forcing mechanisms maintaining observed long-period variations. Simulation studies will use observational data from ocean stations and hydrological/meteorological stations, tide gauges, current meters, satellites, and drifting buoys to examine the three-dimensional variations in circulation associated with two different postulated climate regimes of circulation. This research project is critical to understanding the role of climate on Arctic Ocean circulation in the context of climate shifts that could occur in response to global change. Global change is expected to impact the Arctic first and with greater intensity than anywhere else and the Arctic response to climate change must be known in order forecast possible impacts.
