This year’s annual cruise from the Norwegian Polar Institute to the Fram Strait was exceptional: there was not a single bit of drifting sea ice in the East Greenland Current. And this was the case as far north as 81°N, where the mooring array which monitors the outflow with the East Greenland Current is located at 78.8°N. While this ice-free summer made our mooring recoveries and deployments extremely easy and fast, a slight grim feeling is hunting us while we work our way across the strait: is this the future? Likely yes. With climate change happening four times faster than the global mean, it is expected that the Arctic will likely become ice free in summer, possibly already by 2040. These changes in sea ice cover will massively impact the upper ocean, its watermass properties like temperature and salinity, alter stratification and biogeochemical parameters, increase ocean acidification and upper ocean mixing. Hence, there are valid grounds to keep monitoring these northern areas which are very sensitive to the ongoing climate change.
Easy recovery of NorEMSO mooring in an ice-free East Greenland Current.
Photo credits: Laura de Steur, Norwegian Polar Institute
Author: Laura de Steur, Norwegian Polar Institute