The Chukchi Sea is an important transition region for Pacific-origin waters entering the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait. The inflowing waters bring heat, freshwater, and nutrients, influencing the entire Arctic Ocean. Monitoring processes in the Chukchi Sea is crucial for understanding Arctic Ocean variability, especially in the changing climate. While in-situ oceanographic measurements in this region are limited due to their remoteness, harsh environment, and geopolitical constraints, satellite altimetry offers a valuable alternative, providing precise sea surface observations across various spatial and temporal scales.
In this context, we present a novel long-term altimetry-based observational dataset of sea level and geostrophic currents, processed with the implementation of the recent advanced algorithms and special techniques for the reliable detection of leads and the determination of sea surface heights in the sea-ice-covered ocean. The dataset allows us to observe interannual, seasonal, and mesoscale sea level variability and geostrophic flow in the Chukchi Sea.
Our study focuses on the reversals of the northward flow through the Bering Strait, linking them to anomalously strong northeasterly storms over the Chukchi Shelf. While this phenomenon was previously documented in oceanographic studies from in-situ data, our dataset makes it possible to assess the development of the reversed flow in the strait, as well as the forcing and the flow variability with a high temporal-spatial resolution (10d/8km) over a full decade of 2013–2023. We find that the response of the along-strait flow to strong northerly winds is particularly pronounced in fall when the region is ice-free and remains well-correlated during winter and spring under partial ice cover.
This work overall demonstrates the potential of satellite altimetry for monitoring Arctic oceanographic processes, contributing to an improved understanding of regional circulation and climate variability.
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The Chukchi Sea is an important transition region for Pacific-origin waters entering the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait. The inflowing waters bring heat, freshwater, and nutrients, influencing the entire Arctic Ocean. Monitoring processes in the Chukchi Sea is crucial for understanding Arctic Ocean variability, especially in the changing climate. While in-situ oceanographic measurements in this region are limited due to their remoteness, harsh environment, and geopolitical constraints, s...
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