Chukchi and Beaufort Seas circulation in 2013-2023 from satellite radar altimetry

The Chukchi Sea is an important transition region for Pacific-origin waters flowing northwards through the Bering Strait into the Arctic Ocean. The inflowing waters bring heat and freshwater, influencing the entire Arctic Ocean. Monitoring processes in the Chukchi Sea is crucial for the understanding of the Arctic Ocean variability. In this context, we present a novel satellite altimetry-derived sea surface elevation dataset, which is characterised by the application of sophisticated sea-ice-dedicated data processing techniques (e.g., ML-based lead detection), enabling a more reliable sea surface height determination. The dataset allows us to observe interannual, seasonal and mesoscale sea level variability and geostrophic flow in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. In the first analysis, the Beaufort Gyre circulation and Bering Strait throughflow are investigated. The area of the Beaufort Gyre has decreased from 2013 to 2023, which is tightly linked to the strength of the Beaufort High and could potentially mean a release of freshwater into the Arctic Basin. The reversals of the northward flow through the Bering Strait during the cold season are forced by anomalously strong northerly storms in the region. While this phenomenon was previously described in oceanographic studies from in-situ data, the proposed 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 period of 2013–2023.     «

The Chukchi Sea is an important transition region for Pacific-origin waters flowing northwards through the Bering Strait into the Arctic Ocean. The inflowing waters bring heat and freshwater, influencing the entire Arctic Ocean. Monitoring processes in the Chukchi Sea is crucial for the understanding of the Arctic Ocean variability. In this context, we present a novel satellite altimetry-derived sea surface elevation dataset, which is characterised by the application of sophisticated sea-ice-de...     »