Wiebke Körtke

Tracer derived vertical exchange processes in an atlantifying Arctic and the impact of events

My PhD project is an oceanographic project, concerning heat fluxes in the Arctic Ocean. This topic is of high interest and large importance for the global climate, since the Arctic Ocean plays a major role in global circulation patterns and feedback mechanisms. The Arctic Ocean is strongly influenced by the ongoing climate change.

The sea ice is melting because the temperatures in the Arctic are increasing. One of the major heat sources to the Arctic Ocean is warm Atlantic Water flowing into the Arctic Ocean from the South. Mostly, this water mass is not directly located at the sea surface, thus a direct interaction with the sea ice and the atmosphere does not take place (yet). Due to changing conditions in the Arctic Ocean, this warm water might contribute to the sea ice melt in the future.

The aim of my project is to analyse ocean mixed layer processes and vertical fluxes in the Arctic Ocean. I will compare these processes in ice-covered areas with ice free (atlantified) areas. To analyse the vertical fluxes, I will use trace gases from samples taken during the MOSAiC campaign and a Fram Strait cruise. Hopefully, I will gain results that help to understand how the Arctic is changing.

This Project is part of the TR172 “ArctiC Amplification: Climate Relevant Atmospheric and SurfaCe Processes, and Feedback Mechanisms (AC)3“ (subproject C04: Sea ice related processes) and therefore closely connected to other parts of the (AC)3 project.