Physical Oceanography Of Frontal Zones In The Subarctic Seas

This title presents the systematization and description of accumulated knowledge on oceanic fronts of the Norwegian, Greenland, Barents and Bering Seas. The main fronts of the Norwegian, Greenland and Barents Seas are part of the climatic North Polar Frontal Zone (NPFZ). The work is based on numerous observational data, collected by the authors during special sea experiments directed at the investigation of physical processes and phenomena inside certain parts of the NPFZ and in the northern part of the Bering Sea, on archive data of the USSR Hydrometeocenter and other research institutions, as well as on a wide scientific literature published in Russian and Western editions. The book contains general information on the oceanic fronts of the Subarctic Seas, brief history of their investigation, state of the knowledge, as well as detailed description of the thermohaline structure of all frontal zones in the Norwegian, Greenland, Barents and Bering Seas and of neighboring fronts of Arctic and coastal origin. Special attention is given to the study of the multifrontal character of the NPFZ and of peculiarities of its internal structure at different locations, to the description of diverse oceanic features observed in the NPFZ, as well as to some characteristics of the horizontal and vertical fine structure of hydrophysical fields in the NPFZ. The main features of the northern Bering Sea's summer ecohydrodynamics are investigated with the help of three-dimensional direct and inverse models.

This title presents the systematization and description of accumulated knowledge on oceanic fronts of the Norwegian, Greenland, Barents and Bering Seas. The main fronts of the Norwegian, Greenland and Barents Seas are part of the climatic North Polar Frontal Zone (NPFZ). The work is based on numerous observational data, collected by the authors during special sea experiments directed at the investigation of physical processes and phenomena inside certain parts of the NPFZ and in the northern part of the Bering Sea, on archive data of the USSR Hydrometeocenter and other research institutions, as well as on a wide scientific literature published in Russian and Western editions. The book contains general information on the oceanic fronts of the Subarctic Seas, brief history of their investigation, state of the knowledge, as well as detailed description of the thermohaline structure of all frontal zones in the Norwegian, Greenland, Barents and Bering Seas and of neighboring fronts of Arctic and coastal origin. Special attention is given to the study of the multifrontal character of the NPFZ and of peculiarities of its internal structure at different locations, to the description of diverse oceanic features observed in the NPFZ, as well as to some characteristics of the horizontal and vertical fine structure of hydrophysical fields in the NPFZ. The main features of the northern Bering Sea's summer ecohydrodynamics are investigated with the help of three-dimensional direct and inverse models.

The current warming trends in the Arctic may shove the Arctic system into a seasonally ice-free state not seen for more than one million years. The melting is accelerating, and researchers were unable to identify natural processes that might slow the deicing of the Arctic. Such substantial additional melting of Arctic and Antarctic glaciers and ice sheets would raise the sea level worldwide, flooding the coastal areas where many of the world's population lives. Studies, led by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Arizona, show that greenhouse gas increases over the next century could warm the Arctic by 3-5°C in summertime. Thus, Arctic summers by 2100 may be as warm as they were nearly 130,000 years ago, when sea levels eventually rose up to 6 m higher than today.

Oceanography is a component of Encyclopedia of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. These volumes deal with the oceans as an integrated dynamic system, characterized by a delicate, complex system of interactions among the biota, the ocean boundaries with the solid earth and the atmosphere. This set of volumes is designed to be a very authoritative reference for state-of-the-art knowledge on the various aspects such as: Physical Oceanography, Chemistry of the oceans, Biological Oceanography, Geological oceanography, Coral Reefs as a Life Supporting System, Human Uses of the Oceans, Ocean Engineering, and Modeling the Ocean System from a Sustainable Development perspective. These volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

General description.

This book presents a new perspective on the sedimentation processes in the White Sea, based on a multidisciplinary research study conducted between 2001 and 2016. It provides a comprehensive review and discusses the latest research findings on the ecosystem of this sub-arctic zone. The topics addressed include suspended particulate matter as a main source and proxy of the sedimentation processes in the White Sea; vertical fluxes of dispersed sedimentary matter and absolute masses in the White Sea; and the development history and quaternary deposits of the modern White Sea basin. The authors closely examine the abundance and species composition of microalgae associations and the environmental conditions in the bottom sediments of the White Sea, namely, heavy metal accumulation and aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The book ends contain a summary of the key conclusions and recommendations. Together with the companion volume Biogeochemistry of the Atmosphere, Ice and Water of the White Sea: The White Sea Environment Part I, it offers an essential source of information for postgraduate students, researchers, and stakeholders alike.

To understand the global warming mechanism, global mapping of primary production was carried out under the GCMAPS program. The program was concerned with marine and terrestrial environmental changes, which affect carbon cycle on the regional and global scales. On the regional scale, warm phase of ENSO (El Niño / Southern Oscillation) has been shown to affect economic activities in many countries. The keyword for understanding mechanism of global warming is ‘primary productivity’. The earth observation satellites (EOS) like the ADEOS of Japan, and the SeaWiFS, Sea Star and Terra of the U.S.A. provided much required data for modeling and verification of primary production estimates on both land and ocean. The knowledge gained during the GCMAPS program has been documented in this book. Interpretation of the data suggests that global warming, which causes temperature and sea level rise, and changes in climate and ecosystems, is likely to have the largest influence on mankind. The first half of this book discuss changes in marine environments. Physical and chemical oceanographic properties of the equatorial Pacific and Indian Oceans are presented. Changes in partial pressure of carbon dioxide, flux and composition of settling particles and biological communities in the surface ocean have also been discussed. In addition to this, over hundred years of environmental records based upon coral skeletons are presented. Estimations of primary production and its utilization in validating satellite imagery data were conducted in the western North Pacific. Primary productivity estimates based upon the validated satellite imagery are presented on the global scale. Climate change modeling of primary production in global oceans is also presented. The latter half of this book deals with changes in terrestrial environments. Primary productivity estimates for different types of ecosystems (e.g., forest, grassland) are presented together with soil carbon dynamics. Also, biomass and productivity estimation and environmental monitoring based upon remote sensing techniques are presented with a model analysis of the relationship between climate perturbations and carbon budget anomalies in global terrestrial ecosystems. This book elucidates integrated aspects of the global carbon cycle involving marine and terrestrial environments. Discusses a current understanding of the biogeochemical processes on land and ocean Provides global mapping of primary production based on satellite imagery data and modelling Presents the latest interpretations of relationships between carbon cycle and climatic change