Numerical investigation of the circulation of an ice-covered Arctic Ocean

A high resolution (80 km) prognostic version of the Hibler-Bryan ice-ocean model is used to simulate the circulation of the ice-ocean system in the Arctic, Greenland and Norwegian Seas. The ocean model is changed to Cartesian coordinates to correct an imbalance between the ice mass balance and the salt flux into the ocean. The ice model is modified to determine ice velocities every ten years and uses specified velocities otherwise. A monthly varying precipitation and river runoff are used to specify the freshwater flux into the ocean and maintain the salt balance.;The inflow of an annual average of 7.5 Sv of North Atlantic water through the Faro-Shetland Passage is found to be a substantial factor in the circulation of the GIN Sea and the Central Arctic Ocean. A two gyre system, consisting of a cyclonic gyre in the Eurasian Basin and an anti-cyclonic gyre in the Canadian Basin, develops in this case while the gyre in the Canadian Basin grows to dominate the Arctic Ocean if the transport is freely simulated by the model.;A long term simulation to equilibrium is used to study different processes on the circulation of the Polar oceans. These simulations show the ice interaction force is a necessary component of the stress acting on the ocean by changing the direction and hence the curl of the stress. The overall circulation is greatly improved and includes a cyclonic gyre in the Eurasian Basin and improved inflow of Atlantic Water at intermediate depths.;The meridional heat transport through the Faro-Shetland Passage is found to be consistent with observations when an annual average transport of 7.5 Sv is forced through the model's southern boundary. The heat budget is found to be unbalanced due to an increase in the heat content in the layer of Atlantic water and the deep water in the Arctic Ocean. The salt content in the model is found to be balanced. This is particularly important since changes in the density and the baroclinic velocity fields are dominated by the salinity. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).