01-05 December 2025
INCOIS, Hyderabad, India.
| Abstract Submission No. | ABS-04-0356 |
| Title of Abstract | Interannual Variability of Temperature in Kongsfjorden and Role of Large-Scale Atmospheric Fluxes |
| Authors | Ahammed Shereef M.S*, Subeesh M. P, Sourav Chatterjee, Divya David T, Teesha M, Nuncio M |
| Organisation | NCPOR - National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Goa, India. |
| Address | AHAMMED SHEREEF MS Wayanad, kerala, India Pincode: 673591 E-mail: shereefahammed@gmail.com |
| Country | India |
| Presentation | Oral |
| Abstract | Amidst rapid Arctic amplification, quantifying the relative contributions of Atlantic Water advection and large-scale atmospheric forcing to interannual water temperature variability in Svalbard fjords remains an open question. We analyze monthly hydrographic observations from long-term moorings in Kongsfjorden (2006⿿2021) to examine temperature variability. Depth-averaged monthly anomalies reveal a significant warming trend of 0.058 °C/year (p < 0.05). This trend is not uniform across seasons; the strongest occurs in autumn (SON), with an increase of 0.094 °C/year (p < 0.05), followed by summer (JJA) at 0.058 °C/year (p < 0.05). The winter (DJF) trend is weaker at 0.069 °C/year (p > 0.05) but exceeds the summer rate. Overall, the mooring data show pronounced interannual variability, with an annual standard deviation of 0.662 °C. The summer of 2010 stands out as the coldest in the 15-year record, with anomalies of ⿿2.632 °C (July), ⿿2.508 °C (August), and ⿿2.394 °C (June), defining the 2010 Summer Cold Event. This was followed by the 2011 Winter Cold Event, with strong anomalies in February (⿿2.284 °C) and January (⿿2.259 °C). To investigate the drivers of this variability, we examined ERA5 reanalysis data. The analysis shows a two-month lag between fjord temperature anomalies and surface air temperature over the adjacent shelf (78⿿80° N, 10⿿15° E), with r = 0.647 (p < 0.05), suggesting a strong atmospheric influence on fjord thermal variability. Both cold events coincided with anomalous sensible heat fluxes, highlighting the role of large-scale atmospheric changes in shaping fjord thermal structure. Our study demonstrates that although Atlantic Water advection is the dominant driver of fjord temperature variability, large-scale atmospheric circulation also exerts significant control on water column temperatures in Svalbard fjords at interannual timescales. |
| Are you part of IIOE-2 endorsed project | no |
| Keywords | Kongsfjorden, Interannual temperature variability, Atmospheric forcing |
| For Awards | yes |
| Date Of Birth | 10-04-1996 |
| ECSN Registration Number | IIOE2-ECSN-0175 |