Impacts of Severe Arctic Storms and Climate Change on Arctic Coastal Oceanographic Processes

Thus, we assessed the benefits of high-resolution coupled ice-ocean-wave studies and detailed air-sea interactions. Specifically, our studies demonstrated problems in standard wave model physics, related to waves in the nearshore region, off the Mackenzie Delta. Further development work on wave-bottom and wave-dissipative mechanisms is needed to achieve better model skill.

In terms of seasonal to decadal climate simulations, we were able to simulate decadal ice variations, including the rapid ice decrease in recent years, and long-time scale variables such as the salinity minimum in the Beaufort Sea, warm Atlantic water layer in the Arctic Ocean, the maximum fresh water content in the Beaufort Sea and its interannual variations during 2003-2008. We have identified key atmospheric patterns associated with strong wind events along the Beaufort Sea coast.

We have also comprehensively documented the wind climatology during the warm season at the coastal station, at Tuktoyaktuk, NWT. Meteorological processes contributing to significant storm surge events are being documented. Our research has shown the importance of explosive cyclogenesis in the North-eastern Pacific basin, as being crucial for the development of a synoptic-scale environment that is favourable for the development of cyclogenesis in the Beaufort Sea.