Phys.org June 25, 2024
One way to track ocean currents is by tracing, or tracking, radioactive isotopes that humans began generating in the 1950s during nuclear testing. An international team of researchers (Switzerland, Canada) used the transit time of radionuclides to learn about the decades-long path that water from the Atlantic Ocean takes into the Arctic Ocean’s Canada Basin. Transit Time Distribution (TTD) model mean ages indicated water takes 25–35 years to reach the Canada Basin from the entrance of the Arctic. Mode ages obtained from the model yielded shorter transport times of 20–32 years. These age estimates agree with previous studies using these radionuclides and ventilation tracers in this region, indicating a steady-state flow of Atlantic Water for the last 15 years. End-member mixing models indicate that the Pacific Winter water acquires a 20%–40% Atlantic Water signal of the radionuclides, upwelled over short periods, most likely along the shelf and Barrow Canyon region… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Stations sampled during the JOIS/BGOS 2020 expedition in the Canada Basin… Credit: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 19 June 2024