Dominant inflation of the Arctic Ocean’s Beaufort Gyre in a warming climate

作者：Qiang Wang, Qi Shu, Shizhu Wang, Xinyue Li, Sergey Danilov, Fangli Qiao, Zhenya Song, Fan Wang, Thomas Jung · 发表于：Communications Earth & Environment · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1038/s43247-025-02028-3 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Geological Studies and Exploration、Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics、Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena

Abstract The Arctic Ocean’s Beaufort Gyre, the largest Arctic freshwater reservoir, plays a crucial role for climate and marine ecosystems. Understanding how it changes in a warming climate is therefore essential. Here, using high-resolution simulations and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 data, we find that the Beaufort Gyre will increasingly accumulate freshwater, elevate sea level, and spin up its circulation as the climate warms. These changes, collectively referred to as inflation, are more pronounced in the Beaufort Gyre region than in other Arctic areas, amplifying the spatial asymmetry of the Arctic Ocean. The inflation is driven by increased surface freshwater fluxes and intensified surface stress from wind strengthening and sea ice decline. Current climate models tend to underestimate this inflation, which could be alleviated by high-resolution ocean models and improved atmospheric circulation simulations. The inflation of the Beaufort Gyre underscores its growing importance in a warming climate.