The Increasing Prevalence of High Frequency Internal Waves in an Arctic Ocean With Declining Sea Ice Cover

Abstract

Receding seasonal sea ice extent over the Arctic Ocean is increasing access to what was a largely inaccessible region. At lower latitudes the complex vertical current structure associated with large amplitude, high frequency non-linear internal waves, sometimes referred to as solitons, present a significant challenge to the safe engineering design and operation of offshore infrastructure. In this paper we examine the prevalence this type of internal wave in the Arctic Ocean. To do so we will draw on both in situ and remotely sensed oceanographic data. This will be combined with state-of-the-art numerical modelling to demonstrate a link between the geographical occurrence of these waves and the tide. Whilst the link implies that these features are geographically limited, it is also likely that the geographical limits will change with declining sea ice cover. These results will then be used to provide a road map towards a methodology for forecasting the prevalence of these phenomena in a future Arctic Ocean.