{"id":16637,"date":"2018-12-11T11:29:08","date_gmt":"2018-12-11T10:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/projects\/fram-strait-arctic-outflow-observatory\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T12:09:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T10:09:39","slug":"fram-strait-arctic-outflow-observatory","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/projects\/fram-strait-arctic-outflow-observatory\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fram Strait Arctic Outflow Observatory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-204qfna-24d7388d5d421fc02f3c77329ba7cf3e\">\n.flex_column.av-204qfna-24d7388d5d421fc02f3c77329ba7cf3e{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-204qfna-24d7388d5d421fc02f3c77329ba7cf3e av_one_full  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_one_full  avia-builder-el-first  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  '     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-jpjsxf7n-13a0b2bcaddd4a238ce63b50c61f9b5a '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>Gateway to the Arctic Ocean<\/h2>\n<p>Fram Strait is the largest gateway to the Arctic Ocean and the only gateway allowing deep water exchange. Atlantic water flows northward in the West Spitsbergen Current while polar water and sea ice is transported southward in the East Greenland Current.<\/p>\n<p>Inflowing Atlantic water is an important and variable source of heat to the Arctic Ocean; anomalies in Atlantic water temperature have been traced back far along the periphery of the Arctic Ocean and may play in important role in determining sea ice extent and thickness.<\/p>\n<p>The southward flux of Arctic freshwater and sea ice is of interest as fluctuations in the volume of freshwater exported affect the density of seawater in the Nordic Seas and sub-polar North Atlantic which may modulate the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-1s7jsvq-7661eec3a72bf5c8cb14aa50dbd27143\">\n.flex_column.av-1s7jsvq-7661eec3a72bf5c8cb14aa50dbd27143{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-1s7jsvq-7661eec3a72bf5c8cb14aa50dbd27143 av_one_full  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_one_full  el_before_av_one_full  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  column-top-margin'     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-jpjsxpam-e6061aca2dfd77b3338757374e93b6c0 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2 class=\"heading--section-title\">Oceanography<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Main contacts: <a href=\"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/people\/paul.dodd\" target=\"_self\">Paul Dodd<\/a> (CTD and tracers) &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/people\/laura.de.steur\" target=\"_self\">Laura de Steur<\/a> (moorings)<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_30327\" style=\"width: 1040px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30327\" class=\"wp-image-30327 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Fram_Strait_Observing_2019-1030x679.jpg\" alt=\"illustration of moorings maintained in Fram Strait\" width=\"1030\" height=\"679\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Fram_Strait_Observing_2019-1030x679.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Fram_Strait_Observing_2019-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Fram_Strait_Observing_2019-768x506.jpg 768w, https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Fram_Strait_Observing_2019-705x465.jpg 705w, https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Fram_Strait_Observing_2019-450x297.jpg 450w, https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Fram_Strait_Observing_2019.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-30327\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The mooring array in Fram Strait maintained by the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) and Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI).<\/p><\/div>\n<p>An array of between 8 to 15 moorings has been maintained in Fram Strait since the 1990s. The array is jointly operated by the Norwegian Polar Institute, which maintains moorings in the Arctic outflow in western Fram Strait, and the Alfred Wegener Institute, which maintains moorings in the Atlantic inflow in eastern Fram Strait.<\/p>\n<p>One of the principal goals of the Norwegian Polar Institute is to monitor the freshwater flux in the East Greenland Current and over the East Greenland Shelf. Moorings in the outflow are equipped with instruments that provide a high-resolution continuous time series of temperature, salinity, velocity and sea ice thickness.<\/p>\n<p>The Norwegian Polar Institute\u2019s moorings are serviced annually in August\/September and at these times hydrographic and tracer measurements are collected at 30 annually repeated stations between 10\u00b0 W and 10\u00b0 E. Tracer measurements are used to separate different types of freshwater in the Arctic Ocean outflow, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>sea-ice melt water<\/li>\n<li>river input<\/li>\n<li>precipitation<\/li>\n<li>Pacific inflow<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In order to&nbsp;record signals in the fast changing Arctic and understand the impact on the climate system it is essential to maintain continuous measurements at this key site in the Arctic Ocean in the future. Recent improvements to the array include specially adapted instruments that measure temperature and salinity just below the sea ice that covers the surface of the East Greenland Current and automatic water samplers that collect tracer samples year-round at key locations.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-4fmnzq-b23ffa78b9bcc0de1c03203e83b434e9\">\n.flex_column.av-4fmnzq-b23ffa78b9bcc0de1c03203e83b434e9{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-4fmnzq-b23ffa78b9bcc0de1c03203e83b434e9 av_one_full  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_one_full  el_before_av_one_full  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  column-top-margin'     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-jpjtflua-3d9096a950dfa92a9a7f904db183b35c '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>Sea ice<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Main contacts: <a href=\"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/people\/sebastian.gerland\" target=\"_self\">Sebastian Gerland<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/npolar.no\/ansatte\/dmitry.divine\">Dmitry Divine<\/a>, <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/npolar.no\/ansatte\/hiroshi.sumata\"><strong>Hiroshi Sumata<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_34941\" style=\"width: 1040px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-34941\" class=\"wp-image-34941 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Fig_FS_website_update_2018-e1650876394865-1030x273.png\" alt=\"Changes in the monthly mean sea ice thickness and annual mean effective sea ice thickness in western Fram Strait from 1990 to 2018. The record minimum ice thickness was observed in 2018 which contributed to an unprecedented decline of Arctic sea ice outflow through Fram Strait.\" width=\"1030\" height=\"273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Fig_FS_website_update_2018-e1650876394865-1030x273.png 1030w, https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Fig_FS_website_update_2018-e1650876394865-300x79.png 300w, https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Fig_FS_website_update_2018-e1650876394865-768x203.png 768w, https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Fig_FS_website_update_2018-e1650876394865-705x187.png 705w, https:\/\/npolar.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Fig_FS_website_update_2018-e1650876394865.png 1122w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-34941\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Changes in the monthly mean sea ice thickness and annual mean effective sea ice thickness in western Fram Strait from 1990 to 2018.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Fram Strait is the main gateway through which sea ice leaves the Arctic Ocean. About 1% of the total Arctic sea ice volume is exported every month and melts downstream in the East Greenland Current or the adjacent Nordic seas.<\/p>\n<p>To keep the mass of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean constant, the same amount of ice needs to grow each month. Changes in the mass of sea ice exported through Fram Strait therefore affect inventory of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. This is one of many reasons why we monitor the sea ice properties in Fram Strait.<\/p>\n<p>Sea ice thickness has been measured continuously by one to four moored Upward Looking Sonar in western Fram Strait since 1990. Spatial variability is monitored using ice thickness soundings from helicopter surveys and at sea ice stations which are visited annually when the Norwegian Polar Institute\u2019s mooring array in Fram Strait is serviced.<\/p>\n<p>Since 1990 the thickness of level sea ice in Fram Strait has decreased by \u2153 from 3 m to about 2 m during 2008-2011 (<i>Hansen et al., 2013<\/i>). The record minimum ice thickness was observed in 2018 which contributed to an unprecedented decline of Arctic sea ice outflow through Fram Strait (<i>Sumata et al., 2022<\/i>).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-v8ulx2-0ef808cb4bebfbf2a83c83097b210d17\">\n.flex_column.av-v8ulx2-0ef808cb4bebfbf2a83c83097b210d17{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-v8ulx2-0ef808cb4bebfbf2a83c83097b210d17 av_one_full  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_one_full  el_before_av_one_full  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  column-top-margin'     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-jpjthxy2-5e0604918e3833062ec533c728d44703 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2 class=\"heading--section-title\">Biogeochemistry and ocean acidification<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Main contacts: <a href=\"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/people\/mats.granskog\" target=\"_self\">Mats Granskog<\/a>, <a title=\"Agneta Fransson\" href=\"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/people\/agneta.fransson\" target=\"_self\">Agneta Fransson<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/people\/paul.dodd\" target=\"_self\">Paul Dodd<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Arctic outflow in Fram Strait is a key location where sources and sinks of carbon in the Arctic Ocean can be monitored. Annually repeated measurements of the carbonate system aim to quantify the volume of organic carbon exported from the Arctic Ocean and identify processes affecting the fate of carbon in the Arctic.<\/p>\n<p>Measurements of the ocean acidification state provide important baseline data for the Arctic Ocean which will reveal changes in the saturation states of calcium carbonate. Coincident freshwater tracer measurements help to explain the causes of observed changes in the carbonate system.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-v8ulx2-2-5eb6d087fd73d95c5fe684b058d14724\">\n#top .flex_column.av-v8ulx2-2-5eb6d087fd73d95c5fe684b058d14724{\nmargin-top:0px;\nmargin-bottom:20px;\n}\n.flex_column.av-v8ulx2-2-5eb6d087fd73d95c5fe684b058d14724{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n.responsive #top #wrap_all .flex_column.av-v8ulx2-2-5eb6d087fd73d95c5fe684b058d14724{\nmargin-top:0px;\nmargin-bottom:20px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-v8ulx2-2-5eb6d087fd73d95c5fe684b058d14724 av_one_full  avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_one_full  avia-builder-el-last  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  column-top-margin'     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-jpjthxy2-1-bbe5385a3cb001a6fc02db7da7a8ffce '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h2>Cruise reports<\/h2>\n<p>Fram Strait cruise reports can be found on&nbsp;The Norwegian Research Information Repository (NVA)<\/p>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-r38dli-f96c8e59189c7e535fbedd4f5f4de974-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-10  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '><a href='https:\/\/nva.sikt.no\/filter?query=Fram+Strait+cruise+report+polarinstitutt'  class='avia-button av-r38dli-f96c8e59189c7e535fbedd4f5f4de974 av-link-btn avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-x-large avia-position-center avia-color-theme-color'  target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"  aria-label=\"Read cruise reports\"><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left avia-iconfont avia-font-entypo-fontello' data-av_icon='\ue84d' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' ><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Read cruise reports<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":34944,"parent":5377,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-projectdetail.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"emne":[],"class_list":["post-16637","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16637"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16637\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54541,"href":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16637\/revisions\/54541"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5377"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16637"},{"taxonomy":"emne","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/npolar.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/emne?post=16637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}