Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Variability of the Bering Sea circulation in the period 1992–2010

  • Review
  • Published:
Journal of Oceanography Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sea surface height anomalies observed by satellites in 1992–2010 are combined with monthly climatologies of temperature and salinity to estimate circulation in the southern Bering Sea. The estimated surface and deep currents are consistent with independent velocity observations by surface drifters and Argo floats parked at 1,000 m. Analysis reveals 1–3-Sv interannual transport variations of the major currents with typical intra-annual variability of 3–7 Sv. On the seasonal scale, the Alaskan Stream transport is well correlated with the Kamchatka (0.81), Near Strait (0.53) and the Bering Slope (0.37) currents. Lagged correlations reveal a gradual increase of the time the lags between the transports of the Alaskan Stream, the Bering Slope Current and the Kamchatka Current, supporting the concept that the Bering Sea basin is ventilated by the waters carried by the Alaskan Stream south of the Aleutian Arc and by the flow through the Near Strait. Correlations of the Bering Sea currents with the Bering Strait transport are dominated by the seasonal cycle. On the interannual time scale, significant negative correlations are diagnosed between the Near Strait transport and the Bering Slope and Alaskan Stream currents. Substantial correlations are also diagnosed between the eddy kinetic energy and Pacific Decadal Oscillation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Clement Kinney J, Maslowski W, Okkonnen SR (2009) On the processes controlling shelf-basin exchange and outer shelf dynamics in the Bering Sea. Deep Sea Res II 56(17):1351–1376

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cherniawsky JY, Foreman MGG, Crawford WR, Beckley BD (2004) Altimeter observations of sea level variability off the West Coast of North America. Int J Remote Sensing 25:1303–1306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cherniawsky JY, Crawford WR, Nikitin O, Carmack E (2005) Bering Strait transports from satellite altimetry. J Mar Res 63:887–900

    Google Scholar 

  • Clement JL, Maslowski W, Cooper LW, Grebmeier JM, Walczowski W (2005) Ocean circulation and exchanges through the northern Bering Sea19792001: model results. Deep Sea Res II 52(17):3509–3540

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cokelet ED, Schall ML, Dougherty DM (1996) ADCP-refrenced geostrophic circulation in the Bering Sea basin. J Phys Oceanogr 26(7):1113–1128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cokelet ED, Stabeno PJ (1997) Mooring observations of the thermal structure, density stratification and currents in the southeast Bering basin. J Geophys Res 102(C10):1113–1128

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper M, Haines K (1996) Altimetric assimilation with water property conservation. J Geophys Res 101:1059–1077

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elmann A (2010) Validation of the new Earth Gravitational Model EGM08 over the Baltic countries. Gravity, Geoid and Earth Observation International Association of Geodesy Symposia, vol 135, part 6, pp 489–496. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-10634-7

  • Fomin LM (1964) The dynamic method in oceanography. Elsevier Oceanogr Series, vol 2, p 212

  • Foreman M, Bell RG, Cherniawsky JY, Beckley B (2004) Tides and sea-level variability in the south-west Pacific from TOPEX/Poseidon. N Z J Mar Freshw Res 38:649–669

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson GC, Stabeno PJ, Riser SC (2004) The Bering Slope Current revisited. J Phys Oceanogr 34(2):384–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hare SR, Mantua NJ, Francis RC (1999) Inverse production regimes: Alaskan and West Coast Salmon. Fisheries 24(1):6–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hogg A, Killworth PD, Blundell JR (2005) Mechanisms of decadal variability of the wind-driven ocean circulation. J Phys Oceanogr 35:512–531

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu H, Wang J (2010) Modeling effects of tidal and wave mixing on circulation and thermohaline structures in the Bering Sea: process studies. J Geophys Res 115:C01006. doi:10.1029/2008JC005175

  • Hughes FW, Coachman LK, Aagard K (1974) Circulation transport and water exchange in the western Bering Sea. In: Hood DW, Kelly EJ (eds) Oceanography of the Bering Sea with emphasis of the renewable resources. Inst. of Mar. Sci., Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbansk, pp 59–98

  • Ladd C, Stabeno P (2009) Freshwater transport from the Pacific to the Bering Sea through the Amukta Pass. Geophys Res Lett 36:L14608.doi:10.1029/2009GLO039095

  • Luchin VA, Semiletov IP, Weller GE (2002) Changes in the Bering Sea region: atmosphere–ice–water system in the second half of the twentieth century. Prog Oceanogr 55(1–2):23–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mantua NJ, Hare SR, Zhang Y, Wallace JM, Francis RC (1997) A Pacific interdecadal climate oscillation with impacts on salmon production. Bul Am Meteorol Soc 78:1069–1079

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maslowski W, Roman R, Kinney JC (2008) Effects of mesoscale eddies on the flow of the Alaskan Stream. J Geophys Res 113:C07036. doi:10.1029/2007JC004341

  • Mizobata K, Saitoh SI, Shiomoto A, Miyamura T, Shiga N, Imai K, Toratani M, Kajiwara Y, Sasaoka K (2002) Bering Sea cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies observed during summer 2000 and 2001. Prog Oceanogr 55:65–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mizobata K, Wang J, Saitoh SI (2006) Eddy-induced cross-slope exchange maintaining summer high productivity of the Bering Sea shelf break. J Geophys Res 111:C10017. doi:10.1029/2005LC003335

  • Mizobata K, Shimada K, Woodgate R, Saitoh S-I, Wang J (2010) Estimation of heat flux through the eastern Bering Strait. Geophys Res Lett 37:405–424

    Google Scholar 

  • Okkonen SR (1996) The influence of an Alaskan Stream eddy on flow through Amchitka Pass. J Geophys Res 101:8839–8851

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Overland JE, Stabeno P (2004) Is the climate of the Bering Sea warming and affecting the ecosystem? EOS 85(33):309–312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Panteleev G, Stabeno P, Luchin VA, Nechaev D, Ikeda M (2006) Summer transport estimates of the Kamchatka Current derived as a variational inverse of hydrophysical and surface drifter data. Geophys Res Lett 33:L09609. doi:10.1029/2005GL024974

  • Panteleev G, Yaremchuk M, Stabeno P, Luchin V, Nechaev DA, Kukuchi T (2011) Dynamic topography of the Bering Sea. J Geophys Res 116:C05017. doi:10.1029/2010JC006354

  • Pascual A, Faugre Y, Larnicol G, Le Traon P-Y (2006) Improved description of the ocean mesoscale variability by combining four satellite altimeters. Geophys Res Lett 33:L02611. doi:10.1029/2005GL024633

  • Reed RK (1984) Flow of the Alaskan Stream and its variations. Deep Sea Res 31(4):369–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reed RK, Khen GV, Stabeno PJ, Verkhunov AV (1993) Water properties and flow over the deep Bering Sea basin, summer 1991. Deep Sea Res 40:2325–2334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roach AT, Aagaard K, Pease CH, Salo SA, Weingartner T, Pavlov V, Kulakov M (1995) Direct measurements of transport and water properties through Bering Strait. J Geophys Res 100:18443–18457

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreier PJ (2008) A unifying discussion of correlation analysis for complex random vectors. IEEE Trans Signal Proc 56(4):1327–1336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schumacher JD, Reed RK (1992) Characteristic of current over the continental slope of the eastern Bering Sea. J Geophys Res 97:607–623

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stabeno, Reed (1992) Stabeno PJ, Reed RK (1992) A major circulation anomaly in the Western Bering Sea. Geophys Res Lett 19:1671–1674

    Google Scholar 

  • Stabeno PJ, Reed RK (1994) Circulation in the Bering Sea basin observed by satellite-tracked drifters: 1986–1993. J Phys Oceanogr 24:848–854

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stabeno PJ, Schumacher JD, Ohtani K (1999) The physical oceanography of the Bering Sea. In: Dynamics of the Bering Sea. Alaska Sea Grant College Program, Fairbanks

  • Stabeno PJ, Kachel DG, Sullivan ME (2005) Observation from moorings in the Aleutian Passes: temperature, salinity and transport. Fish Oceanogr 14(Suppl. 1):39–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verkhunov AV, Tkachenko YY (1992) Recent observations of variability in the Western Bering Sea current system. J Geophys Res 97(C9):14369–14376

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Ikeda M (1997) Diagnosing ocean unstable baroclinic waves and meanders using the quasigeostrophic equations and the Q-vector method. J Phys Oceanogr 27:1158–1172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Jin M, Patrick EV, Allen JR, Eslinger DL, Mooers CNK, Cooney RT (2001) Numerical simulations of the seasonal circulation patterns and thermochaline structures in the Prince William Sound, Alaska. Fish Oceanogr 10(suppl. 1):132–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Jin M, Musgrave DL, Ikeda M (2004) A hydrological digital elevation model for freshwater discharge into the Gulf of Alaska. J Geophys Res 109:C07009. doi:10.1029/2002JC001430

  • Wilson S (2000) Launching the ARGO armada. Oceanus 42(1):17–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodgate RA, Aagaard K, Weingartner T (2005) Monthly temperature, salinity, and transport variability of the Bering Strait through flow. Geophys Res Lett 32:L04601. doi:10.1029/2004GL021880

  • Zhang Y, Pedlosky J, Flierl GR (2011) Cross-shelf and out-of-bay transport driven by an open-ocean current. J Phys Oceanogr 41:2168–2185

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) through their sponsorship of research activities at the International Arctic Research Center and by the Office of Naval Research (Program element 0602435N, project “Observational Impact”). G. Panteleev was also supported by the National Science Foundation 1107925 award and by the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB) 828 award. D. Nechaev was supported by the NPRB 828 award.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Arctic Research Center (IARC), University of Alaska, Akasofu Building, Fairbanks, AK, 99975, USA

    Gleb Panteleev

  2. Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center, Hancock, USA

    Max Yaremchuk

  3. V.I.Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (POI FEB RAS), 43 Baltiyskaya Street, 690041, Vladivostok, Russia

    Vladimir Luchin

  4. Department of Marine Science, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, USA

    Dmitri Nechaev

  5. Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Japan

    Takashi Kukuchi

Authors
  1. Gleb Panteleev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Max Yaremchuk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vladimir Luchin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dmitri Nechaev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Takashi Kukuchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gleb Panteleev.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Panteleev, G., Yaremchuk, M., Luchin, V. et al. Variability of the Bering Sea circulation in the period 1992–2010. J Oceanogr 68, 485–496 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-012-0113-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-012-0113-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation