Science Source

The Ice‐Ocean governor: ice‐ocean stress feedback limits Beaufort Gyre spin up

States that:
- The Beaufort Gyre, located north of Alaska and Canada, is a key circulation system of the Arctic Ocean
- Changes in its depth and circulation influence the evolution of the Arctic sea ice cover, the North Atlantic circulation and the global climate
Describes the "ice‐ocean governor" mechanism, in which the interaction of surface currents with the ice regulates the depth of the Beaufort Gyre: the spinning up of the gyre reduces the relative speed between the ocean and the ice, and hence the fresh water accumulation
Notes that in a warming world, reduced ice cover may render the ice‐ocean governor less effective
Employs analytical and numerical modeling to contrast the equilibration processes in an ice‐covered versus ice‐free gyre
Argues that as the Arctic warms, reduced sea‐ice extent and more mobile ice will result in a deeper and faster Beaufort Gyre, accumulating more freshwater that will be released by Ekman upwelling or baroclinic instability