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Sea-ice drift steers Beaufort Gyre freshwater

How sea ice is blown in or out of the Beaufort Gyre can change liquid freshwater storage as much as the wind-driven ocean circulation itself.

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How much freshwater did the Beaufort Gyre store on average in 2003–2018?

A mean of 21,800 km3 of liquid FWC.

How much did FWC increase during 2003–2018 relative to earlier climatology?

6400 km3, about a 40% increase.

What wind patterns are BGP and BGM?

Anticyclonic (intensified Beaufort High) versus cyclonic wind anomalies over the gyre.

How large is inter-model spread in FWC anomalies after 25 years?

About a factor of 2 between maximum and minimum anomalies in both BGP and BGM.

How much ice did FESOM and NorESM export under BGP?

About 2000 km3 (FESOM) and 3000 km3 (NorESM) by the end of 25 years.

What reference salinity defines FWC here?

34.8, following Aagaard and Carmack.

What 10° experiment was added in MITgcm?

A 10° anticlockwise rotation of 10 m winds only over sea ice.

How did the 10° rotation change BGP freshwater accumulation after 34 years?

It reduced FWC accumulation by 15%, or 1175 km3.

How did the 10° rotation change BGM freshwater after 34 years?

It bolstered FWC by 17%, or 1230 km3, via extra ice import.

How long were the wind perturbations held?

Applied abruptly and sustained for 30 years (diagnosed to 34 years in MITgcm).

What peak SLP perturbation magnitude was used?

4 hPa, chosen to represent multi-year to decadal trends.