Changes in temperature and salinity in the eastern Eurasian Basin and its implication for the Arctic Ocean heat and freshwater balance

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The Arctic Ocean is the northernmost part of the North Atlantic. It is an almost enclosed bay dominated by Atlantic water masses. Only the narrow and shallow Bering Strait allows the less saline water of the North Pacific to enter the Arctic Ocean. The Pacific water together with runoff and net precipitation comprises a large part of the low salinity upper layer of the Arctic Ocean. The Atlantic water enters through Fram Strait and over the Barents Sea. The deep (>2500m) Fram Strait allows for a two-way flow and it is the only passage, where intermediate and deep waters can be exchanged between the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic Seas, while the shallow Barents Sea essentially only permits inflows to the Arctic Ocean.