Underexplored continental shelf gateways: timing, mechanisms and role of SW Barents Sea Gateway, Norwegian Arctic

Abstract

Ocean gateways connecting ocean basins are crucial for water and heat circulation, which influence global temperature, climate evolution and sediment distribution. While deep-water gateways have been a major research focus by the community, very little attention has been drawn to shallower gateways located on the continental shelves, where such circulation also takes place. In this study, we investigate the evolution of a shallow gateway in SW Barents Sea that presently connects NE Atlantic and Arctic oceans. This gateway contributes to about half of the Atlantic–Arctic water exchange, whereas the other half is occurring through the deeper Fram Strait Gateway. When and how this SW Barents Sea Gateway formed are debated and still poorly understood. Outcomes from this study will thus be relevant for regional and global models of ocean circulation. Moreover, this study will contribute to climate evolution models over longer timescale in a climate sensitive region where an Arctic amplification of warming is presently seen.