Anthropogenic Iodine‐129 Traces Complex Inflows of Atlantic and Pacific Waters Into the Western Arctic
Abstract Changes in Atlantic and Pacific inflows into the Arctic are contributing to Arctic warming and reshaping water circulation. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding circulation pathways in the western Arctic Ocean, where Arctic Atlantic Water (AAW) and Pacific Water interact. Here, we repor...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL114687 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849321466506510336 |
|---|---|
| author | Yuanzhi Qi Xinru Xu Qiuyu Yang Takeyasu Yamagata Hiroyuki Matsuzaki Hisao Nagai Yuichiro Kumamoto |
| author_facet | Yuanzhi Qi Xinru Xu Qiuyu Yang Takeyasu Yamagata Hiroyuki Matsuzaki Hisao Nagai Yuichiro Kumamoto |
| author_sort | Yuanzhi Qi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Changes in Atlantic and Pacific inflows into the Arctic are contributing to Arctic warming and reshaping water circulation. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding circulation pathways in the western Arctic Ocean, where Arctic Atlantic Water (AAW) and Pacific Water interact. Here, we report iodine‐129 (129I) concentrations in seawater collected from the western Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea in 2021. The wide range of 129I concentrations (1–355 × 107 atoms/L) highlights its value as a tracer for identifying water masses and deciphering circulation patterns. Depth profiles of 129I reveal that AAW enters the western Arctic via multiple pathways, with the top layer potentially diverging from the boundary flow and dispersing throughout the region. This previously unreported feature suggests a broader AAW influence on the western Arctic. Additionally, 129I concentrations provide direct evidence that the cold halocline effectively limits the upward transfer of matter from AAW to the Arctic surface. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-15aba58a3e9549e1a900d61eddc7abf7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-15aba58a3e9549e1a900d61eddc7abf72025-08-20T03:49:45ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-04-01527n/an/a10.1029/2025GL114687Anthropogenic Iodine‐129 Traces Complex Inflows of Atlantic and Pacific Waters Into the Western ArcticYuanzhi Qi0Xinru Xu1Qiuyu Yang2Takeyasu Yamagata3Hiroyuki Matsuzaki4Hisao Nagai5Yuichiro Kumamoto6Micro Analysis Laboratory Tandem Accelerator The University Museum The University of Tokyo Bunkyo City Tokyo JapanDepartment of Nuclear Engineering and Management The University of Tokyo Bunkyo City Tokyo JapanDepartment of Nuclear Engineering and Management The University of Tokyo Bunkyo City Tokyo JapanMicro Analysis Laboratory Tandem Accelerator The University Museum The University of Tokyo Bunkyo City Tokyo JapanMicro Analysis Laboratory Tandem Accelerator The University Museum The University of Tokyo Bunkyo City Tokyo JapanMicro Analysis Laboratory Tandem Accelerator The University Museum The University of Tokyo Bunkyo City Tokyo JapanResearch Institute for Global Change Japan Agency for Marine‐Earth Science and Technology Yokosuka Kanagawa JapanAbstract Changes in Atlantic and Pacific inflows into the Arctic are contributing to Arctic warming and reshaping water circulation. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding circulation pathways in the western Arctic Ocean, where Arctic Atlantic Water (AAW) and Pacific Water interact. Here, we report iodine‐129 (129I) concentrations in seawater collected from the western Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea in 2021. The wide range of 129I concentrations (1–355 × 107 atoms/L) highlights its value as a tracer for identifying water masses and deciphering circulation patterns. Depth profiles of 129I reveal that AAW enters the western Arctic via multiple pathways, with the top layer potentially diverging from the boundary flow and dispersing throughout the region. This previously unreported feature suggests a broader AAW influence on the western Arctic. Additionally, 129I concentrations provide direct evidence that the cold halocline effectively limits the upward transfer of matter from AAW to the Arctic surface.https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL114687Arctic Oceaniodine‐129ocean currents |
| spellingShingle | Yuanzhi Qi Xinru Xu Qiuyu Yang Takeyasu Yamagata Hiroyuki Matsuzaki Hisao Nagai Yuichiro Kumamoto Anthropogenic Iodine‐129 Traces Complex Inflows of Atlantic and Pacific Waters Into the Western Arctic Geophysical Research Letters Arctic Ocean iodine‐129 ocean currents |
| title | Anthropogenic Iodine‐129 Traces Complex Inflows of Atlantic and Pacific Waters Into the Western Arctic |
| title_full | Anthropogenic Iodine‐129 Traces Complex Inflows of Atlantic and Pacific Waters Into the Western Arctic |
| title_fullStr | Anthropogenic Iodine‐129 Traces Complex Inflows of Atlantic and Pacific Waters Into the Western Arctic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anthropogenic Iodine‐129 Traces Complex Inflows of Atlantic and Pacific Waters Into the Western Arctic |
| title_short | Anthropogenic Iodine‐129 Traces Complex Inflows of Atlantic and Pacific Waters Into the Western Arctic |
| title_sort | anthropogenic iodine 129 traces complex inflows of atlantic and pacific waters into the western arctic |
| topic | Arctic Ocean iodine‐129 ocean currents |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL114687 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yuanzhiqi anthropogeniciodine129tracescomplexinflowsofatlanticandpacificwatersintothewesternarctic AT xinruxu anthropogeniciodine129tracescomplexinflowsofatlanticandpacificwatersintothewesternarctic AT qiuyuyang anthropogeniciodine129tracescomplexinflowsofatlanticandpacificwatersintothewesternarctic AT takeyasuyamagata anthropogeniciodine129tracescomplexinflowsofatlanticandpacificwatersintothewesternarctic AT hiroyukimatsuzaki anthropogeniciodine129tracescomplexinflowsofatlanticandpacificwatersintothewesternarctic AT hisaonagai anthropogeniciodine129tracescomplexinflowsofatlanticandpacificwatersintothewesternarctic AT yuichirokumamoto anthropogeniciodine129tracescomplexinflowsofatlanticandpacificwatersintothewesternarctic |