Frequency of large-scale vortices in the velocity field of ice drift in the Arctic basin as a parameter of its intensity

Abstract

The general description of macro-scale vortices in the monthly fields ofice drift velocity is presented which indicates their basic parameters and formation features. The interannual and long-term variability of the frequency of anticyclonic and cyclonic gyres is analyzed. It is demonstrated that there is the stable feedback between the trends in their frequency according to which the direction of the processes of velocity field formation changed to the opposite one in 1995. It is revealed that as the frequency of anticyclonic vortices increases, the total intensity of the drift increases and the ice movement directed towards the Fram Strait intensifies significantly in the zone of the line of the maximum drift velocity. The conclusion is that the general background of high drift intensity in the Arctic basin and ice transport through the Fram Strait will be kept in next 7-10 years.