Research group The North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans

In the North Atlantic, a mighty current system conveys, via the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Current, warm surface waters to northerly subpolar areas where deep water is formed. This current system, which is an important link in the global ocean circulation connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, also carries warm Atlantic water into the Arctic Ocean.

The North Atlantic–Arctic ocean circulation is driven by a complex interplay between the atmosphere and the ocean, which is influenced by regional processes as well as conditions remotely in the Southern and Pacific Oceans.  

Our research aims to understand the mechanisms of the ocean circulation in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, specifically the dynamics steering warm Atlantic Water into the Nordic Seas and the Arctic. Overarching questions concern the current systems' time variability, stability and impact on Arctic sea ice and marine glaciers.

In our research, we use observations from satellites and Arctic expeditions together with theoretical and numerical models. Research themes encompass the interplay between the large-scale circulation and bottom topography and small-scale eddies, and how Atlantic Water drives subsurface melt on glaciers in Greenlandic fjords. We also contribute to develop numerical models to examine the ocean–glacier interactions that control the subsurface melt processes.

Ocean and clouds. Photo: Johan Nilsson/MISU/Stockholm University

Photo: Johan Nilsson/MISU/Stockholm University


Apart from the current group members (listed below under the next heading), the following scientists participated previously in the ongoing research:

Arunraj Kondetharayil Soman
Eef van Dongen
Stefano Ottolenghi




Ocean anomalies traveling North crucial for the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

Anomalies in temperature and salinity that originate in the midlatitude North Atlantic can affect the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in the Nordic Seas up to a decade later. The study published in Nature’s journal Communications Earth & Environment shows that the anomalies that travel northward with the Atlantic Water are an important part of the system, and actively modulate both the inflow of warm water into the Nordic Seas and the overflow of dense water back into the deep Atlantic.

No events available.

Cookie settings

By allowing third-party services, you accept their cookies and the use of tracking technologies necessary for them to function properly.