Oceanic heat transport along the Norwegian Atlantic Current and the role of eddies

The warm and saline Atlantic Water in the Nordic Seas serves as a conduit for poleward oceanic heat transport and plays  a crucial role in regulating the Northern Hemisphere climate. However, the impact of mesoscale eddies on this heat transport remains unclear, owing to a lack of in situ observations and numerous ocean modeling challenges. Our study aims to improve  the model representation of eddies and investigate their role in  oceanic heat transport in the Nordic Seas. Using a novel configuration of the MITgcm ocean-ice model,  with a resolution ranging from 1 to 4 km, we analyze 21 years of simulation. We show that oceanic heat transport anomalies are predominantly driven by velocity variations along Norwegian Atlantic Current, while lateral eddies play a significant role in leaking heat westward along a few key pathways, most notably near the Lofoten Escarpment. Further investigation on the linkage between ocean's temporal variability with the atmosphere is underway. Our study emphasizes the significant role of eddies in modulating poleward heat transport toward the Arctic by diverting heat laterally.