Flow Constraints on Pathways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

To identify flow pathways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, numerical model results were examined using two configurations of the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean ( NEMO). After correcting for shortwave radiation, the models captured much of the observed spatiotemporal structure of the sea-ice and ocean circulation in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, especially the southward flow in M'Clintock Channel and the cyclonic circulation in eastern Lancaster Sound. The southward flow in M'Clintock Channel is driven by ageostrophic accelerations and is controlled by topography. Vorticity dynamics analysis showed that both stratification and bathymetry have a strong impact on the circulation in eastern Lancaster Sound.