Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System

NABOS

— at the Atlantic-Arctic frontier since 2002 —

NABOS 2023 Cruise

Kodiak, AK to Tromsø, Norway, August 26–October 2

This cruise happened during a time of extraordinary changes in the Arctic. The exceptional magnitude of recent high-latitude changes in the ocean, ice and atmosphere strongly suggests that these changes signify a shift to a new Arctic climate state.

This expedition provided more information about the historical transitions occurring in the Arctic Ocean, as well as an opportunity to witness these transitions first-hand.

us coast guard icebreaker healy in ice
This year's expedition icebreaker is the United States Coast Guard Cutter Healy. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen)

Cruise goals

  • Recover and re-deploy 9 moorings, which have been collecting data since 2021
  • Collect more observations of water temperature, salinity, and other chemical parameters

Cruise plan (click to enlarge)

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About NABOS

We have been monitoring the interface between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean since 2002.

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Cruises

See cruise maps, data, reports, and more from 2002 to the present.

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Products

A wealth of scientific publications and other outreach materials have resulted from our research.

About NABOS

NABOS is part of the Arctic Observing Network. NABOS research is funded by the National Science foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Since the early 2000s, the goal of NABOS has been to compile a cohesive picture of climatic changes in the Eurasian and Makarov basins of the Arctic Ocean. NABOS works to understand:

  • how boundary currents transport Atlantic Water
  • how Atlantic Water interacts with shelf waters, the deep basin interior, and the upper ocean
  • changes in upper ocean circulation within these basins

Partners with Arctic Observing Network funding

  • International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington

Other partners

  • Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Russia
  • Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, USA
  • Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, USA
  • Henriksen Shipping Company
  • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA
  • National Oceanography Center, Southampton, UK
  • Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA