How does warm Atlantic water enter and move through the Arctic Ocean?

Warm Atlantic water enters the Arctic Ocean primarily through the Fram Strait, a deep channel located between Spitsbergen and Greenland. A smaller portion of this water also enters through the Barents and Kara seas.1

Upon entering the Arctic Basin, this Atlantic water is warmer than the surrounding Arctic surface water, with temperatures typically ranging from 34 to 37 °F (1 to 3 °C). Because this water is denser than the fresher, colder surface layer, it sinks beneath the surface and forms a distinct layer that underlies the Arctic surface water at depths of approximately 650 to 3,000 feet.1

As this Atlantic water moves through the Arctic Ocean, it undergoes gradual cooling. In the Eurasia Basin, it appears to flow eastward along the edge of the continental margin before fanning out and entering the Amerasia Basin over the crest of the Lomonosov Ridge. By the time this water reaches the Beaufort Sea, its temperature has decreased to approximately 32.9 to 33.1 °F (0.5 to 0.6 °C).1