How does water from the Pacific Ocean enter the Arctic Ocean?

Low-salinity water from the Pacific Ocean enters the Arctic Ocean through the shallow Bering Strait.1

This inflow is primarily driven by a slight difference in sea level between the North Pacific and the Arctic oceans. Additionally, large-scale atmospheric circulation over the North Pacific creates significant variability in the volume of water transported through the strait. Once this warmer, fresher Pacific water enters the Chukchi Sea, it mixes with colder, more saline waters, allowing it to flow as a distinct wedge between the Arctic and Atlantic water layers within the Amerasia Basin.1