Amplified warming accelerates deoxygenation in the Arctic Ocean

Yingxu Wu, Zijia Zheng, Xianyao Chen, Wanqin Zhong, Xu Yuan, Wenli Zhong, Ruibo Lei, Chenglong Li, Yanpei Zhuang, Xiang Gao, Xichen Li, Hongmei Lin, Liqi Chen, Wei-Jun Cai () and Di Qi ()
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Yingxu Wu: Jimei University
Zijia Zheng: Jimei University
Xianyao Chen: Ocean University of China
Wanqin Zhong: Jimei University
Xu Yuan: Jimei University
Wenli Zhong: Ocean University of China
Ruibo Lei: Polar Research Institute of China
Chenglong Li: Jimei University
Yanpei Zhuang: Jimei University
Xiang Gao: Jimei University
Xichen Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hongmei Lin: Ministry of Natural Resources
Liqi Chen: Jimei University
Wei-Jun Cai: University of Delaware
Di Qi: Jimei University

Nature Climate Change, 2025, vol. 15, issue 8, 859-865

Abstract: Abstract Overall ocean health depends critically on dissolved oxygen, which is increasingly impacted by global warming. The Arctic and subarctic regions are experiencing exceptionally rapid warming, known as Arctic amplification, yet its impact on oceanic oxygen remains poorly understood. Here we show that inflowing Atlantic Water (AW) drives deoxygenation in the upper eastern Arctic Ocean and the intermediate layers of the western Arctic Ocean at rates from −0.41 ± 0.17 to −0.47 ± 0.07 µmol kg−1 yr−1, six times the global mean. Amplified Arctic warming is the primary driver, significantly reducing oxygen solubility in the Arctic gateway regions. Rapid subduction and circulation of AW further transmit the deoxygenation signal into Arctic deeper layers, greatly threatening marine ecosystems. Our findings highlight the dominant role of warming Atlantic inflow in shaping the Arctic Ocean oxygen dynamics, indicating that ongoing temperature increases will perpetuate deoxygenation trends and underscoring the need for widespread attention.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02376-0

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