Distribution and pathways of Atlantic Water in the Greenland Sea.

1
Distribution and pathways of Atlantic Water in
the Greenland Sea.

• by
• W. Walczowski, J. Piechura, R. Osinski
• Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of
  Sciences
• Sopot

2

• Introduction
• Stations grid
• Horizontal distributions
• Sections
• Volume and heat transports
• Conclusions

3
R. V. Oceania. Stations grid and location of
sections.
4
Barents and Greenland Seas bathymetry.
5
2000-2003. Mean salinity in summer at level of
100 m.
6
2000-2003. Mean salinity in summer at level of
100 m.
7
2000-2003. Mean salinity, dynamic heights and
baroclinic currents in summer at level of 100 m.
8
July 2000. Temperature at level of 100 m.
9
July 2000. Temperature and currents at level of
100 m.
10
July 2000. Kinetic Energy and currents at level
of 100 m.
11
July 2000. Temperature flux and currents at level
of 100 m.
12
July 2001. Temperature and currents at level of
100 m.
13
July 2002. Temperature and currents at level of
100 m.
14
July 2003. Temperature and currents at level of
100 m.
15
Østerhus Hansen and
Østerhus
16
July 2003. Currents and temperature flux at level
of 100 m.
17
July 2003. Section K along parallel 75 N
18
July 2003. Raw temperature at level of 100 m.
19
July 2003. Raw temperature and currents at
level of 100 m.
20
Eddy Kinetic Energy at level of 100 m.
2000 2001
21
Currents at level of 100 m. obtained by means of
ADCP. 2001
2002
22
The West Spitsbergen Current northward volume
transport.
Baroclinic calculations (IOPAS) in 4.4 Sv out
2.9 Sv Net 1.5 Sv Inverse
Methods Rudels
3 Sv Schlichtholtz and Houssais 1.1
Sv Current meters Hanzlick (1983)
5.6 Sv VEINS
9.5 Sv Modelling VEINS
2.2 Sv Maslowski (18 km model)
1.7 Sv Maslowski (9 km model) 4.5 Sv
23
The Atlantic Water northward volume and heat
transports.

• At the latitude 71 N transports
• June 2000 6.9 Sv, 128 TW
• June 2001 4.6 Sv, 91 TW
• At the latitude 79 N transports
• June 2000 2.0 Sv, 32 TW
• June 2001 0.9 Sv, 10 TW
• Only small part of Atlantic Water carried by the
  NAC/WSC reaches the Fram Strait.

24
Volume transports calculated from the ship
mounted ADCP data in layer 0-150 m.
1.6
0.65
0.6
0.5
1.6
0.75
1.9
0.8
2.4
1.2
4.1
0.93
3.4
2.26
4.1
2.6
1.55
0.6
1.36
7.14
25
July 2002. Section N along the 76 30 N
parallel.
26
July 2002. Section N along the 76 30 N
parallel
Volume Transports Geotrophic Positive Volume
7.95 Sv Negative Volume 5.92 Sv Net Volume
2.03 Sv
ADCP upper 200 m 6.20 Sv 1.1 Sv 5.1 Sv
ADCP Geostrophy 15.69 Sv 7.12 Sv 8.56 Sv
27
July 2003. Section N along the 76 30 N
parallel.
28
July 2003. Section N along the 76 30 N
parallel.
Positive 4.34 Sv Negative 2.84 Sv Net
1.50 Sv Net Heat 13.8
TW
Positive 6.01 Sv Negative 3.22 Sv Net
5.69 Sv
Positive 17.21 Sv Negative 6.30 Sv Net
10.91 Sv Net Heat
22.3 TW
29
July 2003. Sections K, N, S, EB2. Lowered ADCP
currents.
3.7 Sv AW 46 TW
6.1 Sv AW 60 TW
Section EB 78º 50 N
Section N 76º 30N
Section K 75º 00N
Section S 77º - 78º N
7.20 Sv AW 73 TW
9 Sv AW 125 TW
30
July 2003. Examples of the lADCP results.
31
July 2003. Raw temperature at level of 100 m.
32
July 2003. Raw temperature and geostrophic
currents at level of 100 m.
33
July 2003. Raw temperature, geostrophic
currents and lADCP currents at level of 100 m.
34
July 2003. Sections K, N and EB2. Salinity,
temperature and lowered ADCP currents at level of
100 m.
35
Conclusions

• Two branches of the West Spitsbergen Current
  exist
• Strong barothropic component of the flow in both
  branches occurs
• Spatial and temporal variability of the flows is
  great
• The northward volume and heat transport is
  probably higher than we have estimated earlier
• Only combining of the time series (current meters
  data), modelling and synoptic observations may
  give sufficient information about flows.