“…The region, which is influenced by cool (< 9 • C), saline (> 35.4 g kg −1 ) water found to the east of the front (Sheehan et al, 2017;Hill et al, 2008), is characterised by features excluded from the heating-stirring theory: coastal and oceanic water masses flow south into the North Sea, introducing temperature and salinity gradients that are not a consequence of heating-stirring interactions (Turrell, 1992;Hill et al, 2008;Sheehan et al, 2017), and a generally southward residual current persists throughout the year (Dooley, 1974;Turrell, 1992;Winther and Johannessen, 2006). Nevertheless, it is thought that the location of the front is at least partially influenced by the local heating-stirring balance, with tidal stirring being responsible for maintaining fully mixed conditions west of the front (Svendsen et al, 1991).…”