Water mass distribution in Fram Strait and over the Yermak Plateau in summer 1997

Abstract

Abstract. The water mass distribution in northern FramStrait and over the Yermak Plateau in summer 1997 is described using CTD data from two cruises in the area. The West Spitsbergen Current was found to split, one part recirculated towards the west, while the other part, on entering the Arctic Ocean separated into two branches. The main in¯ow of Atlantic Water followed the Svalbard continental slope eastward, while a second, narrower, branch stayed west and north of the Yermak Plateau. The water column above the southeastern¯ank of the Yermak Plateau was distinctly colder and less saline than the two in¯ow branches.

Current estimates of freshwater flux through Arctic and subarctic seas

“…Schauer et al, 2004). The exchanges of the deeper waters likely involve a large recirculation but at least some Arctic Intermediate Water and some Nordic Seas deep water pass north of the Yermak Plateau into the Sofia Deep and thus into the Nansen Basin (Rudels et al, 2000;Rudels et al, 2005). We estimate this inflow to be 0.5 Sv with a salinity of 34.91.…”

Atlantic Water advection to the eastern Fram Strait — Multiproxy evidence for late Holocene variability

“…6 masses eastwards into the Arctic Ocean (Manley, 1995;Rudels et al, 2000;Saloranta and Haugan, 2001). The East Spitsbergen Current (ESC) carries cold water and sea ice from the Arctic Ocean southward along the east coast of Svalbard to the south and west around Spitsbergen (Hopkins, 1991;Loeng, 1991).…”

Aliphatic lipids in recent sediments of the Fram Strait/Yermak Plateau (Arctic Ocean): composition, sources and transport processes

“…This Atlantic water, however was found to be denser, colder and fresher, i.e. more admixed, than the Atlantic water on the western side of the Plateau (Rudels et al, 2000), likely due to upwelling of colder waters caused by cyclonic surface circulation (Muench et al, 1992) and an intensified tidal mixing (Hunkins, 1986) over the Yermak Plateau. Though weak, this inflow leads to advection of phyto-and zooplankton (or organic matter thereof) from the more productive open waters and/or from the MIZ over the Plateau, as indicated by the presence of Atlantic diatom species and copepods (e.g.…”

“…The study area is influenced by a number of environmental conditions, including permanent or temporary sea-ice cover and a system of oceanic currents, which, amongst other things, impact organic matter composition and distribution. Two major currents, the warm West Spitsbergen Current (WSC, T = 2 -3 jC; S = 34.7 -34.9) and the iceinfested East Greenland Current (EGC, T = À 1.5 -0 jC; S = 30.7 -31.0), balance the exchange of Arctic and Atlantic water masses and subdivide Fram Strait in two domains (Schlichtholz and Houssais, 1999a,b;Rudels et al, 2000).…”

“…1). Besides our study, oceanographic and biological investigations were recently performed on similar stations or adjacent Transects and stations (Andreassen et al, 1996;Owrid et al, 2000;Soltwedel et al, 2000;Rudels et al, 2000;Rutgers van der Loeff et al, 2002;Schewe and (Hebbeln and Berner, 1993;Stein et al, 1994;Notholt, 1998;Kierdorf, 2001; and on www.pangaea.de). Samples used for lipid analysis are indicated by white dots.…”