Post on 29-Sep-2020
Evolution of the East Greenland Current from
Fram Strait to Denmark Strait: Synoptic
measurements from summer 2012
Lisbeth Håvik
Robert Pickart
Kjetil Våge
Agnieszka Beszczynska-Möller
Waldemar Walczowski
The East Greenland Current
separated EGC
shelfbreak EGC
Data
8 densely sampled
sections across the
EGC (August 2012).
CTD and velocity
measurements.
Lack velocity section 10.
Data
3 sections from
IOPAS cruise
in northeastern
Nordic Seas
(July 2012).
CTD and
velocity
measurements.
Water masses
Kinematic structure
Absolute geostrophic velocities obtained by
referencing geostrophic velocities to the measured
velocities.
Kinematic structure
Shelf break East Greenland Current
Polar Surface Water jet
Outer East Greenland Current
Shelf break East Greenland Current
Shelf break East Greenland Current
Reduced surface transport south of the JMFZ, how
does this affect freshwater transport?
Freshwater transport
Freshwater transport
Separated EGC ~35% of the FWT.
PSW jet ~40 % of the FWT.
Outer EGC
Outer EGC
NwAFC WSC
Outer EGC
Outer EGC
Hypothesis: A direct recirculation of the
Norwegian Atlantic Frontal Current in the Fram
Strait resulted in the outer EGC.
Modification of Atlantic-origin water
Modification of Atlantic-origin water
Modification of Atlantic-origin water
Limited densification of the Atlantic-origin water
in the main core of the current along-stream.
The East Greenland Current system
separated EGC shelfbreak EGC
Summary
Three current cores detected in the EGC system:
• Shelf break EGC – Supply on average 2.2 Sv of
dense Atlantic-origin overflow water to the Denmark
Strait.
• PSW jet – carries ~ 40% of the FWT.
• Outer EGC - direct recirculation of NwAFC in Fram
Strait.
Atlantic-origin Water, and hence overflow water, is not
densified along-stream within the main current.