FRESHWATER - Freshwater from the shelf to the interior ocean: effect on climate and water-mass transformation in the northern North Atlantic
What are the goals of the project?
The overall objective of the project is to improve process understanding of the role of "Freshwater" in the Nordic Seas. We investigate how freshwater from the East Greenland Current (EGC) impacts dense-water formation in the Iceland Sea as well as the composition and exchange of water masses between the various basins of the Nordic Seas. Our findings will have importance for the prediction of future responses to a warming climate.
What are the main results so far?
During 2015 we investigated hydrographic ship measurement in a section along Mohn’s Ridge that separates the Lofoten and the Greenland Basins. The data show that exchange of Arctic Water from the Greenland Sea to the Norwegian Sea takes place all along the ridge and within a thin vertical layer between 300-600 m depth. The geostrophic velocity calculated from the hydrographic data also shows that there is large eddy activity over the ridge, where the horizontal scales of the eddies are 50 km and less.
What are the future plans?
This year we will participate in an internationally coordinated ocean–atmosphere field campaign in the Iceland Sea to investigate the coupled system that forces oceanic convection and supplies dense water to the lower limb of the AMOC. The findings will be evaluated against idealized numerical simulations and the NorESM.
Who is involved?
IMR: Kjell Arne Mork, Henrik Søiland, Øystein Skagseth
NERSC: Helene Langehaug
UiB: Kjetil Våge, Tor Eldevik, Joachim Reuder, Marius Årthun
Uni Research: Carin Andersson Dahl, Martin Miles, Emil Jeansson, Svein Østerhus
Duration: 2015 - 2017