Directly measured currents and estimated transport pathways of Atlantic
                        Water between 59.5°N and the Iceland–Faroes–Scotland Ridge

Childers, Katelin; Flagg, Charles N.; Rossby, H. Thomas; Schrum, Corinna

doi:10.3402/tellusa.v67.28067

Cited by 11 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Childers et al . [] suggest ∼1.5 Sv crossing the Ridge in the top 400 m based on a single hydrographic section along the ridge crest. Since crest depth north of 59.5°N is on average a bit more than twice as deep it is possible that the top‐to‐bottom cross‐ridge flow is at least twice as large at 3 perhaps 4 Sv.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…This leaves 9 Sv that must be exported in some combination across the Ridge north of 59.58N or transferred diapycnally to the intermediate layer. Childers et al [2015] suggest 1.5 Sv crossing the Ridge in the top 400 m based on a single hydrographic section along the ridge crest. Since crest depth north of 59.58N is on average a bit more than twice as deep it is possible that the top-to-bottom cross-ridge flow is at least twice as large at 3 perhaps 4 Sv.…”

Section: The Larger Contextmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…It is bound by 58.58N to the south and 60.58N to the north tapering to the east to exclude great circle transits near the Scotland slope so that all transits used here pass south of the Wyville-Thompson Ridge (Figure 1). This is an important geographical constraint we impose due to the ridge's impact on flow toward and along the Scotland slope [McCartney and Mauritzen, 2001;Sherwin et al, 2006;Childers et al, 2015]. The section across the East Greenland Current uses all ADCP profiles within 25 km to either side.…”

Section: The Velocity Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is worth noting here that the spread of Nuka Arctica transects means that she samples the velocity field throughout the banks region. A study of how the local topography shapes the flow through the region including why the North Atlantic Current prefers to connect to the Scotland Slope Current north rather than south of the Wyville-Thompson Ridge [Childers et al, 2015] could be quite interesting. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 10.1002/2017JC012835…”

Section: Rockall Trough Correctionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A direct estimate of poleward volume, heat, and freshwater fluxes at 59.5°N between Greenland and Scotland

et al. 2017

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The meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the North Atlantic plays a major role in the transport of heat from low to high latitudes. In this study, we combine recent measurements of currents from the surface to >700 m from a shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler with Argo profiles (to 2000 m) to estimate poleward volume, heat, and freshwater flux at 59.5°N between Greenland and Scotland. This is made possible thanks to the vessel Nuka Arctica that operates on a 3 week schedule between Greenland and Denmark. For the period late 2012 to early 2016, the deseasoned mean meridional overturning circulation reaches a 18.4 ± 3.4 Sv maximum at the σθ = 27.55 kg m−3 isopycnal, which varies in depth from near the surface in the western Irminger Sea to 1000 m in Rockall Trough. The total heat and freshwater fluxes across 59.5°N = 399 ± 74 TW and −0.20 ± 0.04 Sv, where the uncertainties are principally due to that of the MOC. Analysis of altimetric sea surface height variations along exactly the same route reveals a somewhat stronger geostrophic flow north during this period compared to the 23 year mean suggesting that for a long‐term mean the above flux estimates should be reduced slightly to 17.4 Sv, 377 TW, and −0.19 Sv, respectively, with the same estimate uncertainties. The ADCP program is ongoing.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: The Larger Contextmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: The Velocity Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Rockall Trough Correctionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A direct estimate of poleward volume, heat, and freshwater fluxes at 59.5°N between Greenland and Scotland

et al. 2017

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“…Originating as the northward branch of the Gulf Stream, it turns east at the Northwest Corner at 52°N (Rossby, ) and continues across the mid‐Atlantic Ridge whereupon it splits into two branches, one that retroflects (Read, ) and feeds the Irminger and Labrador Seas and one that continues north through the Iceland Basin toward the Nordic Seas, Figure . The latter branch subdivides in three directions (Chafik et al, ; Daniault et al, ; Rossby et al, ), two that flow toward the Faroe‐Shetland Channel (FSC) and the Iceland‐Faroe Ridge (IFR) and one that turns back south and crosses the Reykjanes Ridge from east to west at sites and rates that are poorly known (Childers et al, ; Sarafanov et al, ). The NAC branching east of the mid‐Atlantic Ridge exhibits considerable spatial variability on multiyear timescales (Bersch, ; Häkkinen & Rhines, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Direct Estimate of Volume, Heat, and Freshwater Exchange Across the Greenland‐Iceland‐Faroe‐Scotland Ridge

et al. 2018

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The flow of warm salty water toward the Nordic Seas is of fundamental importance to the climate of central and northern Europe. In an effort to gain an improved quantitative assessment of these fluxes a program was started in 2008 to measure upper-ocean currents from the high-seas ferry Norröna, which operates out of the Faroes to Iceland and Denmark. The current measurements were made with an acoustic Doppler current profiler mounted in the Norröna's hull. Starting in fall of 2013 monthly deployments of Expendable BathyThermographs give comprehensive information on the temperature field. These velocity and temperature data can be combined to estimate mean volume and temperature fluxes (referenced to 0°C) for the two sections. Archived hydrographic data give us the corresponding salt transport. Thanks to an array of 12 tall moorings across the Blosseville Basin that measured currents, temperature, and salinity net transport of volume, temperature, and salt between Iceland and Greenland can also be estimated. By combining the velocity data from these three sections the strength of the Nordic Seas branch of the meridional overturning circulation is estimated to be 7.7 ± 0.8 Sv where 1 Sv = 10 6 m 3 /s. Imposing the constraint of zero net volume and salt flux, the corresponding heat and freshwater fluxes are estimated to be 264 ± 27 TW (1 TW = 10 12 W) and À0.104 ± 0.01 Sv, respectively. The uncertainties in heat and freshwater fluxes are largely governed by volume fluxes. The Norröna program is ongoing.Plain Language Summary The climate of central and northern Europe depends upon the flow of warm water into the northern North Atlantic and Nordic Seas. This study uses directly measured currents from the high-seas ferry Norröna in regular traffic between Denmark, the Faroes and Iceland to determine in great detail the flow of warm salty water into the Nordic Seas. An extensive array of current meters deployed between Iceland and Greenland covers all exchange with the Nordic Seas west of Iceland. During its transit through the Nordic Seas the warm and salty North Atlantic water loses its heat to the atmosphere, sinks, and eventually spills back across the sills between Greenland, Iceland, the Faroes, and Scotland into the deep North Atlantic. As these waters sink, they entrain cooled water from the Labrador and Irminger Seas. Without this overflow of dense water from the Nordic Seas the northern North Atlantic would become much cooler because of the cessation of warm water flow north to maintain the overturning process. Thus quantifying the flow of warm water into the Nordic Seas and tracking how it might change over time is one of the overarching questions regarding the climate of North Atlantic and surrounding landmasses.

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Major Nutrient Fronts in the Northeastern Atlantic: From the Subpolar Gyre to Adjacent Shelves

Hátún

Larsen

Eliasen

et al. 2021

The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry

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Directly measured currents and estimated transport pathways of Atlantic Water between 59.5°N and the Iceland–Faroes–Scotland Ridge

Abstract: A B S T R A C T Using vessel-mounted acoustic

Cited by 11 publications

References 24 publications

A direct estimate of poleward volume, heat, and freshwater fluxes at 59.5°N between Greenland and Scotland

A direct estimate of poleward volume, heat, and freshwater fluxes at 59.5°N between Greenland and Scotland

A Direct Estimate of Volume, Heat, and Freshwater Exchange Across the Greenland‐Iceland‐Faroe‐Scotland Ridge

Major Nutrient Fronts in the Northeastern Atlantic: From the Subpolar Gyre to Adjacent Shelves

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