Seasonality and interannual variability of the European Slope Current from 20years of altimeter data compared with in situ measurements

Carbon exchange between a shelf sea and the ocean: The Hebrides Shelf, west of Scotland

“…However, Xu et al . [] describe important seasonal to interdecadal variability in the Slope Current that will impact the variability in downslope transport over similar timescales, which in addition to the 4‐fold variability we highlight between transects, suggests that the flux of material offshelf is likely to be highly variable along the shelf break over a range of timescales.…”

“…The downwelling circulation is induced by the European Slope Current, a warm and saline northerly flowing current located over the upper continental slope of the NW European shelf that is considered an important route for the transfer of heat and salt to the Arctic, and which in winter, likely runs continuously from the Bay of Biscay to the Norwegian Sea [ Huthnance , ; Pingree , ; Xu et al ., ]. The Slope Current is typically centered above the 500 m bathymetric contour, generally below the seasonal thermocline, and closely follows the bathymetry northward [ Booth and Ellett , ].…”

“…The Slope Current is typically centered above the 500 m bathymetric contour, generally below the seasonal thermocline, and closely follows the bathymetry northward [ Booth and Ellett , ]. Measurements within the Slope Current indicate typical current velocities of 0.2–0.4 m s −1 , and transports of ∼1.5 Sv, though there is considerable variability with latitude and by season with increased current velocities and transports northward and throughout autumn and winter [ Dickson et al ., ; Huthnance ; Carter et al ., ; Xu et al ., ]. Over the inner shelf, and predominately inshore of the Hebridean Islands, runs the Scottish Coastal Current, another northward flowing current, with a mean velocity of ∼0.11 m s −1 and a volume transport of ∼0.1 Sv [ McKay et al ., ; Inall et al ., ].…”

Anthropogenic influence on sediment transport in the Whittard Canyon, NE Atlantic

“…VMS data for the study area quadrangle (48° 30' -48° 55' N, 10° 35'-10° 15' 137 W) for the month of June 2013 were extracted. The total records for the month of June (589) were 138 reduced to those fitting the criteria for trawling activity and recorded during the operational survey 139 period to Whittard Canyon (9-17 th June 2013). To fit the criteria (likely) for trawling activity, vessels 140 must be equipped with bottom trawling gear and be operating at ≤5 knots, a suitable threshold to 141 denote fishing activity (Gerritsen and Lordan, 2011 (Figure 2a …”

Drifter observations in the summer time Bay of Biscay slope current

“…The poleward manifestation of this current, which is observed throughout the winter months, peaks in speed in December with typical velocities at that time of 5cm s -1 (Pingree and Le Cann, 1989), and forms part of the density driven European Shelf break Current (Huthnance et al, 2009;Xu et al, 2014). During the summer the mean flow is weaker and reversed, peaking at only 1.5 cm s -1 in June in an equatorward direction along the shelf break (Pingree and Le Cann, 1990;Huthnance et al, 2001;Charria et al, 2013).…”