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Boundary Circulation at the Exit of the Labrador Sea

Boundary Circulation at the Exit of the Labrador Sea The deep circulation and related transports of the southern Labrador Sea are determined from direct current observations from ship surveys and a moored current-meter array. The measurements covered a time span from summer 1997 to 1999 and show a well-defined deep boundary current extending approximately out to the 3300-m depth contour and weak reverse currents farther offshore. The flow has a strong barotropic component, and significant baroclinic flow is only found in the shallow Labrador Current at the shelf break and associated with a deep core of Denmark Strait Overflow Water. The total deep-water transport below σσ ΘΘ == 27.74 kg m −−3 was 26 ±± 5 Sv (Sv ≡≡ 10 6 m 3 s −−1 ) comprising Labrador Sea Water (LSW), Gibbs Fracture Zone Water (GFZW), and Denmark Strait Overflow Water (DSOW). Intraseasonal variability of the flow and transport was high, ranging from 15 to 35 Sv, and the annual means differed by 17%%. A seasonal cycle is confined to the shallow Labrador Current; in its deeper part, where the mean flow is still strong, no obvious seasonality could be detected. The transport of the interior anticyclonic recirculation was estimated from lowered acoustic Doppler current profiler stations and geostrophy, yielding about 9 Sv. Thus, the net deep-water outflow from the Labrador Sea was about 17 Sv. The baroclinic transport of GFZW and DSOW referenced to the depth of the isopycnal σσ ΘΘ == 27.80 kg m −−3 is only about one-third of the total transport in these layers. Longer-term variations of the total transports are not represented well by the baroclinic contribution. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Physical Oceanography American Meteorological Society

Boundary Circulation at the Exit of the Labrador Sea

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References (39)

Publisher
American Meteorological Society
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 American Meteorological Society
ISSN
1520-0485
DOI
10.1175/1520-0485(2004)034<1548:BCATEO>2.0.CO;2
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The deep circulation and related transports of the southern Labrador Sea are determined from direct current observations from ship surveys and a moored current-meter array. The measurements covered a time span from summer 1997 to 1999 and show a well-defined deep boundary current extending approximately out to the 3300-m depth contour and weak reverse currents farther offshore. The flow has a strong barotropic component, and significant baroclinic flow is only found in the shallow Labrador Current at the shelf break and associated with a deep core of Denmark Strait Overflow Water. The total deep-water transport below σσ ΘΘ == 27.74 kg m −−3 was 26 ±± 5 Sv (Sv ≡≡ 10 6 m 3 s −−1 ) comprising Labrador Sea Water (LSW), Gibbs Fracture Zone Water (GFZW), and Denmark Strait Overflow Water (DSOW). Intraseasonal variability of the flow and transport was high, ranging from 15 to 35 Sv, and the annual means differed by 17%%. A seasonal cycle is confined to the shallow Labrador Current; in its deeper part, where the mean flow is still strong, no obvious seasonality could be detected. The transport of the interior anticyclonic recirculation was estimated from lowered acoustic Doppler current profiler stations and geostrophy, yielding about 9 Sv. Thus, the net deep-water outflow from the Labrador Sea was about 17 Sv. The baroclinic transport of GFZW and DSOW referenced to the depth of the isopycnal σσ ΘΘ == 27.80 kg m −−3 is only about one-third of the total transport in these layers. Longer-term variations of the total transports are not represented well by the baroclinic contribution.

Journal

Journal of Physical Oceanography – American Meteorological Society

Published: Jul 18, 2003

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