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Structure and mixing across an Arctic/Atlantic front in northern Baffin Bay
Author(s) -
Lobb Julie,
Carmack Eddy C.,
Ingram R. Grant,
Weaver Andrew J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2003gl017755
Subject(s) - oceanography , bay , geology , current (fluid) , front (military) , thermohaline circulation , groenlandia , arctic , temperature salinity diagrams , salinity , water mass , climatology , ice sheet
A front forms in northern Baffin Bay (∼75.25°N) between Atlantic‐derived water carried by the West Greenland Current and Arctic‐derived waters exiting southward through Nares Strait and Jones Sound via the Baffin Current. Subsurface waters (e.g. below 100 m) of the West Greenland Current are as much as 2°C warmer than those of the Baffin Current. Confluence of these waters leads to a frontal transition between 100–500 m wherein cross‐frontal gradients of potential temperature (Δθ/ΔL ∼ 0.06–0.07 °C·km −1 ) and salinity (ΔS/ΔL ∼ 0.005–0.007 PSU·km −1 ) are largely density compensating (Δσ θ /ΔL ∼ 0.001 km −1 ). Subsequent thermohaline interleaving establishes conditions conducive to mixing via cabelling and double‐diffusion. The front's location would allow it to play a contributing role in the formation of Baffin Current water structure and eventual export of freshwater to the North Atlantic.