Sources and fate of freshwater exported in the East Greenland Current

Monitoring the sources and fate of freshwater in the East Greenland Current (EGC) is important, as this water has the potential to suppress deep convection in the Nordic and Labrador Seas if the outflow of freshwater from the Arctic Ocean increases in response to climate change. Here, hydrographic,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2009-10, Vol.36 (19), p.np-n/a
Main Authors: Dodd, Paul A., Heywood, Karen J., Meredith, Michael P., Naveira-Garabato, Alberto C., Marca, Alina D., Falkner, Kelly K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arctic Ocean
Barium
Biological oceanography
Chemical oceanography
Climate change
Concentration (composition)
Cryosphere
Deep water
Earth
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
East Greenland Current
Exact sciences and technology
Fresh water
freshwater
Freshwaters
Ice
International trade
Labrador
Meltwater
Oceans
Oxygen isotope ratio
Oxygen isotopes
Physical oceanography
Sea ice
Seas
Straits
Water outflow
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Summary:Monitoring the sources and fate of freshwater in the East Greenland Current (EGC) is important, as this water has the potential to suppress deep convection in the Nordic and Labrador Seas if the outflow of freshwater from the Arctic Ocean increases in response to climate change. Here, hydrographic, oxygen isotope ratio and dissolved barium concentration sections across Denmark Strait collected in 1998 and 1999 are used to determine the freshwater composition of the EGC at these times. Comparison of meltwater fluxes at Denmark Strait and Fram Strait indicates a net melting of sea ice into the EGC between these two locations, with a significant proportion of sea ice drifting into the Nordic Seas or on to the East Greenland Shelf. We conclude that the phase of freshwater exiting the Arctic Ocean through Fram Strait is important in determining its possible impact on deep water formation in the Nordic and Labrador Seas.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/2009GL039663