Table of Contents |
1. | Introduction | 1 |
1.1. | The Climate-Forming Role of the Ocean | 1 |
1.2. | Early Studies of the Ocean Circulation | 2 |
1.3. | Formulating the Idea of Thermohaline Circulation | 4 |
1.4. | Modern Investigations of the Thermohaline Circulation | 6 |
1.5. | Contemporary Views on the Thermohaline Circulation | 7 |
1.6. | The Arctic in the Global Climate System | 10 |
1.7. | Climate Changes in the Arctic | 12 |
1.8. | Causes and Effects of Changes in the Thermohaline Circulation | 14 |
1.9. | The Objective and Scope of This Work | 16 |
| References | 18 |
2. | The Nordic Seas | 21 |
2.1. | Characteristics of the Nordic Seas | 21 |
2.2. | Climate | 23 |
2.3. | Bathymetry | 23 |
2.4. | Ocean Currents | 24 |
2.5. | Two Branches of the West Spitsbergen Current | 28 |
2.6. | Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction | 32 |
2.7. | Climatological Fields of Temperature and Salinity | 35 |
2.8. | Transformation of the Atlantic Water | 36 |
| References | 37 |
3. | Methodology of Measurements and Data Analysis | 41 |
3.1. | Participation of the IOPAS in Research Programs and Measurement Campaigns | 41 |
3.2. | Measuring Instruments | 43 |
3.3. | The Study Area | 44 |
3.4. | Characteristics and Methods of Processing the Measurement Data | 46 |
3.5. | Measurement Errors and Data Processing Errors | 49 |
3.6. | Problems and Doubts | 51 |
| References | 52 |
4. | Properties of the Atlantic Water in 2000-2007 | 53 |
4.1. | Mean Properties of the Atlantic Water | 53 |
4.2. | Changes in the Properties of the Atlantic Water | 56 |
4.3. | Variability Studied Using the Empirical Orthogonal Functions | 65 |
4.4. | Division of the Study Area | 68 |
4.5. | Correlation with the NAO Index | 73 |
4.6. | Correlation with Temperature in Hornsund | 75 |
4.7. | Summary | 76 |
| References | 77 |
5. | Structure and Variability of the Atlantic Water on the Transects | 79 |
5.1. | Transect 'H' | 80 |
5.2. | Transect 'K' | 82 |
5.3. | Transect 'N' | 84 |
5.4. | Transect 'EB' | 92 |
5.5. | Transect 'VI' | 94 |
5.6. | The 'Core' Transect | 95 |
5.7. | Meridional Variability | 97 |
5.8. | Correlations Between the Properties of the Atlantic Water Studied on the Transects | 100 |
5.8.1. | Correlations in the Eastern WSC Branch | 103 |
5.8.2. | The Western Part of the WSC | 104 |
5.9. | Summary | 108 |
| References | 108 |
6. | Dynamics of the West Spitsbergen Current | 111 |
6.1. | Data and Methods | 111 |
6.2. | Baroclinic Currents | 115 |
6.3. | Division of the Study Area | 122 |
6.4. | In Situ Measured Currents | 124 |
6.5. | Summary | 126 |
| References | 127 |
7. | The West Spitsbergen Current Volume and Heat Transport | 129 |
7.1. | Meridional Variability | 129 |
7.2. | Temporal Variability | 131 |
7.2.1. | Transect 'H' | 131 |
7.2.2. | Transect 'K' | 131 |
7.2.3. | Transect 'N' | 132 |
7.2.4. | Transect 'EB' | 134 |
7.2.5. | Transect 'VI' | 134 |
7.3. | Baroclinic vs Barotropic Flows | 136 |
7.4. | Structure of the West Spitsbergen Current | 138 |
7.5. | Signal Propagation in the West Spitsbergen Current | 142 |
7.6. | Volume and Heat Budget | 143 |
7.7. | Summary | 149 |
| References | 149 |
8. | Changes in the Ocean Climate | 151 |
8.1. | The Northward Propagation of Warm Water | 151 |
8.2. | Changes in the Properties of the Atlantic Water in the Eastern and Western Branches | 155 |
8.3. | The Importance of Mesoscale Eddies in Heat Transport | 156 |
| References | 162 |
9. | Final Conclusions | 163 |
9.1. | The Possibilities of Diagnosis | 164 |
9.2. | Prediction Potential | 166 |
9.3. | Summary | 168 |
9.3.1. | Structure of Currents | 168 |
9.3.2. | Spatial Changes | 169 |
9.3.3. | Temporal Variability | 170 |
9.3.4. | Correlation Relationships | 171 |
9.3.5. | The Ocean Climate and the Significance of the AW for the Climate | 172 |
| Bibliography | 173 |