Seasonal Variability of the East Greenland Coastal Current ...

• Main Authors: Marshall, Abigail, Bacon, Sheldon, Holliday, N. Penny, Askenov, Yevgeny, Dye, Stephen
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: ASC 2013 - Theme session L 2024
• Subjects: Ecosystem observation, processes and dynamics; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Greenland; East Greenland
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.24753735.v1; https://ices-library.figshare.com/articles/conference_contribution/Seasonal_Variability_of_the_East_Greenland_Coastal_Current/24753735/1

No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author. The East Greenland Coastal Current (EGCC) is a cold (θ < 4 °C), freshwater (28 < S < 34) wedge which resides close to the East Greenland coast, extending up to 40 km from the shore. It is a major conduit of freshwater from the Arctic Ocean. However, the seasonal cycle, transport and drivers of the EGCC are unknown due to the lack of wintertime measurements. Here we describe the EGCC seasonal cycle from moorings, transport values using the global model, NEMO, and postulate what could be driving the EGCC. The moorings recorded salinity, temperature and velocities from 2000-2004 showing the EGCC exists throughout the year, strengthening in the winter. Annually, freshening occurred during the spring ice melt, as expected. The model, corroborated by the moorings, calculated freshwater transport (referenced to 35.0) at 84 mSv, peaking in winter (106 mSv) and reducing in summer (59 mSv). Further calculations showed that the cross-shelf ...