Winter Conditions in the Bering Sea.
This report presents the results of the oceanographic cruise of the USCGC POLAR STAR to the ice-covered areas of the Bering Sea in February-April, 1980. The 83 stations made represent the most extensive set of under-ice observations ins the area using modern, high precision conductivity-temperature-...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1981
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA122443 http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA122443 |
| Summary: | This report presents the results of the oceanographic cruise of the USCGC POLAR STAR to the ice-covered areas of the Bering Sea in February-April, 1980. The 83 stations made represent the most extensive set of under-ice observations ins the area using modern, high precision conductivity-temperature-depth recordings and elucidate features not observable in the historical data. Two crossings of the ice margin were made, separated by 600 Km. These showed that cold, dilute water overlies warmer saltier water of Bering Sea origin. This latter water is present far back on the shelf, some 200 km behind the ice edge. Dilution and stratification due to river run off, especially from the Yukon River, was quite predominant along the north-eastern margin of the Bering Sea. A strong salinity front (2% over 60 km) separated oceanic water from the more dilute coastal water. Localized high salinity areas, indicative of rapid brine formation, were infrequently found. To some extent they were correlated with regions of ice divergence, especially north and south of St. Lawrence I. With the exception of the ice margin area and those obviously influenced by river run off, most of the waters were within 0.01 to 0.02 C of the equilibrium freezing point curve of Doherty and Kester. (Author) |
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