Hydrography of the Labrador Sea During Active Convection

In winter 1997 a broad-scale hydrographic survey of the Labrador Sea was done during the period of active convection. This was part of the ONR-sponsored Deep Convection Accelerated Research Initiative (ARI) to study the dynamics of convective overturning. We observed convection both in the interior...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Pickart, Robert S.
Other Authors: WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION MA DEPT OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 2001
Subjects:
Physical and Dynamic Oceanography
Hydrology
Limnology and Potamology
*HYDROGRAPHY
*LABRADOR SEA
OCEAN CURRENTS
WATER
CONVECTION
BOUNDARIES
VERTICAL ORIENTATION
HISTORY
NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
WATER MASSES
OFFSHORE
SINKING
Ari
Irminger Sea
Labrador Sea
North Atlantic
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA391080
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA391080
Description
Summary:In winter 1997 a broad-scale hydrographic survey of the Labrador Sea was done during the period of active convection. This was part of the ONR-sponsored Deep Convection Accelerated Research Initiative (ARI) to study the dynamics of convective overturning. We observed convection both in the interior of the Labrador Sea as well as in the western boundary current, which produced two different vintages of water. Data collected later in the spring, by another component of the ARI, suggests that the newly-formed boundary. current water was quickly flushed out of the Labrador Sea. By contrast, the offshore water mass was formed within a recirculating gyre and remained largely trapped within the Labrador Sea. Convection adjacent to boundaries implies net vertical sinking of the water, hence these observations have important ramifications to the meridional overturning circulation of the North Atlantic. Finally, historical data was used to demonstrate that deep convection also occurs in the adjacent Irminger Sea, which alters our view of mid-depth ventilation in the subpolar gyre. --Original contains color plates: All DTIC reproductions will be in black and white.

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