Contributions of the Siberian shelf polynyas to the Arctic Ocean intermediate and deep water

• Main Authors: Martin, Seelye, Cavalieri, Donald J.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1989
• Subjects: 48; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Norwegian Sea; Greenland; Whalers Bay; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19890066779

To investigate the role of Siberian Shelf polynyas in water mass formation, and that of Whalers Bay in the cooling of the West Spitsbergen Current, satellite observations from the Nimbus 7 scanning multichannel microwave radiometer are used to determine the size and location of polynyas for November-March, 1978-1982. If salt contributes only to the Arctic Intermediate Water, the results show that the continental shelves can produce 20-60 percent of this water. Alternatively, if the salt contributes only to the deep water of the Eurasian Basin, then without consideration of the mixing of the bottom water with the Greenland and Norwegian Sea water, the contribution from the shelves yields a renewal time of about 100 years. These results imply that there is insufficient water produced in the shelf polynyas to perform all of the roles that have historically been assigned to it.