Shifting Surface Currents in the Northern North Atlantic Ocean
Analysis of surface drifter tracks in the North Atlantic Ocean from the time period 1990 to 2006 provides the first evidence that the Gulf Stream waters can have direct pathways to the Nordic Seas. Prior to 2000, the drifters entering the channels leading to the Nordic Seas originated in the western...
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ftnasantrs:oai:casi.ntrs.nasa.gov:20070032937 2023-05-15T17:24:19+02:00 Shifting Surface Currents in the Northern North Atlantic Ocean Hakkinen, Sirpa Rhines, Peter B. Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available [2007] application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20070032937 unknown Document ID: 20070032937 http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20070032937 No Copyright CASI Oceanography 2007 ftnasantrs 2018-06-09T22:59:56Z Analysis of surface drifter tracks in the North Atlantic Ocean from the time period 1990 to 2006 provides the first evidence that the Gulf Stream waters can have direct pathways to the Nordic Seas. Prior to 2000, the drifters entering the channels leading to the Nordic Seas originated in the western and central subpolar region. Since 2001 several paths from the western subtropics have been present in the drifter tracks leading to the Rockall Trough through which the most saline North Atlantic Waters pass to the Nordic Seas. Eddy kinetic energy from altimetry shows also the increased energy along the same paths as the drifters, These near surface changes have taken effect while the altimetry shows a continual weakening of the subpolar gyre. These findings highlight the changes in the vertical structure of the northern North Atlantic Ocean, its dynamics and exchanges with the higher latitudes, and show how pathways of the thermohaline circulation can open up and maintain or increase its intensity even as the basin-wide circulation spins down. Other/Unknown Material Nordic Seas North Atlantic NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) Rockall Trough ENVELOPE(-15.036,-15.036,53.825,53.825) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
op_collection_id |
ftnasantrs |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Oceanography |
spellingShingle |
Oceanography Hakkinen, Sirpa Rhines, Peter B. Shifting Surface Currents in the Northern North Atlantic Ocean |
topic_facet |
Oceanography |
description |
Analysis of surface drifter tracks in the North Atlantic Ocean from the time period 1990 to 2006 provides the first evidence that the Gulf Stream waters can have direct pathways to the Nordic Seas. Prior to 2000, the drifters entering the channels leading to the Nordic Seas originated in the western and central subpolar region. Since 2001 several paths from the western subtropics have been present in the drifter tracks leading to the Rockall Trough through which the most saline North Atlantic Waters pass to the Nordic Seas. Eddy kinetic energy from altimetry shows also the increased energy along the same paths as the drifters, These near surface changes have taken effect while the altimetry shows a continual weakening of the subpolar gyre. These findings highlight the changes in the vertical structure of the northern North Atlantic Ocean, its dynamics and exchanges with the higher latitudes, and show how pathways of the thermohaline circulation can open up and maintain or increase its intensity even as the basin-wide circulation spins down. |
author |
Hakkinen, Sirpa Rhines, Peter B. |
author_facet |
Hakkinen, Sirpa Rhines, Peter B. |
author_sort |
Hakkinen, Sirpa |
title |
Shifting Surface Currents in the Northern North Atlantic Ocean |
title_short |
Shifting Surface Currents in the Northern North Atlantic Ocean |
title_full |
Shifting Surface Currents in the Northern North Atlantic Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Shifting Surface Currents in the Northern North Atlantic Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Shifting Surface Currents in the Northern North Atlantic Ocean |
title_sort |
shifting surface currents in the northern north atlantic ocean |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20070032937 |
op_coverage |
Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-15.036,-15.036,53.825,53.825) |
geographic |
Rockall Trough |
geographic_facet |
Rockall Trough |
genre |
Nordic Seas North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Nordic Seas North Atlantic |
op_source |
CASI |
op_relation |
Document ID: 20070032937 http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20070032937 |
op_rights |
No Copyright |
_version_ |
1766115268132601856 |