Physical oceanography from the TRACTOR project

• Main Authors: TRACTOR Members, Johannessen, Truls, Cleveland, Frank, Kasajima, Yoshie, O'Dwyer, Jane, Valdimarsson, Héðinn
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2011
• Subjects: 46BS_2001-05; 46BS_2001-05/110; 46BS_2001-05/111; 46BS_2001-05/112; 46BS_2001-05/113; 46BS_2001-05/114; 46BS_2001-05/115; 46BS_2001-05/116; 46BS_2001-05/117; 46BS_2001-05/118; 46BS_2001-05/119; 46BS_2001-05/120; 46BS_2001-05/121; 46BS_2001-05/127; 46BS_2001-05/135; 46BS_2001-05/141; 46BS_2001-05/166; 46BS_2001-05/169; 46BS_2001-08; 46BS_2001-08/352; 46BS_2001-08/385; 46BS_2001-08/397; 46BS_2001-08/417; 46BS_2001-08/419; 46BS_2001-08/421; 46BS_2001-08/552; 46BS_2001-08/554; 46BS_2001-11; 46BS_2001-11/1002; 46BS_2001-11/918; 46BS_2001-11/955; 46BS_2001-11/989; 46BS_2002-02; 46BS_2002-02/18; 46BS_2002-02/53; 46BS_2002-02/67; 46BS_2002-05; 46BS_2002-05/102; 46BS_2002-05/110; 46BS_2002-05/111; 46BS_2002-05/112; 46BS_2002-05/113; 46BS_2002-05/114; 46BS_2002-05/130; 46BS_2002-05/159; 46BS_2002-05/186; 46BS_2002-08; 46BS_2002-08/279; 46BS_2002-08/418; 46BS_2002-08/420; Denmark Strait; Fram Strait; Greenland; Greenland Sea; Jan Mayen; Labrador Sea; Nordic Seas
• Online Access: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.772131; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.772131

Primary Objectives - Describe and quantify the present strength and variability of the circulation and oceanic processes of the Nordic Seas regions using primarily observations of the long term spread of a tracer purposefully released into the Greenland Sea Gyre in 1996. - Improve our understanding of ocean processes critical to the thermaholine circulation in the Nordic Seas regions so as to be able to predict how this region may respond to climate change. - Assess the role of mixing and ageing of water masses on the carbon transport and the role of the thermohaline circulation in carbon storage using water transports and mixing coefficients derived from the tracer distribution. Specific Objectives Perform annual hydrographic, chemical and SF6 tracer surveys into the Nordic regions in order to: - Measure lateral and diapycnal mixing rates in the Greenland Sea Gyre and in the surrounding regions. - Document the depth and rates of convective mixing in the Greenland Sea using the SF6 and the water masses characteristics. - Measure the transit time and transport of water from the Greenland Sea to surrounding seas and outflows. Document processes of water mass transformation and entrainment occurring to water emanating from the central Greenland Sea. - Measure diapycnal mixing rates in the bottom and margins of the Greenland Sea basin using the SF6 signal observed there. Quantify the potential role of bottom boundary-layer mixing in the ventilation of the Greenland Sea Deep Water in absence of deep convection. Monitor the variability of the entrainment of water from the Greenland Sea using time series auto-sampler moorings at strategic positions i.e., sill of the Denmark Strait, Labrador Sea, Jan Mayen fracture zone and Fram Strait. Relate the observed variability of the tracer signal in the outflows to convection events in the Greenland Sea and local wind stress events. Obtain a better description of deepwater overflow and entrainment processes in the Denmark Strait and Faeroe Bank Channel overflows and use these ...