Deep western boundary current dynamics and associated sedimentation on the Eirik Drift, southern Greenland margin

Growing interest in the dynamics and temporal variability of the deep western boundary current (DWBC) in the northern North Atlantic has led to numerous studies of the modern hydrography and palaeoceanography of this current system. The DWBC is fed by the two dense water-masses that spill over the G...

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Published in:Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
Main Authors: Hunter, S., Wilkinson, D., Louarn, E., McCave, I. N., Rohling, E., Stow, D. A. V., Bacon, S.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/420/
http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/420/1/MCCave_deep_sea.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2007.09.007
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spelling ftucambridgeesc:oai:eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk:420 2023-05-15T16:00:41+02:00 Deep western boundary current dynamics and associated sedimentation on the Eirik Drift, southern Greenland margin Hunter, S. Wilkinson, D. Louarn, E. McCave, I. N. Rohling, E. Stow, D. A. V. Bacon, S. 2007-12 application/pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/420/ http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/420/1/MCCave_deep_sea.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2007.09.007 en eng http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/420/1/MCCave_deep_sea.pdf Hunter, S. and Wilkinson, D. and Louarn, E. and McCave, I. N. and Rohling, E. and Stow, D. A. V. and Bacon, S. (2007) Deep western boundary current dynamics and associated sedimentation on the Eirik Drift, southern Greenland margin. Deep Sea Research I, 54 (12). pp. 2036-2066. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2007.09.007 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2007.09.007> 01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems Article PeerReviewed 2007 ftucambridgeesc https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2007.09.007 2020-08-27T18:08:32Z Growing interest in the dynamics and temporal variability of the deep western boundary current (DWBC) in the northern North Atlantic has led to numerous studies of the modern hydrography and palaeoceanography of this current system. The DWBC is fed by the two dense water-masses that spill over the Greenland–Iceland–Scotland Ridge; Denmark Strait Overflow Water (DSOW) and Iceland Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW). These overflows entrain ambient water masses, primarily Labrador Sea Water (LSW), as they cross the Iceland and Irminger Basins before merging in the vicinity of south-east Greenland. A number of studies have been performed around the Eirik Drift, located off the southern Greenland margin, downstream of this main merging point. However, the relationship between the DWBC and the associated sedimentation at this location has yet to be fully elucidated. New hydrographic data show that the current's main sediment load is carried by only one of its components, the DSOW. Seismic surveys and sediment cores confirm that Holocene sedimentation is limited to areas underlying the most offshore part of the current, where the hydrographic data show the highest concentration of DSOW. Active sedimentation through the Holocene therefore appears to have been controlled by proximity to the sediment-laden DSOW. Our interpretation of new and historic geostrophic transport and tracer data from transects around the southern Greenland margin also suggests that the DWBC undergoes significant growth through entrainment as it flows around the Eirik Drift. We attribute this to multiple strands of ISOW following different depth-dependent pathways between exiting the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone and joining the DWBC. Comparison of our new data with other modern hydrographic datasets reveals significant temporal variability in the DWBC, associated with variations in the position, structure and age since ventilation of the current in the vicinity of Eirik Drift. The complexity of the current dynamics in this area has implications for the interpretation of hydrographic and palaeoceanographic data. Article in Journal/Newspaper Denmark Strait East Greenland Greenland Iceland Labrador Sea North Atlantic University of Cambridge, Department of Earth Sciences: ESC Publications Greenland Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 54 12 2036 2066
institution Open Polar
collection University of Cambridge, Department of Earth Sciences: ESC Publications
op_collection_id ftucambridgeesc
language English
topic 01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems
spellingShingle 01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems
Hunter, S.
Wilkinson, D.
Louarn, E.
McCave, I. N.
Rohling, E.
Stow, D. A. V.
Bacon, S.
Deep western boundary current dynamics and associated sedimentation on the Eirik Drift, southern Greenland margin
topic_facet 01 - Climate Change and Earth-Ocean Atmosphere Systems
description Growing interest in the dynamics and temporal variability of the deep western boundary current (DWBC) in the northern North Atlantic has led to numerous studies of the modern hydrography and palaeoceanography of this current system. The DWBC is fed by the two dense water-masses that spill over the Greenland–Iceland–Scotland Ridge; Denmark Strait Overflow Water (DSOW) and Iceland Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW). These overflows entrain ambient water masses, primarily Labrador Sea Water (LSW), as they cross the Iceland and Irminger Basins before merging in the vicinity of south-east Greenland. A number of studies have been performed around the Eirik Drift, located off the southern Greenland margin, downstream of this main merging point. However, the relationship between the DWBC and the associated sedimentation at this location has yet to be fully elucidated. New hydrographic data show that the current's main sediment load is carried by only one of its components, the DSOW. Seismic surveys and sediment cores confirm that Holocene sedimentation is limited to areas underlying the most offshore part of the current, where the hydrographic data show the highest concentration of DSOW. Active sedimentation through the Holocene therefore appears to have been controlled by proximity to the sediment-laden DSOW. Our interpretation of new and historic geostrophic transport and tracer data from transects around the southern Greenland margin also suggests that the DWBC undergoes significant growth through entrainment as it flows around the Eirik Drift. We attribute this to multiple strands of ISOW following different depth-dependent pathways between exiting the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone and joining the DWBC. Comparison of our new data with other modern hydrographic datasets reveals significant temporal variability in the DWBC, associated with variations in the position, structure and age since ventilation of the current in the vicinity of Eirik Drift. The complexity of the current dynamics in this area has implications for the interpretation of hydrographic and palaeoceanographic data.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Hunter, S.
Wilkinson, D.
Louarn, E.
McCave, I. N.
Rohling, E.
Stow, D. A. V.
Bacon, S.
author_facet Hunter, S.
Wilkinson, D.
Louarn, E.
McCave, I. N.
Rohling, E.
Stow, D. A. V.
Bacon, S.
author_sort Hunter, S.
title Deep western boundary current dynamics and associated sedimentation on the Eirik Drift, southern Greenland margin
title_short Deep western boundary current dynamics and associated sedimentation on the Eirik Drift, southern Greenland margin
title_full Deep western boundary current dynamics and associated sedimentation on the Eirik Drift, southern Greenland margin
title_fullStr Deep western boundary current dynamics and associated sedimentation on the Eirik Drift, southern Greenland margin
title_full_unstemmed Deep western boundary current dynamics and associated sedimentation on the Eirik Drift, southern Greenland margin
title_sort deep western boundary current dynamics and associated sedimentation on the eirik drift, southern greenland margin
publishDate 2007
url http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/420/
http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/420/1/MCCave_deep_sea.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2007.09.007
geographic Greenland
geographic_facet Greenland
genre Denmark Strait
East Greenland
Greenland
Iceland
Labrador Sea
North Atlantic
genre_facet Denmark Strait
East Greenland
Greenland
Iceland
Labrador Sea
North Atlantic
op_relation http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/420/1/MCCave_deep_sea.pdf
Hunter, S. and Wilkinson, D. and Louarn, E. and McCave, I. N. and Rohling, E. and Stow, D. A. V. and Bacon, S. (2007) Deep western boundary current dynamics and associated sedimentation on the Eirik Drift, southern Greenland margin. Deep Sea Research I, 54 (12). pp. 2036-2066. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2007.09.007 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2007.09.007>
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2007.09.007
container_title Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
container_volume 54
container_issue 12
container_start_page 2036
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