Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water:Spatial and temporal distribution in the Rockall Trough
Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water (WTOW), which is the only part of the outflow from the Norwegian Sea not to directly enter the Iceland Basin, is shown to be a significant water mass in the northern Rockall Trough. It is found primarily at intermediate depths (600-1200 m) beneath the northward f...
Published in: | Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers |
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2010
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Online Access: | https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/7bc01d55-6a86-4a5e-84fd-0425a83a91a0 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2010.07.006 https://pureadmin.uhi.ac.uk/ws/files/2050348/cj_accepted.pdf |
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ftuhipublicatio:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/7bc01d55-6a86-4a5e-84fd-0425a83a91a0 2024-04-28T08:22:26+00:00 Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water:Spatial and temporal distribution in the Rockall Trough Johnson, Clare Sherwin, Toby Smythe-Wright, Denise Shimmield, Tracy Turrell, William 2010-10 application/pdf https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/7bc01d55-6a86-4a5e-84fd-0425a83a91a0 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2010.07.006 https://pureadmin.uhi.ac.uk/ws/files/2050348/cj_accepted.pdf eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Johnson , C , Sherwin , T , Smythe-Wright , D , Shimmield , T & Turrell , W 2010 , ' Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water : Spatial and temporal distribution in the Rockall Trough ' , DEEP-SEA RES PT I , vol. 57 , no. 10 , pp. 1153-1162 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2010.07.006 Rockall Trough Wyville Thomson Ridge Greenland-Scotland Ridge intermediate water mass article 2010 ftuhipublicatio https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2010.07.006 2024-04-04T17:16:02Z Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water (WTOW), which is the only part of the outflow from the Norwegian Sea not to directly enter the Iceland Basin, is shown to be a significant water mass in the northern Rockall Trough. It is found primarily at intermediate depths (600-1200 m) beneath the northward flowing warm Atlantic waters, and above recirculating Mediterranean influenced waters and Labrador Sea Water (LSW). The bottom of the WTOW layer can be identified by a mid-depth inflexion point in potential temperature-salinity plots. An analysis of historical data reveals that WTOW has been present in all but eight of the last 31 years at 57.5 °N in the Rockall Trough. A denser component of WTOW below 1500 m has also been present, although it appears to be less persistent (12 out of the 31 years) and limited to the west of the section. The signature of intermediate WTOW was absent in two periods, the mid 1980s and early 1990s, both of which coincided with a freshening, and probable increase in volume, of LSW in the trough. Potential temperature-salinity diagrams from historical observations indicate that WTOW persists at least as far south as 55 °N (and as far west as 20 °W in the Iceland Basin) although its signature is quickly lost on leaving the Rockall Trough. We suggest that a transport of WTOW down the western side of the trough exists, with WTOW at intermediate depths entering the eastern trough either via a cyclonic recirculation, or as a result of eddy activity. Further, WTOW is seen on the Rockall-Hatton Plateau and in the deep channels connecting with the Iceland Basin, suggesting additional possible WTOW transport pathways. These suggested transport routes remain to be confirmed by further observational or modelling studies. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Greenland-Scotland Ridge Iceland Labrador Sea Norwegian Sea University of the Highlands and Islands: Research Database of UHI Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 57 10 1153 1162 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of the Highlands and Islands: Research Database of UHI |
op_collection_id |
ftuhipublicatio |
language |
English |
topic |
Rockall Trough Wyville Thomson Ridge Greenland-Scotland Ridge intermediate water mass |
spellingShingle |
Rockall Trough Wyville Thomson Ridge Greenland-Scotland Ridge intermediate water mass Johnson, Clare Sherwin, Toby Smythe-Wright, Denise Shimmield, Tracy Turrell, William Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water:Spatial and temporal distribution in the Rockall Trough |
topic_facet |
Rockall Trough Wyville Thomson Ridge Greenland-Scotland Ridge intermediate water mass |
description |
Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water (WTOW), which is the only part of the outflow from the Norwegian Sea not to directly enter the Iceland Basin, is shown to be a significant water mass in the northern Rockall Trough. It is found primarily at intermediate depths (600-1200 m) beneath the northward flowing warm Atlantic waters, and above recirculating Mediterranean influenced waters and Labrador Sea Water (LSW). The bottom of the WTOW layer can be identified by a mid-depth inflexion point in potential temperature-salinity plots. An analysis of historical data reveals that WTOW has been present in all but eight of the last 31 years at 57.5 °N in the Rockall Trough. A denser component of WTOW below 1500 m has also been present, although it appears to be less persistent (12 out of the 31 years) and limited to the west of the section. The signature of intermediate WTOW was absent in two periods, the mid 1980s and early 1990s, both of which coincided with a freshening, and probable increase in volume, of LSW in the trough. Potential temperature-salinity diagrams from historical observations indicate that WTOW persists at least as far south as 55 °N (and as far west as 20 °W in the Iceland Basin) although its signature is quickly lost on leaving the Rockall Trough. We suggest that a transport of WTOW down the western side of the trough exists, with WTOW at intermediate depths entering the eastern trough either via a cyclonic recirculation, or as a result of eddy activity. Further, WTOW is seen on the Rockall-Hatton Plateau and in the deep channels connecting with the Iceland Basin, suggesting additional possible WTOW transport pathways. These suggested transport routes remain to be confirmed by further observational or modelling studies. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Johnson, Clare Sherwin, Toby Smythe-Wright, Denise Shimmield, Tracy Turrell, William |
author_facet |
Johnson, Clare Sherwin, Toby Smythe-Wright, Denise Shimmield, Tracy Turrell, William |
author_sort |
Johnson, Clare |
title |
Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water:Spatial and temporal distribution in the Rockall Trough |
title_short |
Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water:Spatial and temporal distribution in the Rockall Trough |
title_full |
Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water:Spatial and temporal distribution in the Rockall Trough |
title_fullStr |
Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water:Spatial and temporal distribution in the Rockall Trough |
title_full_unstemmed |
Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water:Spatial and temporal distribution in the Rockall Trough |
title_sort |
wyville thomson ridge overflow water:spatial and temporal distribution in the rockall trough |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/7bc01d55-6a86-4a5e-84fd-0425a83a91a0 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2010.07.006 https://pureadmin.uhi.ac.uk/ws/files/2050348/cj_accepted.pdf |
genre |
Greenland Greenland-Scotland Ridge Iceland Labrador Sea Norwegian Sea |
genre_facet |
Greenland Greenland-Scotland Ridge Iceland Labrador Sea Norwegian Sea |
op_source |
Johnson , C , Sherwin , T , Smythe-Wright , D , Shimmield , T & Turrell , W 2010 , ' Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water : Spatial and temporal distribution in the Rockall Trough ' , DEEP-SEA RES PT I , vol. 57 , no. 10 , pp. 1153-1162 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2010.07.006 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2010.07.006 |
container_title |
Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers |
container_volume |
57 |
container_issue |
10 |
container_start_page |
1153 |
op_container_end_page |
1162 |
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