On the double-diffusive and cabbeling environments of the Arctic Front, West Spitsbergen
This paper describes the thermohaline characteristics of the Arctic Front to the west of Spitsbergen, in terms of the double-diffusive environment and the potential for densification through cabbeling. The front separates the warm, saline Atlantic water in the West Spitsbergen Current from the coole...
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ftuhipublicatio:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/bf1f4b55-bc7d-4f42-8d46-7e2886913939 2024-02-04T09:56:25+01:00 On the double-diffusive and cabbeling environments of the Arctic Front, West Spitsbergen Cottier, Finlo Venables, Emily 2007 https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/bf1f4b55-bc7d-4f42-8d46-7e2886913939 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-8369.2007.00024.x eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Cottier , F & Venables , E 2007 , ' On the double-diffusive and cabbeling environments of the Arctic Front, West Spitsbergen ' , POLAR RES , vol. 26 , no. 2 , pp. 152-159 . https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-8369.2007.00024.x Geosciences Multidisciplinary Environmental Sciences FRAM STRAIT ATLANTIC WATER HEAT-TRANSPORT Oceanography HYDROGRAPHY SVALBARD PACIFIC INTERMEDIATE WATER Ecology MASS KONGSFJORDEN Geography Physical THERMOHALINE INTRUSIONS OCEAN article 2007 ftuhipublicatio https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-8369.2007.00024.x 2024-01-11T23:20:53Z This paper describes the thermohaline characteristics of the Arctic Front to the west of Spitsbergen, in terms of the double-diffusive environment and the potential for densification through cabbeling. The front separates the warm, saline Atlantic water in the West Spitsbergen Current from the cooler, fresher water on the West Spitsbergen Shelf. We have investigated processes at the front that can contribute to, or enhance, mixing and water mass modification in relation to heat transport to the Arctic. Hydrographic data were collected along a cross-shelf section in September 2005. The double-diffusive properties along the section were determined by calculating Turner angles, and cabbeling was investigated with a simple linear mixing scheme. Double diffusion, in the form of diffusive layering, was found to be active within the Arctic Front, with considerable interleaving between water masses. Furthermore, mixing of water masses across the front was found to generate a potential increase in density of more than 0.03 kg m(-3) through cabbeling, which would then promote sinking and convergence. Our analyses indicate that the two processes of double diffusion and cabbeling are active at the Arctic Front. We discuss their potential contribution to maintaining the density-compensated nature of the front, and conclude that they will promote isopycnal mixing and subsequent modification of the core water of the West Spitsbergen Current. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Fram Strait Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Svalbard Spitsbergen University of the Highlands and Islands: Research Database of UHI Arctic Pacific Svalbard Polar Research 26 2 152 159 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of the Highlands and Islands: Research Database of UHI |
op_collection_id |
ftuhipublicatio |
language |
English |
topic |
Geosciences Multidisciplinary Environmental Sciences FRAM STRAIT ATLANTIC WATER HEAT-TRANSPORT Oceanography HYDROGRAPHY SVALBARD PACIFIC INTERMEDIATE WATER Ecology MASS KONGSFJORDEN Geography Physical THERMOHALINE INTRUSIONS OCEAN |
spellingShingle |
Geosciences Multidisciplinary Environmental Sciences FRAM STRAIT ATLANTIC WATER HEAT-TRANSPORT Oceanography HYDROGRAPHY SVALBARD PACIFIC INTERMEDIATE WATER Ecology MASS KONGSFJORDEN Geography Physical THERMOHALINE INTRUSIONS OCEAN Cottier, Finlo Venables, Emily On the double-diffusive and cabbeling environments of the Arctic Front, West Spitsbergen |
topic_facet |
Geosciences Multidisciplinary Environmental Sciences FRAM STRAIT ATLANTIC WATER HEAT-TRANSPORT Oceanography HYDROGRAPHY SVALBARD PACIFIC INTERMEDIATE WATER Ecology MASS KONGSFJORDEN Geography Physical THERMOHALINE INTRUSIONS OCEAN |
description |
This paper describes the thermohaline characteristics of the Arctic Front to the west of Spitsbergen, in terms of the double-diffusive environment and the potential for densification through cabbeling. The front separates the warm, saline Atlantic water in the West Spitsbergen Current from the cooler, fresher water on the West Spitsbergen Shelf. We have investigated processes at the front that can contribute to, or enhance, mixing and water mass modification in relation to heat transport to the Arctic. Hydrographic data were collected along a cross-shelf section in September 2005. The double-diffusive properties along the section were determined by calculating Turner angles, and cabbeling was investigated with a simple linear mixing scheme. Double diffusion, in the form of diffusive layering, was found to be active within the Arctic Front, with considerable interleaving between water masses. Furthermore, mixing of water masses across the front was found to generate a potential increase in density of more than 0.03 kg m(-3) through cabbeling, which would then promote sinking and convergence. Our analyses indicate that the two processes of double diffusion and cabbeling are active at the Arctic Front. We discuss their potential contribution to maintaining the density-compensated nature of the front, and conclude that they will promote isopycnal mixing and subsequent modification of the core water of the West Spitsbergen Current. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Cottier, Finlo Venables, Emily |
author_facet |
Cottier, Finlo Venables, Emily |
author_sort |
Cottier, Finlo |
title |
On the double-diffusive and cabbeling environments of the Arctic Front, West Spitsbergen |
title_short |
On the double-diffusive and cabbeling environments of the Arctic Front, West Spitsbergen |
title_full |
On the double-diffusive and cabbeling environments of the Arctic Front, West Spitsbergen |
title_fullStr |
On the double-diffusive and cabbeling environments of the Arctic Front, West Spitsbergen |
title_full_unstemmed |
On the double-diffusive and cabbeling environments of the Arctic Front, West Spitsbergen |
title_sort |
on the double-diffusive and cabbeling environments of the arctic front, west spitsbergen |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/bf1f4b55-bc7d-4f42-8d46-7e2886913939 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-8369.2007.00024.x |
geographic |
Arctic Pacific Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Pacific Svalbard |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Fram Strait Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Svalbard Spitsbergen |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Fram Strait Kongsfjord* Kongsfjorden Svalbard Spitsbergen |
op_source |
Cottier , F & Venables , E 2007 , ' On the double-diffusive and cabbeling environments of the Arctic Front, West Spitsbergen ' , POLAR RES , vol. 26 , no. 2 , pp. 152-159 . https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-8369.2007.00024.x |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-8369.2007.00024.x |
container_title |
Polar Research |
container_volume |
26 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
152 |
op_container_end_page |
159 |
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1789960931904585728 |