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www.ocean-sci-discuss.net/5/507/2008/
doi:10.5194/osd-5-507-2008
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Role of cabbeling in water densification in the Greenland Basin
1Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen. Allégaten 70, 5007 Bergen, Norway
2Bjerkrnes Centre for Climate Research, Allégaten 55, 5007 Bergen, Norway
Abstract. The contribution of cabbeling mixing to water mass modification in the Greenland Sea was explored from hydrographic observation across the Greenland Basin in summer 2006. Neutral surface was chosen as a reference frame, and the strength of cabbeling mixing was determined by the dianeutral velocity magnitude. Water types in the area were classified into North Atlantic Water (NAW), modified North Atlantic Water (mNAW), water from Barents Sea near Bear Island (BIW), Arctic Intermediate Water (AIW) and Deep Water (DW), and significant cabbeling-induced velocity (>1 m/day) appeared at the interfaces of these water types below the seasonal pycnocline. The mixing between BIW and NAW in the eastern periphery was the most vigorous, where mixing-induced velocity reached 7.5 m/day which accompanied NAW production of 123 m3/day through transformation of BIW. Cabbeling in the Arctic Frontal Zone was found of two types; mixing within NAW in the upper layer and mixing within mNAW in the lower layer with a maximum velocity of 3 m/day. Source waters in the central Greenland Basin were AIW and mNAW and produced a vertical velocity of 4 m/day. In the western part of the Greenland Basin, the areas of active cabbeling were widely separated and each mixing point appeared rather weak, with a maximum velocity of 2.5 m/day. The average density gain in the eastern periphery was 0.003 kg/m3 while it was 0.001 kg/m3 in the other areas, though the impact of cabbeling on the bulk buoyancy change was highest in the western Greenland Sea. The frontal areas occupied approximately 50% of the whole analysis area and the total density gain due to cabbeling mixing in the Greenland Basin as a whole was estimated as 6.7×10−4 kg/m3.
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Citation: Kasajima, Y. and Johannessen, T.: Role of cabbeling in water densification in the Greenland Basin, Ocean Sci. Discuss., 5, 507-543, doi:10.5194/osd-5-507-2008, 2008. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
