Seasonal climatology of Atlantic and polar Arctic water types for the Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian seas from volumetric analysis

摘要

The complex atmospheric and oceanic dynamics within the Greenland, Iceland, and Norwegian Seas (GINS) produce a large portion of the world ocean deep water. Although there are significant interactions between the Arctic Ocean and the GINS which result in the formation of Greenland Sea Deep Water (GSDW), the inflow of Atlantic Water (AW) is also recognized to be a major influence. An extensive historical hydrographic data set for this region has been analyzed using volumetric analysis techniques to determine the mean characteristics of two water classes, the AW and the Arctic Intermediate Water (AIW), on a seasonal basis.