Flow of Canadian basin deep water in the Western Eurasian Basin of the Arctic Ocean

• Published in: Deep-sea research. Part I, Oceanographic research papers Vol. 57; no. 4; pp. 577 - 586
• Main Authors: Björk, Göran, Anderson, Leif G., Jakobsson, Martin, Antony, Dennis, Eriksson, Björn, Eriksson, Patrick B., Hell, Benjamin, Hjalmarsson, Sofia, Janzen, Timothy, Jutterström, Sara, Linders, Johanna, Löwemark, Ludvig, Marcussen, Christian, Anders Olsson, K., Rudels, Bert, Sellén, Emma, Sølvsten, Morten
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2010; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Arctic Ocean; Basins; Bathymetry; Boundaries; Deep sea; Deep water; Deep water circulation; Division; Earth and Related Environmental Sciences; Earth sciences; Eurasian Basin; Expeditions; Geovetenskap; Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap; Intermediate water circulation; Marine; NATURAL SCIENCES; NATURVETENSKAP; Ocean currents; Oceanography; Oceans; Ridges; Salinity; Arctic Ocean; Eurasia; PNE, Arctic Ocean, Eurasian Basin; INE, Pacific, Canadian Basin; PNE, Arctic Ocean, Amundsen Basin; PNE, Arctic Ocean, Makarov Basin; PNE, Arctic Ocean, Lomonosov Ridge; PN, Arctic, North Pole; PNE, Arctic Ocean, Morris Jesup Rise; PN, Gakkel Ridge; AN, Greenland; Intermediate water circulation; Arctic Ocean; Eurasian Basin; Deep water circulation
• ISSN: 0967-0637; 1879-0119; 1879-0119
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dsr.2010.01.006

The LOMROG 2007 expedition targeted the previously unexplored southern part of the Lomonosov Ridge north of Greenland together with a section from the Morris Jesup Rise to Gakkel Ridge. The oceanographic data show that Canadian Basin Deep Water (CBDW) passes the Lomonosov Ridge in the area of the Intra Basin close to the North Pole and then continues along the ridge towards Greenland and further along its northernmost continental slope. The CBDW is clearly evident as a salinity maximum and oxygen minimum at a depth of about 2000 m. The cross-slope sections at the Amundsen Basin side of the Lomonosov Ridge and further south at the Morris Jesup Rise show a sharp frontal structure higher up in the water column between Makarov Basin water and Amundsen Basin water. The frontal structure continues upward into the Atlantic Water up to a depth of about 300 m. The observed water mass division at levels well above the ridge crest indicates a strong topographic steering of the flow and that different water masses tend to pass the ridge guided by ridge-crossing isobaths at local topographic heights and depressions. A rough scaling analysis shows that the extremely steep and sharply turning bathymetry of the Morris Jesup Rise may force the boundary current to separate and generate deep eddies.