The Circulation of the Nordic Seas

Abstract

The Nordic Seas play significant roles in the Thermo-Haline Circulation of the coupled Atlantic Ocean-Arctic Ocean System. Heat exchange, deep convection and deep-water formation take place there. Barotropic and topographically steered, northward flow on the eastern side of the Nordic Seas carries warm and, salt Atlantic Water to the Arctic Ocean through the Barents Sea and the Fram Strait. On the other side, along the Greenland shelf, cold and fresh water from the Arctic Ocean flows southwards into the Atlantic Ocean. Cold and dense deep-water formed in the Arctic Mediterranean leaves through the deep trenches of the Greenland-Scotland Ridge as overflow to the Atlantic Ocean. Based on publications and the recent data collected during the VEINS project and by IOPAS a general description of the water circulation is given.