Davis Strait volume, freshwater and heat fluxes

Abstract

Volume, freshwater and heat transport through Davis Strait, the northern boundary of the Labrador Basin, are computed using a mooring array deployed for three consecutive years. The net volume, freshwater and heat transports are - 2.6 ± 1.0 Sv , - 92 ± 34 mSv , 18 ± 17 × 10 12 W . Both southward and northward volume and freshwater transports are maximum in November. The seasonal variability is dictated by the variability in the main water mass transports: Irminger Sea Water, West Greenland shelf water, surface meltwater, and a cold intermediate layer (CIL) originating from Lancaster Sound. The southward freshwater transport seasonal amplitude is dominated by the CIL transport rather than the surface meltwater layer. Sea-ice transport through Davis Strait deduced from remote sensing data is equal to 528 km 3 / year which is much smaller than equivalent estimates for Fram Strait. Using these new estimates, we attempt to close the Arctic Ocean volume and freshwater budget.