Ocean current observation and spectrum analysis in central Chukchi Sea during the summer of 2008

Abstract

During the summer of 2008, the third CHINARE Arctic Expedition was carried out on board of Xuelong Icebreaker in the central Chukchi Sea. A submersible mooring system was deployed and recovered at Station CN-01 (71°40.024°N, 167°58.910°W) with 33 days of the current profile records, and continuous observation of temperature and salinity data were collected. This mooring station locates in the blank of similar observation area and it is the first time for our Chinese to finish this kind of long-term mooring work in this area. This mooring system finished integrated hydrological observations with long-term continuous record of the whole profile velocity for the first time. Based on time series analysis of temperature, salinity, velocity and flow direction, we get the following main results. (1) During the observation period, the mean surface current velocity is 70.2 cm/s eastward, and velocity reaches its maximum in average at 3 m level with magnitude 90.0 cm/s, direction 206°. (2) In 9–30 mlayers, the semidiurnal period variation is the most obvious, the flow direction is quite stable, and the flow is synchronous and consistent vertically. (3) Besides the semidiurnal period variation, the main variation in the upper layer is in 11-d period, with variations in period 5.5, 5.5, and 3.7 d, which reflect the influences of sea surface wind change and maintenance. (4) Near the bottom, the temperature change is correlated and synchronized with the conductivity.