Physical structure of the Barents Sea Polar Front near Storbanken in August 2007

Abstract

The Polar Front separating Atlantic Water (AW) and Arctic Water (ArW) is one of the most dominant meso- and large scale features in the Barents Sea. Here, the results of submeso-mesoscale (1–10km) variability in physical fields associated with the Barents Sea Polar Front (BSPF) are reported from a high-resolution ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) and CTD (Conductivity–Temperature–Depth sensors) survey near Storbanken in August 2007. A surface front separating AW and melt water with a strong salinity gradient was present, while the subsurface BSPF was characterized by a strong temperature gradient and thermohaline compensation. Isopycnal mixing leading to the formation of Polar Front Water (PFW) was observed. The dominant flow was a barotropic southeastward along-frontal jet with two cores, coinciding with the surface front and the BSPF. This gives new insights into the circulation at the BSPF. Small-scale variability in the hydrographic and dynamic structures was observed, which were rarely resolved in previous cruises. Such submeso–mesoscale physical processes can potentially have significant impacts on the biogeochemistry and biology in the area, indicating the importance of parametrizing the processes in future climate models.