The Variability of the Temperature, Salinity and Density Fields in the Upper Layers of the Baltic Sea

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the variability of the temperature, salinity, and density fields on horizontal scales larger than one km in the upper layers of the open part of the Baltic Sea. During summer, the structure of the isolines of the temperature and salinity fields is rather smooth. In the thermocline region, long wavelike perturbations with lengths of 30–40 km and amplitudes of up to 3 m can be distinguished, whereas the results of the section made along the axis of the Baltic Sea in autumn are quite different character. Relatively, rare and long perturbations dominate in the upper layer. In the intermediate layer, below the thermocline, there are more perturbations, but their dimensions are considerably smaller. A considerable nonwave variability of salinity is observed mainly in the upper layer. In most cases, the perturbations are similar to those of temperature.