Assessing decadal changes in the Deep Western Boundary Current absolute transport southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland, from hydrography and altimetry

Type Article
Date 2010-11
Language English
Author(s) Sarafanov Artem1, Falina Anastasia1, Lherminier PascaleORCID2, Mercier HerleORCID2, Sokov Alexey1, Gourcuff Claire2
Affiliation(s) 1 : Russian Acad Sci, PP Shirshov Oceanol Inst, Moscow 117997, Russia.
2 : IFREMER, CNRS, UMR 6523, Lab Phys Oceans,IRD,UBO, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
Source Journal Of Geophysical Research-oceans (0148-0227) (Amer Geophysical Union), 2010-11 , Vol. 115 , N. C11003 , P. 1-10
DOI 10.1029/2009JC005811
WOS© Times Cited 17
Abstract [1] In earlier studies, the decadal variability of the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) transport in the vicinity of Cape Farewell, Greenland, has been assessed from changes in the baroclinic velocities computed from hydrographic data and referenced to 1000 m depth. The main limitation of using such an estimate as an index for the DWBC absolute transport variability comes from the unaccounted for decadal velocity changes at the reference level (1000 m). These changes may substantially contribute to the DWBC absolute transport variability by compensating for or adding to the baroclinic transport changes. To assess this contribution to variability, we quantify the decadal velocity changes which occurred at 1000 m depth southeast of Cape Farewell since the mid-1990s. The analysis combines estimates of the baroclinic velocity changes in the water column derived from repeat hydrography at similar to 59.5 degrees N and the velocity changes at the sea surface derived from altimetry. An increase in the southward velocity at 1000 m above the DWBC between the periods of 1994-1997 and 2000-2007 is inferred. It indicates that the increase in the DWBC absolute transport was larger than the 2 Sv (1 Sv = 10(6) m(3) s(-1)) increase in its baroclinic component referenced to 1000 m. This result and the observed coherence of the DWBC absolute and baroclinic transport changes between individual observations imply that the DWBC absolute transport variability in the region is underestimated but qualitatively well represented by its baroclinic component on decadal and shorter time scales.
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Sarafanov Artem, Falina Anastasia, Lherminier Pascale, Mercier Herle, Sokov Alexey, Gourcuff Claire (2010). Assessing decadal changes in the Deep Western Boundary Current absolute transport southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland, from hydrography and altimetry. Journal Of Geophysical Research-oceans, 115(C11003), 1-10. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JC005811 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00017/12855/