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Transformation of the Labrador Sea water in the subpolar North Atlantic

Transformation of the Labrador Sea water in the subpolar North Atlantic
Transformation of the Labrador Sea water in the subpolar North Atlantic
Development, spreading and decay of the thermohaline properties of two Labrador Sea Water (LSW) classes are described. During the development phase, a specific LSW class repeatedly mixed by winter convection in the Labrador Sea becomes colder, denser, thicker and deeper. Once convection weakens, the LSW class becomes isolated from the upper layer and starts to decay, rapidly losing its volume while retaining the same density due to isopycnal mixing with the neighbouring warm saline intermediate waters. A similar pattern in temperature, salinity and density is seen in the other basins with different time lags from about two years in the Irminger Sea to ten years in the northern Iceland Basin and Rockall Trough regions. The influence of LSW on the thermohaline properties of other North Atlantic water masses is also discussed.
labrador sea water, north Atlantic, climate change
0094-8276
L22605
Yashayaev, Igor
6e4a51d3-a3a4-4ae3-8aac-bea1c03b03ee
van Aken, Hendrik M.
cbf4d87c-0b39-4fae-a66f-8ab9702f7442
Holliday, N. Penny
358b0b33-f30b-44fd-a193-88365bbf2c79
Bersch, Manfred
04163d42-0a19-4362-b898-e949979b63df
Yashayaev, Igor
6e4a51d3-a3a4-4ae3-8aac-bea1c03b03ee
van Aken, Hendrik M.
cbf4d87c-0b39-4fae-a66f-8ab9702f7442
Holliday, N. Penny
358b0b33-f30b-44fd-a193-88365bbf2c79
Bersch, Manfred
04163d42-0a19-4362-b898-e949979b63df

Yashayaev, Igor, van Aken, Hendrik M., Holliday, N. Penny and Bersch, Manfred (2007) Transformation of the Labrador Sea water in the subpolar North Atlantic. Geophysical Research Letters, 34 (22), L22605. (doi:10.1029/2007GL031812).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Development, spreading and decay of the thermohaline properties of two Labrador Sea Water (LSW) classes are described. During the development phase, a specific LSW class repeatedly mixed by winter convection in the Labrador Sea becomes colder, denser, thicker and deeper. Once convection weakens, the LSW class becomes isolated from the upper layer and starts to decay, rapidly losing its volume while retaining the same density due to isopycnal mixing with the neighbouring warm saline intermediate waters. A similar pattern in temperature, salinity and density is seen in the other basins with different time lags from about two years in the Irminger Sea to ten years in the northern Iceland Basin and Rockall Trough regions. The influence of LSW on the thermohaline properties of other North Atlantic water masses is also discussed.

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More information

Published date: November 2007
Keywords: labrador sea water, north Atlantic, climate change
Organisations: National Oceanography Centre,Southampton

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 49838
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/49838
ISSN: 0094-8276
PURE UUID: f45370cd-ae2b-4bba-a151-1838b3783f78

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Date deposited: 05 Dec 2007
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 10:00

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Contributors

Author: Igor Yashayaev
Author: Hendrik M. van Aken
Author: N. Penny Holliday
Author: Manfred Bersch

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