West Spitsbergen Current
The West Spitsbergen Current is a sea current in the European Arctic Ocean and the Greenland Sea . The current forms on the border between the European Arctic Ocean and the Barents Sea , where the Norwegian Current is divided into an east and a north flowing stream - the West Spitsbergen Current. This is why it is sometimes referred to as the northernmost branch of the Gulf Stream . The West Spitsbergen Current is the main source of salt and heat in the Greenland Sea and the Arctic Ocean.
It flows past Spitsbergen (formerly: West Spitsbergen ) north into the Framstrasse . In the Framstrasse, the West Spitsbergen Stream divides into three parts due to its complex topography. Two of them flow into the Arctic, the main stream flows north of Svalbard along the continental slope to the north, a weaker branch flows around the Jermak plateau and flows east. Part of the West Spitsbergen Current circulates in the Fram Strait, merges with the East Greenland Current and flows with it back south along the coast of Greenland.
The stream has temperatures of 6 to 8 degrees Celsius, its salinity is 35.1 to 35.5. The amount of water transported is volatile and averages 5 to 8 Sverdrup . The main body of the Atlantic water is located at a depth of 100 to 200 meters.
The West Spitsbergen Current ensures the relatively mild climate of Spitsbergen and brings warm Atlantic water into the Arctic .
Remarks
- ^ A b E. Peter Jones: The freshwater budget of the Arctic Ocean , Springer, 2000, ISBN 0792364406 , p. 505.
- ↑ a b Stig Skreslet: Jan Mayen Island in scientific focus , Springer, 2004, ISBN 140202956X , p. 95.
- ^ Robert R. Dickson: Arctic-subarctic ocean fluxes: defining the role of the northern seas in climate , Springer, 2008, ISBN 1402067739 , p. 66.
- ^ Arnd Bernaerts: How Spitsbergen Heats the World , Books on Demand, 2009, ISBN 2810602891 .