Northern North Sea circulation during early fall
Original version
This report is not to be cited without prior reference to the authorsAbstract
During the fall of 1987 the Autumn Circulation Experiment
(ACE) was carried out in the northern North Sea. The transversal
flow of mixed Scottish coastal and Atlantic water from northeast of
Scottland towards Norway was clearly observed through the
thermohaline, nutrient and current distribution. A significant core
of high salinity Atlantic water were found to the north of this,
demonstrating a pronounced flux of Atlantic water onto the
northern North Sea plateau. A topographically steered cyclonic
eddy with a scale of 100 km was clearly documented. A major
barotropic southeastward flow towards Skagerrak of cold, heavy
bottom water from the northern plateau was revealed, in addition
to the more well known circulation in the vicinity of the Norwegian
Trench.