Atlantic water flow through the Faroese Channels
Through the Faroese Channels – the collective name for a system of channels linking the Faroe–Shetland Channel, Wyville Thomson Basin, and Faroe Bank Channel – there is a deep flow of cold waters from Arctic regions that exit the system as overflow through the Faroe Bank Channel and across the Wy...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2017-11-01
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| Series: | Ocean Science |
| Online Access: | https://www.ocean-sci.net/13/873/2017/os-13-873-2017.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818312204619874304 |
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| author | B. Hansen T. Poulsen K. M. Húsgarð Larsen H. Hátún S. Østerhus E. Darelius B. Berx D. Quadfasel K. Jochumsen |
| author_facet | B. Hansen T. Poulsen K. M. Húsgarð Larsen H. Hátún S. Østerhus E. Darelius B. Berx D. Quadfasel K. Jochumsen |
| author_sort | B. Hansen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Through the Faroese Channels – the collective name for a system of channels
linking the Faroe–Shetland Channel, Wyville Thomson Basin, and Faroe Bank
Channel – there is a deep flow of cold waters from Arctic regions that exit
the system as overflow through the Faroe Bank Channel and across the Wyville
Thomson Ridge. The upper layers, in contrast, are dominated by warm, saline
water masses from the southwest, termed Atlantic water. In spite of intensive
research over more than a century, there are still open questions on the
passage of these waters through the system with conflicting views in recent
literature. Of special note is the suggestion that there is a flow of
Atlantic water from the Faroe–Shetland Channel through the Faroe Bank
Channel, which circles the Faroes over the slope region in a clockwise
direction. Here, we combine the observational evidence from ship-borne
hydrography, moored current measurements, surface drifter tracks, and
satellite altimetry to address these questions and propose a general scheme
for the Atlantic water flow through this channel system. We find no evidence
for a continuous flow of Atlantic water from the Faroe–Shetland Channel to
the Faroe Bank Channel over the Faroese slope. Rather, the southwestward-flowing water over the Faroese slope of the Faroe–Shetland Channel is totally
recirculated within the combined area of the Faroe–Shetland Channel and
Wyville Thomson Basin, except possibly for a small release in the form of
eddies. This does not exclude a possible westward flow over the southern tip
of the Faroe Shelf, but even including that, we estimate that the average
volume transport of a <q>Circum-Faroe Current</q> does not exceed 0.5 Sv
(1 Sv = 10<sup>6</sup> m<sup>3</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>). Also, there seems to be a persistent flow of
Atlantic water from the western part of the Faroe Bank Channel into the
Faroe–Shetland Channel that joins the Slope Current over the Scottish slope.
These conclusions will affect potential impacts from offshore activities in
the region and they imply that recently published observational estimates of
the transport of warm water towards the Arctic obtained by different methods
are incompatible. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T08:14:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8991f9d54e0e44768cfa320cf98643e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1812-0784 1812-0792 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T08:14:08Z |
| publishDate | 2017-11-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ocean Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-8991f9d54e0e44768cfa320cf98643e72022-12-21T23:54:10ZengCopernicus PublicationsOcean Science1812-07841812-07922017-11-011387388810.5194/os-13-873-2017Atlantic water flow through the Faroese ChannelsB. Hansen0T. Poulsen1K. M. Húsgarð Larsen2H. Hátún3S. Østerhus4E. Darelius5B. Berx6D. Quadfasel7K. Jochumsen8Faroe Marine Research Institute, P.O. Box 3051, 110 Tórshavn, Faroe IslandsFaroe Marine Research Institute, P.O. Box 3051, 110 Tórshavn, Faroe IslandsFaroe Marine Research Institute, P.O. Box 3051, 110 Tórshavn, Faroe IslandsFaroe Marine Research Institute, P.O. Box 3051, 110 Tórshavn, Faroe IslandsUni Research Climate and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Nygårdsgata 112, 5008 Bergen, NorwayGeophysical Institute, University of Bergen and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Allég. 70, 5007 Bergen, NorwayMarine Scotland Science, 375 Victoria Road, Aberdeen, AB11 9DB, UKInstitut für Meereskunde, Universität Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 53, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyInstitut für Meereskunde, Universität Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 53, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyThrough the Faroese Channels – the collective name for a system of channels linking the Faroe–Shetland Channel, Wyville Thomson Basin, and Faroe Bank Channel – there is a deep flow of cold waters from Arctic regions that exit the system as overflow through the Faroe Bank Channel and across the Wyville Thomson Ridge. The upper layers, in contrast, are dominated by warm, saline water masses from the southwest, termed Atlantic water. In spite of intensive research over more than a century, there are still open questions on the passage of these waters through the system with conflicting views in recent literature. Of special note is the suggestion that there is a flow of Atlantic water from the Faroe–Shetland Channel through the Faroe Bank Channel, which circles the Faroes over the slope region in a clockwise direction. Here, we combine the observational evidence from ship-borne hydrography, moored current measurements, surface drifter tracks, and satellite altimetry to address these questions and propose a general scheme for the Atlantic water flow through this channel system. We find no evidence for a continuous flow of Atlantic water from the Faroe–Shetland Channel to the Faroe Bank Channel over the Faroese slope. Rather, the southwestward-flowing water over the Faroese slope of the Faroe–Shetland Channel is totally recirculated within the combined area of the Faroe–Shetland Channel and Wyville Thomson Basin, except possibly for a small release in the form of eddies. This does not exclude a possible westward flow over the southern tip of the Faroe Shelf, but even including that, we estimate that the average volume transport of a <q>Circum-Faroe Current</q> does not exceed 0.5 Sv (1 Sv = 10<sup>6</sup> m<sup>3</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>). Also, there seems to be a persistent flow of Atlantic water from the western part of the Faroe Bank Channel into the Faroe–Shetland Channel that joins the Slope Current over the Scottish slope. These conclusions will affect potential impacts from offshore activities in the region and they imply that recently published observational estimates of the transport of warm water towards the Arctic obtained by different methods are incompatible.https://www.ocean-sci.net/13/873/2017/os-13-873-2017.pdf |
| spellingShingle | B. Hansen T. Poulsen K. M. Húsgarð Larsen H. Hátún S. Østerhus E. Darelius B. Berx D. Quadfasel K. Jochumsen Atlantic water flow through the Faroese Channels Ocean Science |
| title | Atlantic water flow through the Faroese Channels |
| title_full | Atlantic water flow through the Faroese Channels |
| title_fullStr | Atlantic water flow through the Faroese Channels |
| title_full_unstemmed | Atlantic water flow through the Faroese Channels |
| title_short | Atlantic water flow through the Faroese Channels |
| title_sort | atlantic water flow through the faroese channels |
| url | https://www.ocean-sci.net/13/873/2017/os-13-873-2017.pdf |
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