Seminar: Structure, variability, and dynamics of the West Greenland boundary current system

Abstract

The dynamics of the boundary currents around Greenland play a critical role in the subpolar gyre and the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Fluxes of heat, freshwater, and carbon from the boundary currents to the interior basins influence the stratification, ventilation, gas uptake, and subsequent export of intermediate and dense waters to the subtropical ocean. However, observations of these processes are lacking, especially along the west coast of Greenland. Here, we use mooring data, shipboard measurements, satellite imagery, and reanalysis output to characterize the structure, variability, and dynamics of the West Greenland boundary current system across a range of spatio-temporal scales, estimate the slope-basin exchange of properties, and asses the impacts of these fluxes on dense water formation and the lower limb of the AMOC.