Rotating tank and modelling
The inflow of Atlantic Water from the Nordic Seas is a major source of heat entering the Arctic Ocean and thus a major influence on the sea ice cover. The heat is transported with the currents along the continental slope around the boundary of the Arctic Ocean. Processes leading to the exchange of heat between the continental slope and the deep Arctic Basin are complex. A major contributor is the transport by small circulations tens of kilometres in diameter. These eddies are caused by instabilities caused by density changes due to horizontal temperature and salinity variations.
The behaviour of these eddies over steep topography is not well known and is difficult to represent in ocean models because of their small size. With laboratory experiments using a rotating tank and with modelling experiments, we aim to shed light on the impact of eddies on the stratification and water mass properties in the Arctic Ocean, the role of the geometry of the sea floor in the propagation of eddies and associated transports, and the overall influence of eddies on the Arctic Ocean boundary current.