TY - JOUR

T1 - Puzzling over the dynamics of the Lofoten Basin - a sub-Arctic hot spot of ocean variability

AU - Volkov, D.L.

AU - Belonenko, T.V.

AU - Foux, V.R.

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - A sub-Arctic “hot spot” of intense synoptic-scale variability is observed in the Lofoten Basin (LB) of the Norwegian Sea. Using ERS-1/2 and Envisat satellite altimetry measurements, we discover a cyclonic propagation of the synoptic-scale sea surface height anomalies around the center of the LB. Surface drifter trajectories do not reveal an associated coherent near-surface cyclonic flow suggesting that the propagating signals have a wavelike nature. We identify a dipole and a quadrupole wave modes rotating around the center of the LB, obtain analytic dispersion relations for these modes, and demonstrate that the observed propagation is a manifestation of topographic Rossby waves. Most of the observed waves have a wavelength of about 500 km and phase speeds ranging from 2 to 10 km/day. We show that these waves are largely responsible for the localization and amplification of sea surface height variability in the center of the LB.

AB - A sub-Arctic “hot spot” of intense synoptic-scale variability is observed in the Lofoten Basin (LB) of the Norwegian Sea. Using ERS-1/2 and Envisat satellite altimetry measurements, we discover a cyclonic propagation of the synoptic-scale sea surface height anomalies around the center of the LB. Surface drifter trajectories do not reveal an associated coherent near-surface cyclonic flow suggesting that the propagating signals have a wavelike nature. We identify a dipole and a quadrupole wave modes rotating around the center of the LB, obtain analytic dispersion relations for these modes, and demonstrate that the observed propagation is a manifestation of topographic Rossby waves. Most of the observed waves have a wavelength of about 500 km and phase speeds ranging from 2 to 10 km/day. We show that these waves are largely responsible for the localization and amplification of sea surface height variability in the center of the LB.

KW - Denis L. Volkov

KW - Tatyana V. Belonenko

KW - Victor R. Foux. Puzzling over the dynamics of the Lofoten Basin - a sub-Arctic hot spot of ocean variability Geophysical Research Letters Volume 40

KW - Issue 4

KW - pages 738–743 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/grl.50126/abstract

U2 - 10.1002/grl.50126

DO - 10.1002/grl.50126

M3 - Article

VL - 40

SP - 738

EP - 743

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

SN - 0094-8276

IS - 4

ER -