Ice Station Weddell: Physical Oceanography Data Analysis Phase

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9313700 Gordon This project is the analysis of the data set obtained as part of an integrated research program into the oceanographic structure of the western Weddell Sea. The field work was carried out from an ice camp jointly occupied by U.S. and Russian scientists from February to June 1992. The principal investigator's work was the lead project in the research program and concerned the large-scale oceanographic circulation and the variability of the Weddell Sea boundary current, and how these affect and are affected by the regional water mass formation and modification processes. The Weddell Sea may be divided into three regions on the basis of the energy exchange mode. The warm regime occurs in the east where the intrusion of warm circumpolar deep water keeps the water temperature near +1 deg C. The cold regime occurs in the center, where deep water is overlain by a thick near freezing mixed layer. In both regions however enough heat is seasonally carried to the sea ice to melt it completely. In the western region, the sea ice cover does not melt, and the expected thermodynamic processes are different. Hydrographic data, coupled with the current meter observations and chemical tracer experiments, as well as turbulent flux measure- ments, and sea ice dynamics that were part of the field work have already provided a unique picture of the Weddell Sea continental slope processes. ***