The physical environment of Kongsfjorden–Krossfjorden, an Arctic fjord system in Svalbard
The physical environment of Kongsfjorden–Krossfjorden, an Arctic fjord system in Svalbard
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DOI：
10.3402/polar.v21i1.6479
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发表时间：
2002-01
期刊：
影响因子：
1.9
通讯作者：
M. Zajączkowski;R. Azzolini;O. Bruland;C. Wiencke;J. Winther;W. Dallmann;H. Svendsen;A. Beszczynska-Molle
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
M. Zajączkowski;R. Azzolini;O. Bruland;C. Wiencke;J. Winther;W. Dallmann;H. Svendsen;A. Beszczynska-Molle
Kongsfjorden-Krossfjorden和邻近的西斯匹次卑尔根大陆架在两个峡湾臂的共同口相遇。本文介绍了我们最新的信息，这个峡湾系统的物理环境，并确定了重要的知识差距。特别注意的是陡峭的物理梯度沿着峡湾主轴，以及季节性的环境变化。不同尺度的物理过程控制着水及其组分的大尺度循环和小尺度（不可逆）混合。结果表明，除了潮汐，径流（冰川消融，融雪，夏季降雨和冰裂）和当地风的主要驱动力作用在峡湾系统的上层水团。潮汐以半日潮为主，淡水供应具有明显的季节变化和年际变化。风力条件的特点是普遍的下降风，有时被斯瓦尔巴特群岛上空的地转风场加强。旋转动力学对峡湾系统内的环流模式有相当大的影响，并引起峡湾臂之间的强烈相互作用。这种动力学也是大陆架水密度场变化的主要原因，由远程力量（潮汐和沿海风）引起，作为开尔文波传播到峡湾系统。这种交换主要影响中层和深层水，这也受到垂直对流过程的影响，垂直对流过程是由表面冷却和峡湾臂内部结冰期间的盐水释放驱动的。本文所涉及的其他方面包括Kongsfjorden地区的地质和地貌特征、气候和气象、冰川的影响、淡水供应、海冰条件、沉积过程以及水下辐射条件。峡湾系统被认为易受可能的气候变化的影响，因此非常适合作为演示和调查与气候变化有关的现象的场所。
Kongsfjorden-Krossfjorden and the adjacent West Spitsbergen Shelf meet at the common mouth of the two fjord arms. This paper presents our most up-to-date information about the physical environment of this fjord system and identifies important gaps in knowledge. Particular attention is given to the steep physical gradients along the main fjord axis, as well as to seasonal environmental changes. Physical processes on different scales control the large-scale circulation and small-scale (irreversible) mixing of water and its constituents. It is shown that, in addition to the tide, run-off (glacier ablation, snowmelt, summer rainfall and ice calving) and local winds are the main driving forces acting on the upper water masses in the fjord system. The tide is dominated by the semi-diurnal component and the freshwater supply shows a marked seasonal variation pattern and also varies interannually. The wind conditions are characterized by prevailing katabatic winds, which at times are strengthened by the geostrophic wind field over Svalbard. Rotational dynamics have a considerable influence on the circulation patterns within the fjord system and give rise to a strong interaction between the fjord arms. Such dynamics are also the main reason why variations in the shelf water density field, caused by remote forces (tide and coastal winds), propagate as a Kelvin wave into the fjord system. This exchange affects mainly the intermediate and deep water, which is also affected by vertical convection processes driven by cooling of the surface and brine release during ice formation in the inner reaches of the fjord arms. Further aspects covered by this paper include the geological and geomorphological characteristics of the Kongsfjorden area, climate and meteorology, the influence of glaciers, freshwater supply, sea ice conditions, sedimentation processes as well as underwater radiation conditions. The fjord system is assumed to be vulnerable to possible climate changes, and thus is very suitable as a site for the demonstration and investigation of phenomena related to climate change.