Turbulent Mixing and the Formation of an Intermediate Nepheloid Layer Above the Siberian Continental Shelf Break.

Schulz, Kirstin, Büttner, Stefan, Rogge, Andreas, Janout, Markus, Hölemann, Jens and Rippeth, Tom P. (2021) Turbulent Mixing and the Formation of an Intermediate Nepheloid Layer Above the Siberian Continental Shelf Break. Open Access Geophysical Research Letters, 48 (9). e2021GL092988. DOI 10.1029/2021GL092988.

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Abstract

Intermediate nepheloid layers (INLs) form important pathways for the cross-slope transport and vertical export of particulate matter, including carbon. While intermediate maxima in particle settling fluxes have been reported in the Eurasian Basin of the Arctic Ocean, direct observations of turbid INLs above the continental slope are still lacking. In this study, we provide the first direct evidence of an INL, coinciding with enhanced mid-water turbulent dissipation rates, over the Laptev Sea continental slope in summer 2018. Current velocity data show a period of enhanced downslope flow with depressed isopcynals, suggesting that the enhanced turbulent dissipation is probably the consequence of the presence of an unsteady lee wave. Similar events occur mostly during ice free periods, suggesting an increasing frequency of episodic cross-slope particle transport in the future. The discovery of the INL and the episodic generation mechanism provide new insights into particle transport dynamics in this rapidly changing environment.

Document Type: Article
Keywords: Siberian continental shelf break, nepheloid layer, down-slope current
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: AGU, Wiley
Projects: CATS
Date Deposited: 12 Jul 2021 13:21
Last Modified: 08 Feb 2023 09:34
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53213

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