The Contribution of Bering Sea Water to the Arctic Ocean

Abstract

Summarizes the characteristics, especially temperature-salinity of these waters as they flow north through Bering Strait, and as they modify the surface water, deeper water, and ice cover of the western Arctic Ocean. Analysis of about 200 deep-water stations reveals regularity in the vertical distribution of temperature and salinity. The shallow 75-100 m depth, temperature maximum observed in the western as distinct from the eastern Arctic Basin is maintained by advection from some external source, in part the flow through the Strait. Bering Sea water apparently flows north into Chukchi Sea, where it mixes with Siberian shelf water then joins the general circulation in the area northwest of Point Barrow. The intruding Bering Sea water separates deeper Atlantic water from Arctic Ocean surface water; this Bering water may be traced by the shallow temperature maximum; but it affects ice conditions in the Basin very little.