Arctic Ocean Circulation
357
Figure 15.5. Contour plot of f/H for the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic Seas (from Nøst and
Isachsen (2003)).
and hence the velocity field is tangent to the contours of the f/H field (note that
the vector ∇f/H is orthogonal to curves of constant f/H).
The f/H field can be determined from bottom topography data and is plotted in
Fig. 15.5. What is striking here is that many geostrophic contours are closed due to
the presence of the bottom topography. Contrary to the Canada basin and Makarov
basin, the Eurasian basin is split into two large areas (Nansen + Amundsen basins)
with closed contours. Hence, already from this picture and the theory in section
14.2, one expects the depth-averaged flow along bottom topographic features.
357
Figure 15.5. Contour plot of f/H for the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic Seas (from Nøst and
Isachsen (2003)).
and hence the velocity field is tangent to the contours of the f/H field (note that
the vector ∇f/H is orthogonal to curves of constant f/H).
The f/H field can be determined from bottom topography data and is plotted in
Fig. 15.5. What is striking here is that many geostrophic contours are closed due to
the presence of the bottom topography. Contrary to the Canada basin and Makarov
basin, the Eurasian basin is split into two large areas (Nansen + Amundsen basins)
with closed contours. Hence, already from this picture and the theory in section
14.2, one expects the depth-averaged flow along bottom topographic features.