Overflow Waters at the Iceland–Faroe Ridge Observed in Multiyear Seaglider Surveys

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents new observations of the overflow waters downstream of the Faroe Bank Channel (FBC) and the Iceland–Faroe Ridge (IFR). Between 2006 and 2009, over 17 400 hydrographic profiles were collected during quarterly deployments in the region by autonomous gliders, providing previously unrealized spatial resolution to observations downstream of the FBC. Observations show that the second sill of the FBC coincides with the largest changes in the overflow plume, including significant thinning, widening, and entrainment. Between the second sill and a topographic feature 75 km downstream, the plume bifurcates with the densest portion (65% of the transport), descending below 1000 m. On the IFR, near-bottom velocities are directed alongslope with speeds averaging 21.5 cm s−1. Observations indicate that 80% of baroclinic velocities associated with mesoscale variability of the overflow plume are smaller than the alongslope topographically induced circulation. Evidence of overflow is found at all locations on the Atlantic flank of the IFR. However, the meridionally oriented portion at 13°W has anomalously warm bottom water and divides FBC and eastern IFR overflow from overflow found in the Western Valley. Individual Seaglider sections identify IFR overflow in a narrow current (8–14 km wide) along the Iceland shelf with a mean transport of 0.43 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) with significant variability from days to weeks. A lower-bound estimate of 0.8 Sv of total IFR overflow is presented. These results provide constraints on regional models that inform the representation of this crucial, yet underresolved, region in large-scale ocean and climate models.