| dc.description.abstract | During the period June 1991 to August 1993, 107 Argos tracked drifters drogued to 15 m depth were released in the Nordic seas (or Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian [GIN] sea) to study the variability of the near-surface circulation and temperature fields at scales ranging from a few kilometres (mesoscale) to thousands of kilometres (basin-wide large scale). An additional data set, extending to April 1995, is described in this report. Full details of the data acquisition systems and data processing are provided to serve as a reference for the analyses published in the scientific literature. Graphics are included in the Annexes to illustrate drifter performance, position and temperature data, and Eulerian statistics. These drifter measurements comprise the first basin scale, accurate near-surface velocity and temperature in situ data over the ice-free Nordic seas. The data from these drifters describe the major circulation features of a large inhospitable ocean area which has an important role in crucial issues such as global heat budget, fisheries and defence. At smaller scales, the drifter observations were used, in conjunction with hydrographic data, to study the mesoscale structure and dynamics of the complex circulation patterns in the Iceland-Faeroe Frontal zone. The drifter sea surface temperature measurements were also used to validate satellite sea surface temperature data. | |
