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Observations of strong turbulence and mixing impacting water exchange between two basins in the Baltic Sea
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Geological Sciences. Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0822-045x
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Geological Sciences. Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, The Bolin Centre for Climate Research (together with KTH & SMHI).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9033-3559
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Number of Authors: 82023 (English)In: Ocean Science, ISSN 1812-0784, E-ISSN 1812-0792, Vol. 19, no 6, p. 1809-1825Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Turbulent diapycnal mixing is important for the estuarine circulation between basins of the Baltic Sea as well as for its local ecosystems, in particular with regard to eutrophication and anoxic conditions. While the interior of the basins is overall relatively calm, stratified flow over steep bathymetric features is known as a source of strong turbulent mixing. Yet, current in situ observations often cannot capture the spatio-temporal development of dynamic and intermittent turbulent mixing related to overflows over rough bathymetry. We present observational oceanographic data together with openly accessible high-resolution bathymetry from a prototypical sill and an adjacent deep channel in the sparsely sampled Southern Quark located in the Ă…land Sea, connecting the northern Baltic Proper with the Bothnian Sea. Our data were acquired during two 1-week cruises on R/V Electra in February-March 2019 and 2020. We collected high-resolution broadband acoustic observations of turbulent mixing together with in situ microstructure profiler measurements, and current velocities from acoustic Doppler current profilers. We found that a temporally reversing non-tidal stratified flow over the steep bathymetric sill created a dynamic and extremely energetic environment. The observed flow reversed during both cruises on timescales of a few days. Saltier, warmer, and less oxygenated deep water south of the sill was partly blocked, the reversing flow was at times hydraulically controlled with hydraulic jumps occurring on both sides of the sill, and high spatial variability occurred in the surface layer on small scales. Dissipation rates of turbulent kinetic energy, vertical turbulent diffusivities, and vertical salt flux rates were increased by 3-4 orders of magnitude in the entire water column in the vicinity of the sill compared to reference stations not directly influenced by the overflow with average dissipation rates near the sill between 10-7 and 10-6 W kg-1, average vertical diffusivities of 0.001 m2 s-1 in the halocline and up to 0.1 m2 s-1 below the halocline, and average vertical salt flux rates around 0.01 g m-2 s-1 in the halocline and between 0.1 and 1 g m-2 s-1 below the halocline. We suggest, based on acoustic observations and in situ measurements, that the underlying mechanism for the highly increased mixing across the halocline is a combination of shear and topographic lee waves breaking at the halocline interface. We anticipate that the resulting deep- and surface-water modification in the Southern Quark directly impacts exchange processes between the Bothnian Sea and the northern Baltic Proper and that the observed mixing is likely important for oxygen and nutrient conditions in the Bothnian Sea.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2023. Vol. 19, no 6, p. 1809-1825
National Category
Oceanography, Hydrology and Water Resources
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-236622DOI: 10.5194/os-19-1809-2023ISI: 001168852100001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85183042232OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-236622DiVA, id: diva2:1917675
Available from: 2024-12-03 Created: 2024-12-03 Last updated: 2024-12-03Bibliographically approved

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Muchowski, JuliaJakobsson, MartinGustafsson, BoHumborg, ChristophStranne, Christian

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Muchowski, JuliaJakobsson, MartinGustafsson, BoHumborg, ChristophStranne, Christian
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Department of Geological SciencesStockholm University Baltic Sea CentreThe Bolin Centre for Climate Research (together with KTH & SMHI)Baltic Nest Institute
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Ocean Science
Oceanography, Hydrology and Water Resources

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