Greenland Plain

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Greenland Abyssal Plain
Map showing the location of Greenland Abyssal Plain
Map showing the location of Greenland Abyssal Plain
Location in the Arctic
GreenlandSeaPolarProjectionTopo.jpg
Red pog.svg
The Greenland Abyssal Plain lies in the Greenland Sea, in the North of Jan Mayen
LocationGreenland Sea
Coordinates73°N 3°W / 73°N 3°W / 73; -3Coordinates: 73°N 3°W / 73°N 3°W / 73; -3
Geologybathymetric depression

The Greenland Abyssal Plain at

 WikiMiniAtlas
75°N 3°W / 75°N 3°W / 75; -3 (Greenland Abyssal Plain) is a bathymetric depression in the Greenland Sea. It is delimited by and Jan Mayen pressure zone in the South and separated by a smaller ridge to the Boreas Abyssal Plain in the North.

Oceanography[]

In 1988/89 ocean acoustic tomography was performed there[1] to study the Greenland Sea gyre and deep water formation. Deep water formation simply means surface water being transported downwards into the ocean, this is important to drive the global ocean currents by thermohaline circulation. The study showed that the mixed layer at the surface forms in autumn. During winter, the region is covered by sea ice. In early spring when the sea ice vanishes, the layer gets thicker (up to 1.5 km). When the Polar day starts in late March the seasonal cycle starts again with another shallow mixed layer.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ Pawlowicz, Richard; Lynch, J. F.; Owens, W. B.; Worcester, P. F.; Morawitz, W. M. L.; Sutton, P. J. (January 1995). "Thermal evolution of the Greenland Sea Gyre in 1988–1989". Journal of Geophysical Research. 100 (C3): 4727. doi:10.1029/94JC02509.
  2. ^ "Greenland Sea Tomography Experiment". Ocean Acoustic Tomography. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. June 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2012.

External links[]


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