Seasonal Variability of the East Greenland Coastal Current

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The East Greenland Coastal Current (EGCC) is a cold (θ < 4 °C), freshwater (28 < S < 34) wedge which resides close to the East Greenland coast, extending up to 40 km from the shore. It is a major conduit of freshwater from the Arctic Ocean. However, the seasonal cycle, transport and drivers of the EGCC are unknown due to the lack of wintertime measurements. Here we describe the EGCC seasonal cycle from moorings, transport values using the global model, NEMO, and postulate what could be driving the EGCC. The moorings recorded salinity, temperature and velocities from 2000-2004 showing the EGCC exists throughout the year, strengthening in the winter. Annually, freshening occurred during the spring ice melt, as expected. The model, corroborated by the moorings, calculated freshwater transport (referenced to 35.0) at 84 mSv, peaking in winter (106 mSv) and reducing in summer (59 mSv). Further calculations showed that the cross-shelf density is more important in driving the EGCC than the wind through sea surface height variability. However, the strong equatorward winds over the winter are influential as they force the wedge via Ekman transport towards the coast causing steeper isopycnals thereby increasing the winter velocities and transport.