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Abstract:
During the summero f 1996 the nuclears ubmarineU SS Pogy occupieda line
of stations extending through the middle of the Canadian Basin between about 88øN,
44øW (Lomonosov Ridge) and about 78øN, 144øW (center of the Canada Basin).
CTD/Niskin bottle casts extending to 1600 rn were carried out at eight stations, providing
thef irsth igh-qualitteym peratusrea,l inityC, FC,t ritiuma, nd3 Hed atao btainefdro mt his
region,a lthoughX CTD data hadp reviouslyb eenc ollectedi n this region. Thesed ata,
alongw ith dataf rom stationsa t the basinb oundaryto the southa nd west,r evealt he
presenceo f well-ventilatedi ntermediatew aterb eneatht he haloclinei n the centero f the
CanadaB asin,i ndicatingr enewalt imeso f the ordero f 1-2 decades.T he leastv entilated
intermediate water was observed at the northern end of the Canada Basin along the
southernfl ank of the Alpha Ridge. Intermediatew ateri s derivedf rom the Atlantic Ocean
and enters the Arctic Ocean through Fram Strait and the Barents Sea. It flows around the
Arctic basinsin boundaryc urrentsa nds plitsi n the easternA mundsenB asinw ith one
branchc rossingth e LomonosovR idgea ndf lowinga longt he EastS iberianc ontinental
slopea ndt he otherf lowing alongt he Eurasianfl ank of the LomonosovR idge. From the
1996 ScientificI ce Expedition( SCICEX 96) observationws e concludet hat the branch
that flows alongt he EastS iberianc ontinentasl lopet ransporttsh is watert o the Chukchi
Rise,w herei t apparentlye nterst he centralC anadaB asinw ith somef low continuing
alongt he boundaryto the southernC anadaB asin. The FramS traitB ranchW ater mixes
extensivelyw ith watersf rom the CanadianB asind uringi ts transita longt he EastS iberian
continentasl lope,b eingd ilutedb y a factoro f about5 by the time it reachesth e central
CanadaB asin. The BarentsS eaB ranchW ater doesn ot undergos uche xtensivem ixing
andi s dilutedb y a factoro f only about2 wheni t reachesth e centralC anadaB asin.
