Observations of highly regular oscillations in the overflow plume downstream of the Faroe Bank Channel

Abstract

The Faroe Bank Channel (FBC) is the deepest connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Nordic Seas. This work describes the dynamic properties of the plume of dense overflow water descending from the Faroe Bank Channel using time series data for velocity and temperature from a network of 25 moorings deployed west of the Faroe Bank Channel between July 1999 and February 2001. The cold water plume was identified using mean velocity and temperature data. A regular pattern of strong velocity and temperature oscillations with 88 ± 4 hours period was the most striking feature observed in the FBC overflow plume. These oscillations are initiated in a region where observations indicate supercritical conditions and compare well to recent model results for the FBC overflow plume by Ezer (2006).