Greenland sea convection mechanisms and their climatic implications (CONVECTION)

Objective

CONVICTION aims to assess open ocean deep-water production in the Greenland Sea by a combination of operational remote sensing, modelling, and field requirements. We seek to understand the physics underlying convection and how this process links with global climatic factors. The field measurements comprise work in two winters and three summers cruises. Winter convection will be mapped by an acoustic shadowgraph array, moored yo-yo CTDs and transects by an AUV, while ice production and movement will be mapped by in site measurements and buoy deployments, with support from ice tank experiments. Passive microwave, SAR, wind scatterometer and airborne data will be combined with in site data to feed a model that calculates salt flux distribution over the region. When combined with a large-scale ice-ocean model and a small -scale convection model the final package will explain the convection process and its variability under extremes of forcing.

Programme(s)

• FP5-EESD - Programme for research, technological development and demonstration on "Energy, environment and sustainable development, 1998-2002"

Topic(s)

• 1.1.4.-2. - Key action Global Change, Climate and Biodiversity

Funding Scheme

Coordinator

Participants (12)