Jökull - 01.12.1983, Qupperneq 135

Hydrographic Investigations in the Iceland and Greenland
Seas in late Winter 1971 — “Deep Water Project”
SVEND-AAGE MALMBERG
Marine Research Institute, Skúlagata 4, 101 Reykjavík
ABSTRACT
The paper gives a short description of and discussion on
hydrographic investigations carried out in the Iceland and
Greenland Seas in February 1971. The results obtained may
be of interest in connection with the Deep Water Project of
the Intemational Council for the Exploration of the Sea
(ICES) carried out in the eighties.
INTRODUCTION
In February 1971 hydrographic investigations
were carried out in the Iceland and Greenland Seas
on the Icelandic r/v Bjarni Sæmundsson. The pur-
pose of these investigations was to study the late
winter distribution ofsalinity in the East Icelandic
Current northeast of Langanes (Malmberg 1972,
1980) and the Jan Mayen Polar Current northeast
of Jan Mayen. The observations were part of a
study of ice conditions in the sea north of Iceland.
The hydrographic conditions in the area in the
Greenland Sea where deep or bottom water format-
ion is supposed to take place were also investigated
(Malmberg 1972). A report on these data is believed
to be of interest now due to the so-called Deep
VVater Project in the Norwegian, Greenland and
Iceland Seas carried out by some member countries
of ICES in the eighties (Anon. 1980). These data
were used in the planning stage by the Working
Group on Oceanic Hydrographic together with a
XBT section between Northeast Iceland and Spitz-
bergen carried out in August 1972 (Fig. 1). The
cyclonic current systems and the difTerent water
masses in the Iceland and Greenland Seas are indi-
cated in this XBT section.
7 5* N, 0*
Fig. 1. Temperature distribution in a XBT section from Iceland to Spitsbergen. R/v Bjarni Sæmundsson
in August 1972. The cyclonic current systems and the different water masses in the Iceland and
Greenland Seas are indicated. For location see Fig. 2.
Mynd 1. Lóðre'tt snið hitastigs frá íslandi til Spitsbergen í ágúst 1972. Sjógerðir og rangstelis straumar í íslands- og
Grenlandshafi eru einnig synd.
JÖKULL 33. ÁR 133