The arctic circumpolar boundary current

The main water transformations in the Arctic Mediterranean take place in th e boundary current of Atlantic Water, which crosses the Greenland-Scotland Ridge from the North Atlantic into the eastern Norwegian Sea. It enters and flows around the Arctic Ocean before it exits the Arctic Mediterranean as the East Greenland Current, primarily through Denmark Strait, On route, it experiences numerous branchings and mergings. By examining how the properti es of this "circumpolar" boundary current evolve, it is possible to identif y and describe the processes causing the water mass transformations in the Arctic Mediterranean. It is also possible to follow the Arctic Ocean deep w aters as they spread into the Nordic Seas and eventually provide 40% of the overflow water supplying the North Atlantic Deep Water. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.