Hydrographic conditions off West Greenland in 2016

An overview of the atmospheric and hydrographic conditions off West Greenland in autumn 2016 is presented. In winter 2015/2016, the NAO index was positive (0.98). The annual mean air temperature at Nuuk weather station in West Greenland was 0.6°C in 2016, which was 2.0°C above the long-term mean (1981-2010). The core properties of the water masses of the West Greenland Current (WGC) are monitored annually at two standard NAFO/ICES sections across the western shelf and continental slope of Greenland near Cape Desolation and Fyllas Bank. However, the Fyllas Bank Section had to be abandoned due to severe weather conditions in autumn 2016. The properties of the Irminger Sea Water (ISW) are monitored in the 75-200 m layer at Cape Desolation Station 3. In 2016, the water temperature and the salinity of the ISW was 5.44°C and 34.84, which was 0.27°C and 0.08 below the long-term mean, respectively. The properties of the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) in the Deep Boundary Current west of Greenland are monitored at 2000 m depth at Cape Desolation Station 3. Since the beginning of the 1990s, temperature and salinity were decreasing and reached their minimum values in 1998 and 1997, respectively. After that, the temperature of the NADW revealed a positive trend until 2014, whereas its salinity rather stagnated between 2007 and 2014. In 2016, the temperature increased and salinity stagnated, and were 0.1°C and 0.02 above the long-term mean.