Abstract
TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetry data are used to compute sea level slopes across the Bering Strait and associated geostrophic transport anomalies through the strait during ice-free periods from 1992 to 2002. The satellite turning latitude near 66N is just north of the strait, allowing us to use data from seven nearly zonal altimeter tracks close to the strait and to provide estimates of mean slopes, geostrophic currents and water transports approximately every 1.5 days. The altimeter-derived transport anomalies far exceed the mean value and are in good agreement with those derived from in situ observations. Comparison to wind data from a nearby meteorological station in Uelen, Russia, shows that computed transport anomalies correlate well with strong along-strait winds and less so with winds from other directions, thus making the transport predictions from winds alone more successful in seasons with strong and persistent meridional winds.
Recommended Citation
Cherniawsky, J. Y., W. R. Crawford, O. P. Nikitin, and E. C. Carmack. 2005. "Bering Strait transports from satellite altimetry." Journal of Marine Research 63, (5). https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/journal_of_marine_research/105