This itp has be having a extremely abrupt salinity increase in the last three days or so (coincidence?):
http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=148096It is in a very broken area of the Beaufort sea. 77.5N, 140W approx.
What I don't understand is how salitnity can increase suddenly throughout the entire mixed layer to same salinity as at the halocline.
Three ideas from my poor understanding of the mixed layer:
- The storm did pull and mix water from the halocline (is that even possible so quickly?)
- A pocket of saline water that entered thru Bering in Spring came about (I like this one but seems improbable that salinity goes to exact same value as halocline)
- The buoy just got loose from the ice because of the storm and is giving strange measurements.
If anyone has an idea. Such a raise in salinity (and also temperature) in that area, the ice would melt faster.
Edit: just checked coords..., isn't that yellow cone in the o buoy 14 pics?? That would rule out the last possibility