Peculiarities of the Flow Front Structure in the Buor-Khaya Bay (the Laptev Sea) in Winter

N. I. Savel’eva, A. N. Salyuk, and I. P. Semiletov

Hydrological flow front whose location and structure depend on the value of the Lena River water flow forms in winter under the ice in the Buor-Khaya Bay. The flow front is characterized by the baroclinic and thermocline components. Under the lens of desalinated waters, the layers of increased temperature and salinity alternate with the layers of decreased salinity and temperature. On the periphery of the front, the thermocline stratification results in the formation of the cold isopycnic intrusion at intermediate levels. The cross section of the cold intrusion in the bay amounted to ~50–85 km and its thickness, from 3–5 to 15 m. The waters of cold intrusions are rich with oxygen and favor the ventilation of the bay waters. The winter flow increase results in the significant widening of the river impact zone, warming of the coastal zone waters, and stratification intensification.

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