Absolute velocity and transport across the Extended Ellett Line in the subpolar North Atlantic

The Extended Ellett Line hydrographic section is located between Iceland and Scotland, crossing Iceland, Hatton-Rockall Basins and Rockall Trough. This section transports 90% of the water flowing northwards into the Nordic Seas and around half of the returning dense water, making it an important part of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. In this study full-depth hydrographic data, collected since 1997, is used to compute geostrophic velocities, which are referenced using Lowered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler velocity measurements. The long-term average velocity and transport of the currents are derived. The transports are separated into layers consisting of the upper ocean water, the permanent thermocline, Labrador Sea water and the Iceland-Scotland overflow water. We also discuss the uncertainty of these values.