Time Series of Transport and Currents on the Chukchi Shelf: 2010 – 2015

Starting in 2010, NOAA/EcoFOCI in partnership with BOEM, has measured currents and water properties at multiple mooring sites on the Chukchi shelf and slope. Observations began at three sites (C1, C2, C3) off Icy Cape in 2010 and expanded in 2013 to include three sites around Barrow Canyon and two sites northeast of Hanna Shoal. In 2014, a mooring was deployed on the slope (1000 m) northeast of Hanna Shoal. A near-continuous velocity record exists at C2 from August 2010 – September 2015. These velocity data are combined with ~40 satellite-tracked drifter trajectories (drogue depth ~30 m) and hydrographic transects (2010 – 2015) to examine flow patterns and transport on the eastern Chukchi shelf. Six primary hydrographic transects extending from Pt. Hope (DBO3) to Barrow Canyon (DBO5) were occupied most years. Transport past Icy Cape accounts for ~40% of the transport through Bering Strait. Maximum monthly-mean transport (>0.8 Sv) is in July with low interannual variability, while the lowest monthly transports are in December – April with high interannual variability. Currents are significantly correlated with alongshore winds. Satellite-tracked drifters deployed near Bering Strait show onshelf flow at Central Channel. Drifters deployed along the Icy Cape line are transported northeastward, converging to a narrow flow, and mainly exit the shelf through Barrow Canyon. The drifters then travel westward along the slope. In summer, drifters and hydrographic sections delineate the pathways of the nutrient-poor Alaska Coastal Current, and the nutrient-rich water to the west (Bering Sea water and Anadyr water). These data were collected mainly as part of three BOEM funded projects (CHAOZ, CHAOZ-Extension and ArcWEST).