Current measurements on the continental slope west of Norway in an area with a pronounced two-layer density profile

Data from field measurements of current velocity and water temperature close to the sea bed on the continental slope west of Norway are presented and discussed. Several strong current flow events were found in the data. These were associated with gradually increasing water temperature and a down-slope flow, followed by a rapid temperature drop and then a strong up-slope flow. The current meters were located close to the interface between the Atlantic inflow to the Norwegian Sea and the Norwegian Sea Arctic Intermediate Water, and it is proposed that the strong current events are linked to the pycnocline between these water masses and its interaction with the continental slope. Downwelling favourable winds, causing steepening of the isopycnals at the slope, are a possible driving mechanism for the strong current events. Hindcast data of wind velocity on the sea surface in the area of the measurements provide some support for this theory. mpling frequency for the current meters was 1 Hz. A detailed study of the high-frequency structure of the current flow, during an event which captured the transition from down-slope flow to up-slope flow, shows that the up-slope flow starts near the sea bed before it extends further up into the boundary layer. It was also found that the velocity shear can be very strong during this type of events. ce of vortex-induced oscillations of the current meter moorings during strong current events was found in the data.