Pathways for the export of Arctic change into the North Atlantic

Abstract

The goal of the Pathways for the Export of Arctic Change into the North Atlantic project was to measure the exchange between the Hudson Bay System and the Labrador Sea, which occurs in the Hudson Strait. This exchange is of climactic relevance since a large amount of fresh water flows through the Hudson Strait into the Labrador Sea, where it can modulate the exchange of heat with the atmosphere. It is also of regional importance since the exchange influences the climate of Hudson Bay, which is home to a large indigenous population. The project consisted of deploying four subsurface moorings, over a one-year period, beginning August 2008 and ending September 2009. The moorings were positioned across the strait with Mooring A located on the south side and Moorings E, F, and G on the north side. The moorings were equipped with instruments to measure conductivity, temperature, pressure, ice draft and velocity.