The Gulf of Riga and the Irbe Strait

Raw temperature and/or salinity instrument output

CTD

The general aim of the Gulf of Riga Project was to clarify the state of the Gulf of Riga ecosystem. The sub-sub-project Hydrography II had to clarify the mechanisms governing the water exchange between the Gulf and Baltic Proper. The main attention was paid to the data acquisition (measurement of traditional hydrographic parameters and current velocity), data treatment, estimation of water exchange between the Gulf and the adjacent regions of the sea, research of the thermohaline structure, reconstruction of the hydrographic fields, statistical and dynamic modelling of the Gulf. To investigate the synoptic variability of hydrographic parameters of the Gulf of Riga four seasonal monitoring cruises were performed in 1993. In 1994 and 1995 from May to November CTD measurements were carried out on a monthly basis to study the water renewal processes and the related structure of hydrographic parameters in the Gulf of Riga and in the Irbe Stait. For the latter purpose in August 1994 altogether 734 towed CTD profiles were measured on transects along and perpendicular to the Irbe Strait. In June 1995 within 10-days an intensive measurement campaign IRBEX-95 was carried out with the aim to study water exchange between the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Proper through the main transition zone - the Irbe Strait. During that experiment altogether 395 CTD profiles were measured by R/V Kiir and R/V Skagerak. All data from years 1992-1997 (1767 CTD profiles) are quality controlled.

Department of Marine Systems at Tallinn University of Technology
MSI, Akadeemia tee 15a
Tallinn

12618
Estonia