Synoptic changes in the deep rim current during stagnant hydrographic conditions in the Eastern Gotland Basin, Baltic Sea

Hydrographic and current measurements are analysed for stagnant deep-water conditions over the south-eastern topographic flank of the Eastern Gotland Basin (EGB) in April 2000. Results suggest a prevailing barotropic motion mode on a synoptic scale of several days. Deep along-slope volume transports derived from subsurface current meter moorings are compared with those of the baroclinic fraction of geostrophic motions crossing the plane of a hydrographic section. This was aligned perpendicular to deep isobaths and was repeated 40 times with a time step of six hours. Changes in regional winds produced a quasi-ten day cycle in the filling level of the Baltic Proper. Associated wave-like fluctuations of the mass field propagated cyclonically with a velocity of about 0.04 m s−1 around the deep basin’s rim. It is concluded that associated changes in deep volume transports result mainly from barotropically governed advection processes and that those of the baroclinic component of geostrophic currents provide a qualitatively and quantitatively quite inaccurate description of related transport fluctuations on a daily scale.