A YEAR-LONG OBSERVATION OF WATER EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE NORTH PACIFIC AND THE BERING SEA

Knowledge of the exchange of waters between the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea is limited because of the lack of reliable measurements. Existing estimates of flow through the major pass (Amchitka) in the Aleutian Islands were disparate and based on short-term data. A 1-yr series of direct current measurements was obtained in this pass, which revealed a northward flow of warm Alaskan Stream water into the Bering Sea. An estimate of volume transport gave 2-3 x 10(6) m3 s-1, which is 10-15% of the transport of the Alaskan Stream.