During the ICES Expedition Overflow '73, which had a core period of
observation between 15 August and 15 September 1973, there was, for the
first time, an opportunity to investigate synoptically the details of
the ocean circulation between Greenland and Scotland. This area had
hitherto attracted considerable attention because it was believed to be
the scene of the exchange of warm saline Atlantic waters with the colder
and less saline waters of the Norwegian Sea. The Project was designed
as a follow up to Overflow '60.
One of the principal objectives of Overflow '73 was to describe
in detail the kinematic and dynamic processes which leads to the
renewal, by 'shoves' of the sub-Arctic bottom water of the northern
North Atlantic across the Iceland-Faroe Ridge and the steadier renewals
known to occur in the Denmark Strait and the Faroe-Shetland and
Faroe-bank Channels. During the expedition more that 1700 serial
hydrochemical/CTD stations were worked, and 52 current meter moorings
were deployed and recovered. In addition numerous anciliary measurements
were made, including XBTs, tide measurements and drogue tracking.
At the end of August 1973 many of the Research Vessels taking
part in the project had various parties in Thorshavn, Faroe Islands. One
of these took place on the "Explorer" during which a special cake for the occasion was consumed.
The Overflow '73 dataset is freely available as a compressed comma separated file.
