A double-halocline structure in the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean

A year-round halocline is a particular hydrographic structure in the upper Arctic Ocean. On the basis of an analysis of the hydrographic data collected in the Arctic Ocean, it is found that a double-halocline structure exists in the upper layer of the southern Canada Basin,which is absolutely different from the Cold Halocline Layer (CHL) in the Eurasian Basin. The Pacific-origin water is the primary factor in the formation of the double-halocline structure. The upper halocline lies between the summer modification and the winter modification of the Pacific-origin water while the lower halocline results from the Pacific-origin water overlying upon the Atlantic-origin water. Both haloclines are all the year-round although seasonal and interannual variations have been detected in the historical data.