Kjersti is a PhD candidate in physical oceanography at UNIS. She focuses on the areas where Atlantic Water meets and interacts with local water masses in the Barents Sea and in the region north of Svalbard. Using spatio-temporal data of hydrography and currents in these areas, Kjersti studies the dynamics along the continental slopes and processes causing water mass exchange and mixing across the shelf breaks. Especially of interest to Kjersti is to understand in which conditions topographically trapped waves and mesoscale eddies can form, and influence heat transfer away from the Atlantic Water boundary current. Furthermore, she studies how strong tides may cause Atlantic Water to take alternative pathways into the Barents Sea.

RF1 – Physical drivers