Propagation and transformation of waters of the surface desalinated layer in the Kara Sea

A new method for the calculating propagation of brackish waters from the Ob-Yenisei estuary in the Kara Sea is proposed. This method is based on satellite altimetry measurements and meteorological data. Surface currents in the upper layer are estimated as the sum of geostrophic and parameterized wind-driven transport. Geostrophic velocities are calculated using altimetry-derived sea-level anomalies and mean dynamic topography. The method has been used previously to calculate surface currents in the Black Sea [7, 12]. In this paper it has been successfully verified on the basis of comparisons with field observations of surface salinity and satellite images of sea-surface chlorophyll in the Kara Sea.