Brackish outflow

This positive water balance determines the basic hydrographic and ecological properties of the Baltic Sea as the estuarine circulation, the deepwater formation and ventilation, and the stratification and the nutrient balance. Outflow of brackish surface water and inflow of saline water combined with upwelling and vertical mixing of saline bottom water with brackish surface water closes the estuarine circulation. 

Assuming that the salt transport in the Baltic Sea occurs as a Conveyor Belt consisting of the inflow of salt water over the sills into the deepwater pool of the Baltic Sea, which is mainly carried by the turbulent influx in the Belt Sea, the vertical salt flux through the halocline into the brackish surface water of the Baltic Sea, and the outflow through the Belt Sea by advecting brackish surface water with the outflowing freshwater surplus q. Then we have balance between stochastic salt inflow and advective salt outflow Sg. 

In Fig. 6, a temperature time history from the entrance area of the Baltic Sea is illustrated. From the salinity data, we can notice large variations, corresponding to inflow of saline water and outflow of brackish water. The corresponding time-temperature curves are also illustrated in die figure. 

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