Variations in Sea Level and Geostrophic Currents in the East Siberian Sea and Laptev Sea under the Influence of Wind and Runoff of the Lena River.

The distribution of fresh water in the East Siberian Sea (ESS) and Laptev Sea (LS) in the period of the least ice coverage (August–October) has been analyzed using satellite data on sea level and CTD data from ship observations. It is shown that there is a good agreement between the salinity/density distribution in the surface water layer and the sea level in the study area. An increase (decrease) in the runoff of the Lena River during the summer flood leads to an increase (decrease) in the sea level in the eastern part of the LS and in the western and southwestern parts of the ESS in September and October (r = 0.52–0.59 in 1993–2019). The intensification of the western winds is accompanied by a decrease in salinity and a rise in sea level in the coastal areas of the LS and ESS. Eastern winds cause a decrease in sea level in the southern regions of the LS and ESS and the flow of waters with low salinity from the coastal to the open part of the sea. Western/eastern winds are accompanied by eastern/western directed geostrophic currents in the region of the Sannikov Strait and in the southwestern part of the ESS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]