List of Figures 
254 
System Nordsee 
Physical Oceanography 
Fig. 3-1: Seasonal surface circulation of the North Sea in 2005 (JFM = January-February-March, 
AMJ ...). Vector mean currents from >BSFicmod<. Stability (%, colored) is the ratio of vector 
mean current to mean magnitude 82 
Fig. 3-2: Volume transport in 2005 (BSFIcmod) through Dover Strait and a western boundary 
transect of the German Bight extending from 53° 15 to 55° N along 6° 20' E; 1 Sv= 10 6 m 3 /s. 
84 
Fig. 3-3: Volume transport in 2005 (BSFIcmod) through northern transects of the North Sea 
along 59° 17' N; top/bottom: west/east of 3° 20' E; 1 Sv= 10 6 m 3 /s 85 
Fig. 3-4: Volume transport through the Kattegat in 2005 (BSFIcmod); 1 Sv= 10 6 m 3 /s 86 
Fig. 3-5: Classification scheme for daily residual currents in the German Bight. 87 
Fig. 3-6: Seasonal freguencies of circulation patterns in the German Bight for 2004 and 2005... 
89 
Fig. 3-7: Freguency and duration of main circulation types 89 
Fig. 3-8: Distribution of daily circulation patterns on weather types in 2005. Narrow columns 
give expected freguencies for independence 90 
Fig. 3-9: Seasonal geographical distributions of wave height, windsea and swell in 2005; 
JFM = January, February, March etc. Figures stand for stations >Brent<(l), >Ekofisk< (2), >Euro< 
(3), >UFS DB< (4) und >Flelgoland< (5) 94 
Fig. 3-10: Sea level pressure, wind and wave height during the severe gale >lngo< 96 
Fig. 3-11: Seasonal percent freguency distributions of wind speed as well as wave height and di 
rection at position >UFS DB< in 2005. Note log 2 -scaling of wave height. Model data courtesy 
DWD. 99 
Fig. 3-12: Same as Fig. 3-11, except for position >Ekofisk< 102 
Fig. 3-13: Fligh-water levels at Cuxhaven in 2005 (rel. to ordnance datum) together with 1971 - 
2000 base period monthly means and 95%-band as well as intramonthly 90%-limits.. ..105 
Fig. 3-14: Low-water levels at Cuxhaven in 2005 (rel. to ordnance datum) together with 1971 - 
2000 base period monthly means and 95%-band as well as intramonthly 90%-limits.. ..106 
Fig. 3-15: Q4 Fligh-water levels at Cuxhaven in cm (rel. to ordnance datum). Years refer to JFM 
(OND from previous year, respectively). Right panel: lowpass filtered in yr-direction (filter 
length 5 yrs) 107 
Fig. 3-16: Q4 high-water levels in fall, winter, and from October through March. Raw series (stip 
pled) and overall linear trends (green, ±95% confidence interval) are shown along with low- 
pass filtered series for filter lengths of 5 (blue) and 18 yrs (red, Ip18). Stars mark break points 
of piecewise linear trends fitted to Ip18; accounted variances (R 2 ) refer to raw series 109 
Fig. 3-17: Monthly SSTanomalies in 2005 as departures from the 1971 - 1993 climatology. Con 
tour interval is 0.5 K. Letter codes (upper right) refer to atmospheric circulation anomalies 
(Fig. 2-11, p. 56) 113 
Fig. 3-18: Seasonal cycle of areal mean weekly SST of the North Sea from December 2004 
through November 2005 and ensemble of corresponding cycles since 1968. Size of monthly 
climate bullets (radius) gives interannual standard deviation for base period 1971 - 1993... 
114 
Fig. 3-19: Seasonal cycle 2005 of monthly mean SST at Flelgoland Reede together with 1971 - 
2000 base period monthly means and 95%-band (climatology ± 1.96 standard deviations). 
(Raw data courtesy of K. Wiltshire, Biologische Anstalt Flelgoland.) 115 
Fig. 3-20: Temperature stratification (°C) in summer 2005 (RV Gauß, Reise #446) 116