West Spitzbergen Current (WSC)
carries warm Atlantic waters north into the Arctic Ocean, the EGC transports cold, fresh water and sea ice south out of the Arctic basin. In this manner, the currents work together to make Fram Strait the northernmost permanently ice-free ocean area in the world.
The WSC is the northernmost extension of the Norwegian Atlantic Current. It flows poleward through eastern Fram Strait along the western coast of Spitsbergen. It is about 100 km wide and is confined over the continental slope, where it reaches its maximum current speed of 24 to 35 cm s-1 at the surface. Because it transports relatively warm (6 to 8°C) and salty (35.1 to 35.3) Atlantic Water, the WSC keeps this area free of ice.
