Summer transport estimates of the Kamchatka Current derived as a 3 variational inverse of hydrophysical and surface drifter data

7 [1] The quasistationary summer Bering Sea circulation is 8 reconstructed as a variational inverse of the hydrographic 9 and atmospheric climatologies, transport estimates through 10 the Bering Strait, and surface drifter data. Our results 11 indicate the splitting of the Kamchatka Current in the 12 vicinity of the Shirshov Ridge. This branching is in 13 agreement with independent ARGO drifter observations. It 14 was also found, that transport of the Kamchatka Current 15 gradually increases downstream from 14 Sv in the 16 Olyutorsky Gulf to 24 Sv in the Kamchatka Strait, which 17 is twice higher than previous estimates. Citation: Panteleev, 18 G. G., P. Stabeno, V. A. Luchin, D. A. Nechaev, and M. Ikeda 19 (2006), Summer transport estimates of the Kamchatka Current 20 derived as a variational inverse of hydrophysical and surface 21 drifter data, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, LXXXXX, doi:10.1029/ 22 2005GL024974.