Inflow dynamics of North Sea water into the Baltic Sea – Major Baltic Inflows
Major barotropic inflow events (MBI – Major Baltic Inflow) transport large volumes of salt water from the North Sea into the Baltic Sea within a short period of time. They are the only source of deep-water aeration in the central Baltic Sea basins and largely control the environmental conditions below the halocline. The time series of barotropic inflow events measured and analysed at the IOW starts 1886 and is updated annually. Exceptionally large inflow events occurred, for example, in January 2003 and December 2014.