Analysis: A Figures of temperature: The digitized temperature contour lines of the zonal vertical sections from 51.5 °N to 61.5 °N (distance:! °N) were gridded by using the Kriging method. Settings: number of sectors = 4; number of nearest points for search = 1; max number of empty sectors = 3; min number of data points for a valid sector = 2; max number of data points from all sectors = 4; search ellipse radius 1 = 2.5; search ellipse radius 2 = 30; search ellipse angle = 0; Gridpoint distance: dx = 0.05 °E/W (3km) dz = 1 m The grid points were used to produce meridional sections from 2° W to 8° E every half degree. Method and settings see above. Gridpoint distance: dy = 0.1°N (11.1km) dz = 1 m Finally a second set of zonal sections from 52° N to 61 ° N (distance: 1 ° N) was gridded. Method and settings see above. Gridpoint distance: dx = 0.05 °E/W (3km) dz = 1 m Result is a 3 dimensional data set of 4309812 temperature data (359151 per month). The horizontal charts of temperature base on this dataset (except for Fig. 2.2.2 and Fig. 2.2.3) as well as the isopleths and profiles in Fig. 3.1 and Fig. 3.2. B Figures of salinity: The horizontal charts of the salinity for the depth layers 7.5m, 20m, 30m, 40m, 60m, 80m, 100m and the Bottom within the area 51 °N to 61.5 °N and 4 W to 11 °E were digitized and gridded by using the Kriging method. Settings horizontal: no Search 0 (use all data) Gridpoint distance: dx = 0.25 °E/W (15.0km) dy = 0.20 ° N (22.2km) These calculated horizontal areas were used to create meridional vertical sections from 3.5 °W to 9 °E (distance: 0,5 °E/W) by using the Kriging Methode. Settings vertikal-meridional: no Search 0 (use all data) Gridpoint distance: dy = 0.1 °N (11.1km) dz = 1 m