Abstract

The salinity maximum of the Warm Deep Water advecting into the Weddell Sea lies about 200 m below the temperature maximum and an NO minimum. The NO minimum is horizontally as well as vertically resolved on two sections towards the eastern and southern coast of the Weddell Sea, one towards Cap Norvegia, the other towards the Filchner Ice Shelf, whereas the temperature and salinity maxima are horizontally resolved on the former section only. Thus NO is a valuable complementary tool in studying the boundary current along the coast of the Weddell Sea. The NO signal indicates a non-continuity within the boundary current, as the minimum in the downstream section (less than 480 μmol kg −1 ) is deeper than the upstream one ( more than 490 μmol kg −1). The temperature maximum as well as the NO minimum descend from a depth of about 400 m in the Cap Norvegia section to about 600 m in the Filchner Ice Shelf section, the salinity maximum being correspondingly lowered. A plot of NO vs. salinity shows a continuous mixing line between Warm Deep Water and the freshest part of the Winter Water interval, thus essentially displaying Winter Water as itself lying on a mixing line. This indicates that Warm Deep Water is being advected well into the winter surface layer.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.