The phosphate levels of the major surface currents of the Indian Ocean

Abstract

The principal surface currents of the north Indian Ocean are much richer in phosphate (greater than 0.25 �g-atom/l) than those of the south Indian Ocean (less than 0.15 �g-atom/I). In summer large areas of the surface waters of the south-east Indian Ocean have a very low phosphate content (less than 0.10 �g-atom/l). These waters are by far the lowest in phosphate of the whole Indian Ocean. Their salinity-temperature- phosphate relations show that waters from two regions, the South Equatorial Current in the north and the high salinity belt around 30-35� S., contribute to their formation. Waters of this high salinity belt are carried northward into the low phosphate region by the West Australian Current in summer. These high-salinity waters most probably form by evaporation of an upper 50-m mixed layer of waters of the south-east Atlantic drifting eastward in the south Indian Ocean at an average rate of 15 cm per sec. In the eastern Indian Ocean north of 10�S., surface phosphate levels in summer are governed by the circulation of the richer phosphate waters of the counter current. In winter the circulation of richer phosphate waters of the South-west Monsoon Current governs the phosphate level.