Circulation Of Antarctic Intermediate Water Research Articles

Dissolved inorganic Radiocarbon content of the Western Coral sea: Implications for Intermediate and Deep Water Circulation

ABSTRACTThe South Pacific Ocean contributes to the global carbon cycle by exchanging CO2 between the atmosphere and intermediate to deep water masses. The path of the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) in the South Pacific gyre has been inferred from salinity, oxygen, and nutrient measurements, but radiocarbon (14C) measurements—a direct tracer of the carbon cycle—remain sparse. Here, we present the first radiocarbon profiles in the western Coral Sea and compare our measurements with South Pacific stations from GLODAPv2, a database of ocean hydrochemistry. Surface and subsurface waters in the Coral Sea cannot be attributed to a single source based on their Δ14C signatures, and we observe a penetration of bomb-produced 14C. AAIW in the western Coral Sea shows Δ14C values comparable to those in the South Pacific gyre, consistent with circulation of AAIW in the lower part of the southern equatorial current. The deep waters of the western Coral Sea have significantly higher 14C than the South Pacific at the same isopycnal, consistent with a northward intrusion of Circumpolar Deep Water from the Tasman Sea, along with a westward influx of deep waters from the Central Pacific. In accordance with silicate concentrations published previously, this shows the dual origin of deep waters in the Coral Sea.

Antarctic intermediate water circulation in the South Atlantic over the past 25,000 years

Antarctic Intermediate Water is an essential limb of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation that redistributes heat and nutrients within the Atlantic Ocean. Existing reconstructions have yielded conflicting results on the history of Antarctic Intermediate Water penetration into the Atlantic across the most recent glacial termination. In this study we present leachate, foraminiferal, and detrital neodymium isotope data from three intermediate-depth cores collected from the southern Brazil margin in the South Atlantic covering the past 25 kyr. These results reveal that strong chemical leaching following decarbonation does not extract past seawater neodymium composition in this location. The new foraminiferal records reveal no changes in seawater Nd isotopes during abrupt Northern Hemisphere cold events at these sites. We therefore conclude that there is no evidence for greater incursion of Antarctic Intermediate Water into the South Atlantic during either the Younger Dryas or Heinrich Stadial 1. We do, however, observe more radiogenic Nd isotope values in the intermediate-depth South Atlantic during the mid-Holocene. This radiogenic excursion coincides with evidence for a southward shift in the Southern Hemisphere westerlies that may have resulted in a greater entrainment of radiogenic Pacific-sourced water during intermediate water production in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. Our intermediate-depth records show similar values to a deglacial foraminiferal Nd isotope record from the deep South Atlantic during the Younger Dryas but are clearly distinct during the Last Glacial Maximum and Heinrich Stadial 1, demonstrating that the South Atlantic remained chemically stratified during Heinrich Stadial 1.

Holocene changes in Antarctic Intermediate Water flow strength in the Southwest Atlantic

Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) is an essential component of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) contributing to balance the southward flow of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). However, the role of AAIW in Holocene abrupt climate changes remains poorly understood. Here we reconstruct changes in the flow strength of AAIW based on a high temporal resolution paleocurrent record from the Southwest Atlantic. Superimposed on a slight increase in AAIW strength at ~7ka BP, a succession of millennial-scale AAIW variations is recognized in our paleocurrent records indicating a highly variable intermediate water circulation throughout the Holocene. Although variations in the strength and position of the Southern Westerlies Winds (SWW) are proposed to greatly influence the formation and circulation of AAIW, we cannot confirm such a potential SWW-AAIW linkage since our records of AAIW flow strength do not correlate to Holocene shifts of the SWW across the Atlantic. However, our data shows a good correspondence with abrupt variations in the AMOC with enhanced (reduced) northward advection of AAIW during periods of reduced (enhanced) NADW circulation. These results provide evidence for a Holocene AAIW-NADW see-saw. Thus, although the exact forcing mechanism remains unresolved, we suggest that Holocene perturbations in AAIW exerted a significant impact on the AMOC.

Abrupt changes in Antarctic Intermediate Water circulation over the past 25,000 years

The formation and circulation of Antarctic Intermediate Water has varied over glacial–interglacial timescales. A neodymium record from the Atlantic Ocean basin suggests that changes in circulation may have been driven by changes both in Antarctic Intermediate Water formation in the Southern Ocean and in the strength of North Atlantic meridional overturning.

Lagrangian circulation of Antarctic Intermediate Water in the subtropical South Atlantic

Abstract This study combines float data from different projects collected between 1991 and 2003 in the South Atlantic to describe the flow of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW). Velocity space–time averages are calculated for various grid resolutions and with cells deformed to match the bathymetry, f/H or f/h (with H being the water depth and h being the thickness of the AAIW layer). When judged by the degree of alignment between respective isolines and the resulting average velocity fields, the best grid is based on a nominal cell size of 3° (latitude) by 4° (longitude) with cell shapes deformed according to f/h. Using this grid, objectively estimated mean currents (and their associated errors), as well as meridional and zonal volume transports are estimated. Results show an anticyclonic Subtropical Gyre centred near 36°S and spanning from 23±1°S to 46±1°S. The South Atlantic Current meanders from 33°S to 46°S and shows a mean speed of 9.6±7.8 cm s−1 (8.5±3.5 Sv; 1 Sv=1×106 m3 s−1). The northern branch of the Subtropical Gyre is located between 22°S and 32°S and flows westward with a mean speed of 4.7±3.3 cm s−1 (9.3±3.4 Sv). Evidence of a cyclonic Tropical Gyre divided in two sub-cells is visible on the stream function.

Carbon isotope evidence for changes in Antarctic Intermediate Water circulation and ocean ventilation in the southwest Pacific during the last deglaciation

Deep‐sea sediment core FR1/97 GC‐12 is located 990 mbsl in the northern Tasman Sea, southwest Pacific, where Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) presently impinges the continental slope of the southern Great Barrier Reef. Analysis of carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope ratios on a suite of planktonic and benthic foraminifera reveals rapid changes in surface and intermediate water circulation over the last 30 kyr. During the Last Glacial Maximum, there was a large δ13C offset (1.1‰) between the surface‐dwelling planktonic foraminifera and benthic species living within the AAIW. In contrast, during the last deglaciation (Termination 1), the δ13Cplanktonic‐benthic offset reduced to 0.4‰ prior to an intermediate offset (0.7‰) during the Holocene. We suggest that variations in the dominance and direction of AAIW circulation in the Tasman Sea, and increased oceanic ventilation, can account for the rapid change in the water column δ13Cplanktonic‐benthic offset during the glacial‐interglacial transition. Our results support the hypothesis that intermediate water plays an important role in propagating climatic changes from the polar regions to the tropics. In this case, climatic variations in the Southern Hemisphere may have led to the rapid ventilation of deep water and AAIW during Termination 1, which contributed to the postglacial rise in atmospheric CO2.

Antarctic Intermediate Water Circulation and Variability in a Coupled Climate Model

The variability of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) in a long-term natural integration of a coupled climate model is examined. The mean state of the climate model includes a realistic representation of AAIW, which appears centered on the su 5 27.2 kg m23 density surface (hereinafter s 27.2) both in observations and the model. An assessment of ventilation rates on the s 27.2 surface suggests that this particular climate model forms AAIW in a mostly circumpolar fashion, with a significant contribution from Antarctic Surface Water. This motivates the assessment of oceanic variability along this core AAIW isopycnal surface. Complex empirical orthogonal function analyses decompose the variability into three dominant modes showing circumpolar patterns of zonal wavenumber-1, -2, and -3 on the s 27.2 density surface. The modes contain eastward-propagating signals at interannual to centennial time scales. Mechanisms forcing this variability are investigated using heat and salt budget analyses at the wintertime outcrop of the s 27.2 surface. Such an approach ignores the mechanism of AAIW variability sourced by Subantarctic Mode Water variations, which has been examined previously and is, for the most part, beyond the present study. Variability in meltwater rates and atmospheric heat and freshwater fluxes are found to dominate the intermediate water variability at the outcrop region. In contrast, northward Ekman transport of heat and salt plays a significant but localized role in AAIW temperature‐salinity variability. There is also an important contribution from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current to the variability at the outcrop region via zonal transport of heat and salt. While the magnitude of AAIW natural variability can be large near the outcrop of the salinity minimum layer, recent observations of cooling and freshening at depth are suggested to be beyond that of the unperturbed system.

Dynamics of Intermediate Water Circulation in the Subtropical South Atlantic*

The circulation of the low-salinity Antarctic Intermediate Water in the South Atlantic and the associated dynamical processes are studied, using recent and historical hydrographic profiles, Lagrangian and Eulerian current measurements as well as wind stress observations. The circulation pattern inferred for the Antarctic Intermediate Water supports the hypothesis of an anticyclonic basinwide recirculation of the intermediate water in the subtropics. The eastward current of the intermediate anticyclone is fed mainly by water recirculated in the Brazil Current and by the Malvinas Current. An additional source region is the Polar Frontal zone of the South Atlantic. The transport in the meandering eastward current ranges from 6 to 26 Sv (Sv [ 106 m3 s21). The transport of the comparably uniform westward flow of the gyre varies between 10 and 30 Sv. Both transports vary with longitude. At the western boundary near 288S, in the Santos Bifurcation, the westward current splits into two branches. About three-quarters of the 19 Sv at 408W go south as an intermediate western boundary current. The remaining quarter flows northward along the western boundary. Simulations with a simple model of the ventilated thermocline reveal that the wind-driven subtropical gyre has a vertical extent of over 1200 m. The transports derived from the simulations suggest that about 90% of the transport in the westward branch of the intermediate gyre and about 50% of the transport in the eastward branch can be attributed to the wind-driven circulation. The structure of the simulated gyre deviates from observations to some extent. The discrepancies between the simulations and the observations are most likely caused by the interoceanic exchange south of Africa, the dynamics of the boundary currents, the nonlinearity, and the seasonal variability of the wind field. A simulation with an inflow/outflow condition for the eastern boundary reduces the transport deviations in the eastward current to about 20%. The results support the hypothesis that the wind field is of major importance for the subtropical circulation of Antarctic Intermediate Water followed by the interoceanic exchange. The simulations suggest that the westward transport in the subtropical gyre undergoes seasonal variations. The transports and the structure of the intermediate subtropical gyre from the Parallel Ocean Climate Model (Semtner‐ Chervin model) agree better with observations.

Antarctic Intermediate Water circulation in the tropical and subtropical South Atlantic

Recent hydrographic data from the South Atlantic Ventilation Experiment cruises and others are combined with historical data and used to map the isopycnal properties corresponding to the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) in the Atlantic Ocean. The low salinity of the AAIW extends eastward across the South Atlantic just south of the equator (3–4°S). Evidence of a weak eastward flow just north of the equator (1–2°N) is also shown. Lateral and vertical homogenization of properties in the AAIW is found at the equator between 2°S and 2°N; there is no clear zonal gradient in salinity just along the equator. These observations suggest enhanced mixing within the equatorial baroclinic deformation radius. The South Atlantic tropical gyre is shown to consist of the following three cells: one cyclonic cell centered at about 7°S, another centered at about 19°S in the west and 23°S in the east, and one anticyclonic cell centered at about 13°S. These cells are associated with a westward extension at 10°S of high salinity and low oxygen which originates in the eastern tropical South Atlantic and a front in these properties at about 15°S in the west and about 20°S in the east.

Circulation of Antarctic intermediate water in the South Indian Ocean

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and hydrographic data collected on the R.R.S. Charles Darwin Cruise 29 along 32°S during November-December 1987, are used to examine the circulation in the South Indian Ocean. The emphasis is on Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW); bottom waters and mode waters are also examined. Bottom waters entering in the western boundary of the Crozet Basin (about 60°E) and in the Mozambique Basin (about 40°E) have low concentrations of anthropogenic CFCs. The rest of the bottom and deep waters up to about 2000 m have concentrations that are below blank levels. Above the intermediate waters there are injections of mode waters, which are progressively denser in the eastward direction. They form a broad subsurface CFC maximum between 200 and 400 m. The injections of recently ventilated (with respect to CFCs and oxygen) Subantarctic Mode Waters (SAMWs) at different densities indicate that there is considerable exchange between the subtropical and subantarctic regions. The tracer data presented show that the circulation of AAIW in the South Indian Ocean is different from that in the South Atlantic and South Pacific oceans in several ways. (1) The most recently ventilated AAIW is observed in a compact anticyclonic gyre west of 72°E. The shallow topography (e.g. that extending northeastward from the Kerguelen Plateau) may deflect and limit the eastward extent of the most recently ventilated AAIW. As a consequence, there is a zonal offset in the South Indian Ocean of the location of the most recently ventilated SAMW and AAIW, which does not occur in the other two oceans. The strongest component of SAMW is in the east, while the AAIW is strongest in the western-central South Indian Ocean. The offset results in a higher vertical gradient in CFCs in the east. (2) The Agulhas Current may impede input of AAIW along the western boundary. (3) Tracers are consistent with an inter-ocean flow from the South Pacific into the Eastern Indian Ocean, similar to the South Atlantic to Indian linkage. (4) It appears that the high wind stress curl forces an equatorward component of the circulation that is strongest around 60°E. As a result the highest concentrations of CFCs and oxygens in bottom waters, AAIW, and the lightest component of SAMW are co-located along the 32°S track at about 60°E. Thus, the most recently ventilated circumpolar waters, participating in both the wind driven and the thermohaline circulations, follow similar paths equatorward into the subtropical Indian Ocean.

Chlorofluoromethanes in South Atlantic Antartic intermediate water

Distribution of the dissolved atmospheric chlorofluoromethanes (CFMs) F-11 and F-12 in the South Atlantic Ocean are used to study the ventilation and circulation of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW). CFM distributions on an isopycnal surface representative of AAIW are consistent with recently ventilated water entering the subtropical gyre in the southwestern Atlantic and then being advected anticyclonically around this gyre. The westward-flowing northern limb of the gyre apparently divides near the coast of South America with some water flowing southward to recirculate in the gyre, and the balance flowing northward along the coast of Brazil. At the equator this northward current divides again with one branch going eastward along the equator and the other continuing into the Northern Hemisphere. In the eastern tropical Atlantic, the CFM concentrations on this isopycnal surface in the cyclonic gyre are extremely low between the subtropical gyre and the equatorial tongue. Along the prime meridian, the F-11 and F-12 concentrations on the 27.2 θσ isopycnal surface between the mixed layer outcrop and the northern edge of the subtropical gyre are fitted to a one-dimensional advection-diffusion model. This model assumes that the CFMs enter the tubtropical gyre solely by northward diffusion from the mixed layer outcrop to the southern edge of the subtropical gyre, and that their distributions within the gyre are controlled by both advective and diffusive processes. Velocity and eddy diffusion coefficients are calculated from a least-squares fit to the data. These values are then used to calculate a mean oxygen consumption rate which is consistent with rates calculated using models of other time-dependent geochemical tracers.