Work

Water Masses of the Guiana Basin

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: We present the results of our expeditionary studies of the water structure on a section across the Guiana basin in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean in January 2022. The section corresponds to almost the shortest distance between South America’s continental slope and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. We identified various water masses corresponding to the study area, determined their physical and chemical properties, and located their boundaries regarding the position of their properties’ maximal vertical gradients. Particular attention was paid to the components of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). On the section, we identified four NADW components: upper NADW with salinity maximum and minimum in silicate, two middle NADWs determined by different extremes in dissolved oxygen, and lower NADW with maximum oxygen and minimum phosphate. The lower boundary of NADW corresponds approximately to the isotherm θ = 1.6–1.8 °C. The proportion of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) was calculated for the bottom layer; its maximal amount was about 40% on the section.

Source: Water

DOI: 10.3390/w16233494

Authors: Alexander Demidov, Kseniya Artamonova, Fedor Gippius, Sergey Dobrolyubov

Institutions: Lomonosov Moscow State University, All-Russian Research Institute Fisheries and Oceanography

Language: English

Topic: Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes

Subfield: Oceanography

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,955

Funder: Russian Science Foundation