scholarly journals Mesoscale variability of water masses in the Arabian Sea as revealed by ARGO floats

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1369-1402
Author(s):  
X. Carton ◽  
P. L'Hegaret
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Arabian Sea ◽  
Water Mass ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Northern Coast ◽  
Gulf Of Aden ◽  
Mesoscale Variability ◽  
Water Outflow

Abstract. By analysing ARGO float data over the last four years, some aspects of the mesoscale variability of water masses in the Arabian Sea are described. The Red Sea Water outflow is strong in the Southwestern Gulf of Aden, in particular when a cyclonic gyre predominates in this region. Salinities of 36.5 and temperatures of 16 °C are found there between 600 and 1000 m depths. The Red Sea Water is more dilute in the eastern part of the Gulf, and fragments of this water mass can be advected offshore across the gulf or towards its northern coast by the regional gyres. The Red Sea Water outflow is also detected along the northeastern coast of Socotra, and fragments of RSW are found between one and three degrees of latitude north of this island. In the whole Gulf of Aden, the correlation between the deep motions of the floats and the SSH measured by altimetry is strong, at regional scale. The finer scale details of the float trajectories are more often related to the anomalous water masses that they encounter. The Persian Gulf Water (PGW) is found in the float profiles near Ras ash Sharbatat (near 57° E, 18° N), again with 36.5 in salinity and about 18–19 °C in temperature. These observations were achieved in winter when the southwestward monsoon currents can advect PGW along the South Arabian coast. Fragments of PGW are found in the Arabian Sea between 18 and 20° N and 63 and 65° E, showing that this water mass can escape the Gulf of Oman southeastward, in particular during summer.

scholarly journals Mesoscale variability of water masses in the Arabian Sea as revealed by ARGO floats

Ocean Science ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Carton ◽  
P. L'Hegaret ◽  
R. Baraille
Keyword(s):  
Arabian Sea ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Gulf Of Aden ◽  
Mesoscale Variability ◽  
Energy Distributions ◽  
Sea Level Anomaly ◽  
Persian Gulf Water ◽  
The Persian Gulf ◽  
Anomalous Water

Abstract. By analysing ARGO float data over the last four years, a few aspects of the mesoscale variability of water masses in the Arabian Sea are described. The Red Sea Outflow Water (RSOW) is concentrated in the Southwestern Gulf of Aden, in particular when a cyclonic gyre predominates in this region. Salinities of 36.5 and temperatures of 16 °C are found in this area at depths between 600 and 1000 m. RSOW is more dilute in the eastern part of the Gulf, where intense and relatively barotropic gyres mix it with Indian ocean Central Water. RSOW is also detected along the northeastern coast of Socotra, and fragments of RSOW are found between one and three degrees of latitude north of this island. In the whole Gulf of Aden, the correlation between the deep motions of the floats and the sea-level anomaly measured by altimetry is strong, at regional scale. The finer scale details of the float trajectories are not sampled by altimetry and are often related to the anomalous water masses that the floats encounter. The Persian Gulf Water (PGW) is found in the float profiles near Ras ash Sharbatat (near 57° E, 18° N), again with 36.5 in salinity and about 18–19 °C in temperature. These observations were achieved in winter when the southwestward monsoon currents can advect PGW along the South Arabian coast. Fragments of PGW were also observed in the Arabian Sea between 18 and 20° N and 63 and 65° E in summer, showing that this water mass can escape the Gulf of Oman southeastward, during that season. Kinetic energy distributions of floats with respect to distance or angle share common features between the two regions (Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea), in particular peaks at 30, 50 and 150 km scales and along the axis of monsoon currents. Hydrological measurements by floats are also influenced by the seasonal variations of PGW and RSOW in these regions.

scholarly journals WATER MASSES CHARACTERISTICS AT THE SANGHIE TALAUD ENTRY PASSAGE OF INDONESIAN THROUGHFLOW USING INDEX SATAL DATA 2010

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivonne M Radjawane ◽  
Paundra P Hadipoetranto
Keyword(s):  
North Pacific ◽  
Water Mass ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Core Layer ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Coastal Current ◽  
Indonesian Throughflow ◽  
Pacific Water

<p><strong><em>ABSTRACT</em></strong></p> <p><em>Measurement of ocean physical param</em><em>eter</em><em>s using the CTD was conducted by </em><em>deep water expedition </em><em>INDEX-SATAL 2010 (Indonesian Expedition Sangihe-Talaud) in July-August 2010. Th</em><em>e</em><em> </em><em>aim of this </em><em>study wa</em><em>s to</em><em> determine the characteristics of water masses around the Sangihe Talaud Water where the</em><em>re </em><em>wa</em><em>s an entry passage of </em><em> Indonesian throughflow (ITF) </em><em>at</em><em> </em><em>the </em><em>west </em><em>path</em><em>way that passed through the </em><em>primary</em><em> pathway i.e., </em><em>the Sulawesi</em><em> Sea and Makassar Strait and the secondary pathway (east pathway) that passed through the Halmahera Sea. The analyses were performed by the method of the core layer and was  processed with software Ocean Data View (ODV). The results showed that in the Sangihe Talaud waters there was a meeting water masses from the North Pacific and the South Pacific. The water mass characteristics in main pathway through the Sulawesi Sea was dominated by surface and intermediate North Pacific water masses and carried by the Mindanao Currents. While the Halmahera Sea water mass was dominated by surface and intermediate South Pacific water masses carried by the New Guinea Coastal Current that moved along the Papua New Guinea and Papua coast enters to the Halmahera Sea. </em></p> <p><em> </em></p> <p><strong><em>Keywords</em></strong><em>: Index-Satal 2010, Northern Pacific Water Mass</em><em>es</em><em>, Southern Pacific Water </em></p> <em> Masses, Sangihe Talaud</em>

scholarly journals Multidecadal variations in the Early Holocene outflow of Red Sea water into the Arabian Sea

2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 658-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. A. Jung ◽  
G. M. Ganssen ◽  
G. R. Davies
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Arabian Sea ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Early Holocene

Hydrology of the Indian Ocean. III. Water masses of the upper 500 metres of the South-east Indian Ocean

1964 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Rochford
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Persian Gulf ◽  
Water Mass ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Core Layer ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Intermediate Water ◽  
Surface Currents ◽  
North West ◽  
East Indian

The following seven water masses have been identified, and their distribution traced during several seasons of the year: Red Sea mass, with the same distribution and properties in 1962 as the north-west Indian Intermediate described in 1959-60; Persian Gulf mass, which is confined to the region south of Indonesia and is limited in extent of easterly flow by the opposing flow of Banda Intermediate water; upper salinity minimum mass, entering via Lombok Strait and moving zonally in the direction of the prevailing surface currents, a secondary movement of this water mass towards north-west Australia is limited by the northern boundary of a south-east Indian high salinity water mass. This latter water mass occurs as three separate core layers north of 22-23� S. The deep core layer mixes with waters of the oxygen maximum below it, the mid-depth core layer mixes with Persian Gulf and upper salinity minimum water masses, and the upper core layer mixes with the Arabian Sea water mass. The latter water mass spreads eastwards to about 120� E. and southwards to north-west Australia, in conformity with surface currents. A sixth water mass enters with the counter-current and is found as a salinity maximum within the thermocline to about 20� S. A seventh water mass characterized by a salinity maximum around temperatures of 28-29�C has a limited distribution and an unknown origin. Both of these water masses move in the direction of surface currents.

scholarly journals Water masses in the Atlantic Ocean: characteristics and distributions

Ocean Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 463-486
Author(s):  
Mian Liu ◽  
Toste Tanhua
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Water Mass ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Weddell Sea ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Intermediate Water ◽  
The North

Abstract. A large number of water masses are presented in the Atlantic Ocean, and knowledge of their distributions and properties is important for understanding and monitoring of a range of oceanographic phenomena. The characteristics and distributions of water masses in biogeochemical space are useful for, in particular, chemical and biological oceanography to understand the origin and mixing history of water samples. Here, we define the characteristics of the major water masses in the Atlantic Ocean as source water types (SWTs) from their formation areas, and map out their distributions. The SWTs are described by six properties taken from the biased-adjusted Global Ocean Data Analysis Project version 2 (GLODAPv2) data product, including both conservative (conservative temperature and absolute salinity) and non-conservative (oxygen, silicate, phosphate and nitrate) properties. The distributions of these water masses are investigated with the use of the optimum multi-parameter (OMP) method and mapped out. The Atlantic Ocean is divided into four vertical layers by distinct neutral densities and four zonal layers to guide the identification and characterization. The water masses in the upper layer originate from wintertime subduction and are defined as central waters. Below the upper layer, the intermediate layer consists of three main water masses: Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), Subarctic Intermediate Water (SAIW) and Mediterranean Water (MW). The North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW, divided into its upper and lower components) is the dominating water mass in the deep and overflow layer. The origin of both the upper and lower NADW is the Labrador Sea Water (LSW), the Iceland–Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW) and the Denmark Strait Overflow Water (DSOW). The Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is the only natural water mass in the bottom layer, and this water mass is redefined as Northeast Atlantic Bottom Water (NEABW) in the north of the Equator due to the change of key properties, especially silicate. Similar with NADW, two additional water masses, Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) and Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW), are defined in the Weddell Sea region in order to understand the origin of AABW.

scholarly journals Marine Reservoir Correction for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Indian Ocean

Radiocarbon ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 603-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quan Hua ◽  
Colin D Woodroffe ◽  
Mike Barbetti ◽  
Scott G Smithers ◽  
Ugo Zoppi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Red Sea ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Arabian Sea ◽  
Indonesian Throughflow ◽  
Gulf Of Aden ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
Reservoir Age

Known-age corals from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Indian Ocean, have been analyzed by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) for radiocarbon to determine marine reservoir age corrections. The ΔR value for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is 66 ± 12 yr based on the analyses undertaken for this study. When our AMS and previously published dates for Cocos are averaged, they yield a ΔR of 64 ± 15 yr. This is a significant revision of an earlier estimate of the ΔR value for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands of 186 ± 66 yr (Toggweiler et al. 1991). The (revised) lower ΔR for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is consistent with GEOSECS 14C data for the Indian Ocean, and previously published bomb 14C data for the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Cocos Islands. The revised ΔR is also close to values for the eastern Indian Ocean and adjacent seas. These suggest surface waters that reach the Cocos Islands might be partly derived from the far western Pacific, via the Indonesian throughflow, and might not be influenced by the southeast flow from the Arabian Sea.

scholarly journals Internal hydraulic control in the Little Belt, Denmark. Observations of flow configurations and water mass formation.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morten Holtegaard Nielsen ◽  
Lars Chresten Lund-Hansen ◽  
Torben Vang
Keyword(s):  
Flow Velocity ◽  
Water Mass ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Hydraulic Control ◽  
The North ◽  
Water Mass Formation ◽  
Flow Configurations ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Mass Formation

Abstract. Internal hydraulic control, which occurs when stratified water masses are forced through an abrupt constriction, plays an enormous role in nature on both large and regional scale with respect to dynamics, circulation and water mass formation. Despite a growing literature on this subject surprisingly few direct observations have been made that conclusively show the existence of and the circumstances related to internal hydraulic control in nature. In this study we present observations from the Little Belt, Denmark, one of three narrow straits connecting the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The observations, comprised of primarily along-strait, detailed transects of salinity and temperature, continuous observations of flow velocity, salinity and temperature on a permanent station and numerous vertical profiles of salinity, temperature, fluorescence and flow velocity in various locations, show that internal hydraulic control is a frequently occurring phenomenon in the Little Belt. The observations, which are limited to south-going flows of approximately two-layered water masses, show that internal hydraulic control may take either of two configurations, i.e. the lower or the upper layer being the active, accelerating one. This is connected to the depth of the pycnocline on the upstream side and the topography, which is both deepening and contracting toward the narrow part of the Little Belt. The existence of two possible flow configurations is known from theoretical and laboratory studies, but has never been observed in nature and reported before, we believe. The water masses formed by the intense mixing, which is tightly connected with the presence of control, may be found far downstream of the point of control. The observations show that these particular water masses are associated with chlorophyll concentrations that are considerably higher that in adjacent water masses, showing that control has a considerable influence on the primary production and hence the ecosystem in the area.

scholarly journals Equatorward Pathways of Solomon Sea Water Masses and Their Modifications

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 810-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angélique Melet ◽  
Jacques Verron ◽  
Lionel Gourdeau ◽  
Ariane Koch-Larrouy
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Water Mass ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Equatorial Pacific ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
Tidal Mixing ◽  
Western Boundary ◽  
Potential Influence

Abstract The Solomon Sea is a key region of the southwest Pacific Ocean, connecting the thermocline subtropics to the equator via western boundary currents (WBCs). Modifications to water masses are thought to occur in this region because of the significant mixing induced by internal tides, eddies, and the WBCs. Despite their potential influence on the equatorial Pacific thermocline temperature and salinity and their related impact on the low-frequency modulation of El Niño–Southern Oscillation, modifications to water masses in the Solomon Sea have never been analyzed to our knowledge. A high-resolution model incorporating a tidal mixing parameterization was implemented to depict and analyze water mass modifications and the Solomon Sea pathways to the equator in a Lagrangian quantitative framework. The main routes from the Solomon Sea to the equatorial Pacific occur through the Vitiaz and Solomon straits, in the thermocline and intermediate layers, and mainly originate from the Solomon Sea south inflow and from the Solomon Strait itself. Water mass modifications in the model are characterized by a reduction of the vertical temperature and salinity gradients over the water column: the high salinity of upper thermocline water [Subtropical Mode Water (STMW)] is eroded and exported toward surface and deeper layers, whereas a downward heat transfer occurs over the water column. Consequently, the thermocline water temperature is cooled by 0.15°–0.3°C from the Solomon Sea inflows to the equatorward outflows. This temperature modification could weaken the STMW anomalies advected by the subtropical cell and thereby diminish the potential influence of these anomalies on the tropical climate. The Solomon Sea water mass modifications can be partially explained (≈60%) by strong diapycnal mixing in the Solomon Sea. As for STMW, about a third of this mixing is due to tidal mixing.

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