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Water masses and circulation in the Ross Gyre and environs /

A new study of the water masses and their circulation in the

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Locarnini, Ricardo A.
Format: Thesis Book
Language:English
Published: [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified] ; 1994.
Subjects:
Major oceanography.
Online Access:http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=741965541&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD
Description
Summary:A new study of the water masses and their circulation in the
western Southeast Pacific Basin and environs is presented.
The analysis of the historical hydrographic data set reveals
the existence of a cyclonic gyre located north of the Ross
Sea and south of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. I refer
to it as the Ross Gyre. Its baroclinic transport relative to
the bottom is between 5 and 9 x 10' in' s-'. The western end
of the gyre is located near 160'E, along the eastern flank of
a ridge that separates the Southeast Pacific Basin from the
Australian-Antarctic Basin. In the upper and mid-depth
levels the eastern end of the Ross Gyre is near 140'W. The
abyssal circulation, waters colder than 0.2'C. extends to the
southeastern corner of the Southeast Pacific Basin. Lower
Circumpolar Deep Water enters the Ross Gyre at its eastern
end and provides the main source of heat and salt for the
subpolar regime. On the continental shelf and below the
surface westward drift, the circulation in the Ross Sea shows
two anticyclonic gyres connected by a cyclonic flow.
Different regions of the continental shelf have quite
different vertical salinity profiles. The influence of the
Lower Circumpolar Deep Water reaches the surface layer in the
western Ross Sea and its high salt content is instrumental in
the production of the salty shelf waters found in the region.
Shelf waters ventilate the Southern Ocean in two ways: by
mixing isopycnally with Lower Circumpolar Deep Water and by
forming new antarctic bottom waters. Although long
considered the source of the saltiest bottom water formed in
the Southern Ocean, the Ross Sea is also the source of
antarctic bottom waters fresher than 34.70. It is estimated
that in the present climate a third of the antarctic bottom
water volume can derive from the Ross Sea.
Item Description:Vita.
"Major Subject: Oceanography".
Physical Description:x, 87 leaves : illustrations, maps ; 28 cm.
Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilms Inc.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references.