Antarctic Bottom Water

Antarctic Bottom Water

The Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is a type of water mass in the seas surrounding Antarctica with temperatures ranging from 0 to -0.8◦ C, salinities from 34.6 to 34.7 psu, and a density near 27.88Specify|date=August 2007.

AABW is formed in the Weddell and Ross Seas from surface water cooling in polynyas and below the ice shelf. Surface water is enriched in salt from sea ice formation. Due to its increased density, the water is flowing down the Antarctic continental margin and on the bottom further north. It is the densest water in the free ocean and is overlain by the waters of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (AACW) at a depth of 1000 to 2000 m and overlies Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) in some locations.

About one-third of the northward flowing AABW enters the Guiana Basin, mainly through the southern half of the Equatorial Channel at 35°W. The other part recirculates and some of it flows through the Romanche Fracture Zone into the eastern Atlantic. In the Guiana Basin, west of 40°W, the sloping topography and the strong, eastward flowing deep western boundary current might prevent the AABW from flowing west: thus it has to turn north at the eastern slope of the Ceara Rise. At 44°W, north of the Ceara Rise, AABW flows west in the interior of the basin. A large fraction of the AABW enters the eastern Atlantic through the Vema Fracture Zone.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Antarctic bottom water — noun a dense mass of water in the deep seas around Antarctica, formed mainly in the Weddell and Ross seas, which flows around Antarctica and then northerly to enter the oceans, passing through and mixing with the water of the Antarctic… …  

  • Bottom water — is the lowermost water mass in a water body, by its bottom, with distinct characteristics, in terms of physics, chemistry, and ecology.OceanologyIn oceanology, bottom water is by the ocean floor. It has characteristics are markedly distinct from… …   Wikipedia

  • bottom water — Lowermost layer of ocean water that can be distinguished by its characteristic low temperature, high density, and low oxygen content compared with surface waters. Most bottom waters are formed near Antarctica during the southern winter. The… …   Universalium

  • water mass — n. a large body of oceanic water usually identified by a well defined relationship between temperature and salinity or chemical content: usually a mixture of two or more such bodies, each having a specified temperature and salinity * * * ▪… …   Universalium

  • Water mass — An oceanographic water mass is an identifiable body of water which has physical properties distinct from surrounding water. Properties include temperature, salinity, chemical isotopic ratios, and other physical quantities. Common water masses in… …   Wikipedia

  • Antarctic krill — Taxobox name = Antarctic krill image width = 200px regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda subphylum = Crustacea classis = Malacostraca ordo = Euphausiacea familia = Euphausiidae genus = Euphausia species = E. superba binomial = Euphausia superba… …   Wikipedia

  • Color of water — For the book by James McBride, see The Color of Water. Water portal …   Wikipedia

  • Dispersion (water waves) — This article is about dispersion of waves on a water surface. For other forms of dispersion, see Dispersion (disambiguation). In fluid dynamics, dispersion of water waves generally refers to frequency dispersion, which means that waves of… …   Wikipedia

  • Deep ocean water — (DOW) is the name for cold, salty water found deep below the surface of Earth s oceans. Ocean water differs in temperature and salinity, with warm, relatively non salty water found at the surface, and very cold salty water found deeper below the… …   Wikipedia

  • Bottom trawling — The Celtic Explorer, a research vessel engaged in bottom trawling …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”