Outflow of the Antarctic Bottom Water from the Deep of the Vema Channel
Abstract
The northward flow of the Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) in the Atlantic is the lower limb of the Antarctic cell of the Global Thermohaline Overturning in the Atlantic Ocean. One of the regions of expeditionary investigations of this flow held by P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology in 2003, 2009-2012 is the region 24 deg 30' S, 34 W (see Figure 1) where in according to the modern view the coldest type of AABW (colder than 0.0 deg C) outflows from the deep of the Vema Cannel into the southern Brazil Basin and where the deep is completed. Sixteen stations with CTD-sounding in the entire water column were executed during these expeditions. Velocity measurements by LADCP were also carried out at ten stations (Figure 1b). A lot of measurements of bottom topography were performed in 2012 by echosunding (Figure 1b). The main result of these studies is the existence of the eastward continuation of the deep of the Vema Channel conducting the intense flow of the coldest type of AABW far to the east (probably 200-300 km) in the southern part of the Brazil Basin. Eastward velocities more than 20 cm/s were measured (Figure 1b). Besides, minor northward branch of slightly warmer (but still colder 0.0 deg C) AABW was founded in the region of the investigation (Figure 1b).
- Publication:
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AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUSMOS33A..02T
- Keywords:
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- 4283 OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL / Water masses;
- 4211 OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL / Benthic boundary layers;
- 4562 OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICAL / Topographic/bathymetric interactions;
- 4576 OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICAL / Western boundary currents