Physical anatomy of fronts and surface waters in the ACC near the 6°W meridian during austral spring 1992
| Autor: | C. Veth, Renate Scharek, Ilka Peeken |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 1997 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Polar front geography geography.geographical_feature_category 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology Front (oceanography) Arctic front Oceanography 01 natural sciences 13. Climate action Ocean gyre Phytoplankton Meander Polar Photic zone 14. Life underwater Geology 0105 earth and related environmental sciences |
| Zdroj: | Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography. 44:23-49 |
| ISSN: | 0967-0645 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/s0967-0645(96)00062-8 |
| Popis: | Small-scale features of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) along a meridional section at 6°W between the Polar Front and the ACC-Weddell Gyre Boundary Front are discussed using data collected during the austral spring cruise ANT X/6 of R. V. Polarstern organized within the framework of the European IGBP-JGOFS (Southern Ocean). The section covered three distinct fronts, namely the Polar Front, the Southern Polar Front (also Southern ACC Front), and the ACC-Weddell Gyre Boundary Front. Physical measurements during repeated transects over a period of 6 weeks in October/November revealed a large variability in the Polar Frontal region, indicating meandering and eddy shedding. The positions of the Southern Polar Front and the ACC-Weddell Gyre Boundary Front were observed to be far more stable than that of the Polar Front. A possible reconstruction of the meandering flow field near the Polar Front, based upon the physical observations, is presented. Details in the flow field coincide with the spatial distribution of a number of biological parameters such as phytoplankton biomass and species, and photosynthetic pigments. Although a causal relationship between them is likely, biomass enhancement cannot be understood simply in terms of macronutrients from deeper layers entering the euphotic zone, as substantiated for other oceanic frontal regions, because macronutrients do not limit phytoplankton blooms. This process, however, can be important for the micronutrient iron. Evidence is presented that the Antarctic Zone of the ACC can be subdivided into a number of spheres of influence related to the fronts. Interleaving of water is apparent between positions within such a region, but not between the regions. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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