Abstract
It has been inferred that the Prydz Bay region is one of the source regions of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) based on rather indirect evidence. In order to examine this inference, we investigate the hydrographic condition of the bay based mainly on XCTD data obtained during the Japanese Whale Research Program in the Antarctic (JARPA). The JARPA hydrographic data reveal Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW), which is a salty, warm water mass approaching the shelf break, and capture Modified CDW (MCDW) intruding into the shelf water. AABW production requires mixing of CDW and cold shelf water saltier than 34.6 psu, which is a saltier type of Low Salinity Shelf Water (LSSW). Saltier LSSW is observed near the bottom over the shelf, being mixed with MCDW. We further identify saltier LSSW near the shelf break. This saltier LSSW appears close enough to unmodified CDW to be mixed with it over the continental slope, indicating a possible source of AABW in Prydz Bay.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Callahan, J. E. (1972): The structure and circulation of deep water in the Antarctic. Deep-Sea Res., 19, 563–575.
Conkright, M. E., R. A. Locarnini, H. E. Garcia, T. D. O’Brien, T. P. Boyer, C. Stephens and J. I. Antonov (2002a): World Ocean Atlas 2001: Objective Analysis, Data Statistics, and Figures, CD-ROM, Documentation. National Oceanographic Data Center, Silver Spring, MD, 17 pp.
Conkright, M. E., J. I. Antonov, O. Baranova, T. P. Boyer, H. E. Garcia, R. Gelfeld, D. Johnson, R. A. Locarnini, P. P. Murphy, T. D. O’Brien, I. Smolyar and C. Stephens (2002b): World Ocean Database 2001, Volume 1: Introduction, ed. by S. Levitus, NOAA Atlas NESDIS 42, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 167 pp.
Fahrbach, E., R. G. Peterson, G. Rohardt, P. Schlosser and R. Bayer (1994): Suppression of bottom water formation in the southeastern Weddell Sea. Deep-Sea Res. I, 41, 389–411.
Foldvik, A., T. Gammelsrød and T. Tørresen (1985): Circulation and water masses on the Southern Weddell Sea Shelf. p. 5–20. In Oceanology of the Antarctic Continental Shelf, Antarctic Research Series, 43, ed. by S. S. Jacobs, AGU, Washington, D.C.
Foster, T. D. and E. C. Carmack (1976): Frontal zone mixing and Antarctic Bottom Water formation in the southern Weddell Sea. Deep-Sea Res., 23, 301–317.
Fricker H. A., S. Popov, I. Allison and N. Young (2001): Distribution of marine ice beneath the Amery Ice Shelf. Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 2241–2244.
Gordon, A. L. (1998): Western Weddell Sea thermohaline stratification. p. 215–240. In Ocean, Ice and Atmosphere: Interactions at the Antarctic Continental Margin, 75, ed. by S. S. Jacobs and R. Weiss, Antarctic Research Series, AGU, Washington, D.C.
Jacobs, S. S. (1991): On the nature and significance of the Antarctic Slope Front. Mar. Chem., 35, 9–24.
Jacobs, S. S. and D. T. Georgi (1977): Observations on the southwest Indian/Antarctic Ocean. In A Voyage of Discovery, ed. by M. Angel, Deep-Sea Res., 24(suppl.), 43–84.
Jacobs, S. S., A. F. Amos and P. M. Bruchhausen (1970): Ross Sea oceanography and Antarctic Bottom Water formation. Deep-Sea Res., 17, 935–962.
Matsuoka, K., T. Watanabe, T. Ichi, H. Shimada and S. Nishiwaki (2003): Large whale distributions (south of 60S, 35E–130E) in relation to the southern boundary of the ACC. p. 26–30. In Antarctic Biology in a Global Context, ed. by A. H. L. Huiske, W. W. C. Gieskes, J. Rozema, R. M. L. Schrno, S. M. van der Vies and W. J. Wolff, Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Meredith, M. P., R. A. Locarnini, K. A. Van Scoy, A. J. Watson, K. J. Heywood and B. A. King (2000): On the sources of Weddell Gyre Antarctic Bottom Water. J. Geophys. Res., 105, 1093–1104.
Middleton, J. H. and S. E. Humphries (1989): Thermohaline structure and mixing in the region of Prydz Bay, Antarctica. Deep-Sea Res., 36, 1255–1266.
Mizuno, K. and T. Watanabe (1998): Preliminary results of insitu XCTD/CTD comparison test. J. Oceanogr., 54, 373–380.
Nunes Vaz, R. A. and G. W. Lennon (1996): Physical oceanography of the Prydz Bay region of Antarctic waters. Deep-Sea Res. I, 43, 603–641.
Orsi, A. H., G. C. Johnson and J. L. Bullister (1999): Circulation, mixing, and production of Antarctic Bottom Water. Prog. Oceanogr., 43, 55–109.
Tanaka, K. and K. Akitomo (2000): Density current descending along continental slope and the associated deep water formation: two dimensional numerical experiments with a nonhydrostatic model. J. Oceanogr., 56, 114–130.
Whitworth, T., III, A. H. Orsi, S.-J. Kim, W. D. Nowlin, Jr. and R. A. Locarnini (1998): Water masses and mixing near the Antarctic Slope Front. p. 1–27. In Ocean, Ice, and Atmosphere: Interactions at the Antarctic Continental Margin, Antarctic Research Series, 75, ed. by S. S. Jacobs and R. F. Weiss, AGU, Washington, D.C.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yabuki, T., Suga, T., Hanawa, K. et al. Possible source of the antarctic bottom water in the Prydz Bay Region. J Oceanogr 62, 649–655 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-006-0083-1
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-006-0083-1