Exercise 4: Geostrophic currents and volume transports.

Page 2

The salinity distribution shows the familiar salinity minimum in the vicinity of 1000 m produced by the Antarctic Intermediate Water. (See Exercise 4 if you are not familiar with this water mass.) Below 1000 m salinity increases again, indicating the presence of Circumpolar Water.

	depth (m)	S at A	S at B
	0 20 50 75 100 150 200 300 500 700 900 1100 1300 1500 2000 2500	35.590 35.590 35.590 35.598 35.574 35.562 35.551 35.249 34.932 34.592 34.492 34.470 34.509 34.562 34.667 34.725	35.612 35.614 35.615 35.617 35.613 35.614 35.607 35.403 35.106 34.588 34.488 34.466 34.506 34.560 34.665 34.725

Note that the salinity at station A is lower than the salinity at station B at depths less than about 500 m but higher in the depth range 500 - 1000 m. How does this affect the density difference between both stations?

activate display window for
temperature

© 2000 M. Tomczak
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This page last updated 14 June 2000

	At any given depth, the lower temperature at station A produces a higher density for station A relative to station B; the salinity enhances this effect in the depth range 500 - 1000 m.
	At any given depth, the lower temperature at station A produces a higher density for station A relative to station B; the salinity enhances this effect between the surface and 500 m depth.
	At any given depth, the lower temperature at station A produces a higher density for station A relative to station B; the salinity effect can be ignored.