Residence time of the freshwater component in the Arctic Ocean
The time function of bomb tritium concentrations in river runoff to the Arctic Ocean has been reconstructed from published data on tritium in precipatatio 1959--1975. Tritium measurements on oceanic samples through the haloclinie exhibit strong linear relatioships between tritium concetrations (TU values) and salinity. These wates thus look like binary mixtures of Atlantic source water and freshwater runoff. Combining these data, the vintage of the freshwater component in the Arctic Basin has been determined assuming no other major tritium source. The relation indicates the average age of the freshwater component to be 11 +- 1 years in the Namsen Basin and the outflow and somewhat higher in the Canada Basin. According to ttitium/salinity data, a surface layer of 10--60 m is affected by sea ice melting and freezing in the Nansen Basin, and the thickness of this layer increases to 150--170 m toward the Canada Basin. There is tritium also in the deep waters, the unumixed Atlantic water, which points at residence times for that water not to exceed 17 years.
- Research Organization:
- Rosensteil School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miamai, Florida 33149
- OSTI ID:
- 5453982
- Journal Information:
- J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 87:C3; ISSN JGREA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
580500* -- Oceanography-- (1980-1989)
ARCTIC OCEAN
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CURRENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FLOW RATE
HEAVY WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ICE
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS TRANSFER
MELTING
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RUNOFF
SALINITY
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
TRITIUM
WATER
WATER CURRENTS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES