Oxygen isotopic composition of bottom seawater and tunicate cellulose used as indicators of water masses in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Limnology and Oceanography; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1990.35.5.1182· OSTI ID:5967710

Grebmeier, J M ^[1]; Cooper, L W; DeNiro, M J ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles (United States)
2. Univ. of California, Santa Barbara (United States)

Oxygen isotopic composition of bottom seawater and tunicate cellulose were used as short-term and long-term indicators, respectively, of water-mass characteristics in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. Oxygen isotopic composition of northeastern Bering Sea waters is influenced by Yukon River inflows of {sup 18}O-depleted continental water mixing with relatively {sup 18}O-enriched waters contributed by the Anadyr Current. Tunicate cellulose sampled under Alaska coastal water is more depleted in {sup 18}O than that collected under Bering shelf and Anadyr waters, which reflects the oxygen isotopic composition of these waters. Tunicate cellulose collected under the mixed Bering shelf water displays intermediate {delta} {sup 18}O values. Oxygen isotopic analyses of bottom seawater were used to determine the spatial location and influence of continental and coastal-derived precipitation and of sea-ice formation on water-mass structure on the continental shelf of the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. Results indicate that the oxygen isotopic composition of tunicate cellulose, averaged over multiple seasons, may serve as a long-term biochemical indicator of water-mass patterns in ice-covered polar regions where continuous sampling is impractical.

• OSTI ID: 5967710
• Journal Information: Limnology and Oceanography; (United States), Journal Name: Limnology and Oceanography; (United States) Vol. 35:5; ISSN LIOCA; ISSN 0024-3590
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540310* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
ARCTIC OCEAN
BERING SEA
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
BIOLOGICAL MARKERS
CARBOHYDRATES
CELLULOSE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
CHUKCHI SEA
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
GEOCHEMISTRY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INTERFACES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
OCEANIC CIRCULATION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN 18
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
PACIFIC OCEAN
POLYSACCHARIDES
SACCHARIDES
SEAS
SEAWATER
SEDIMENT-WATER INTERFACES
SEDIMENTS
STABLE ISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
WATER
WATER CHEMISTRY