Renewal rates of east Atlantic deep water estimated by inversion of /sup 14/C data

Journal Article · Sun Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 1987 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JC092iC03p02953· OSTI ID:6376406

Schlitzer, R

The renewal of the deep water of the East Atlantic and its large-scale internal circulation are studied on the basis of the distributions of potential temperature, silicate, ..sigma..CO/sub 2/, and /sup 14/C. An isopycnal multibox model including advection, mixing, and sources and sinks is set up and described. Tracer data are input for the model, and balance equations for the various properties for the boxes of the model serve as constraints for the determination of water fluxes, mixing coefficients, and source parameters. Extremal values for various model parameters that are consistent with the tracer data (satisfy the balance equations within the estimated tolerances) are calculated by linear programming techniques. /sup 14/C data are seen to be valuable in determining absolute flow rates. Model results confirm the importance of the Romanche Fracture Zone for the renewal of east Atlantic deep water. Eastward flows through the Romanche Fracture Zone were found to be between 2.6 and 5.1 Sv. Flows through the Vema Fracture Zone amount to at most 20% of the Romanche Fracture Zone inflow. Contributions of Antarctic Bottom Water at the southern end of the East Atlantic and of Iceland Scotland Overflow Water at the northern end are very small (<5% of equatorial inflow). Diapycnal mixing coefficients are between 1 and 10 cm/sup 2//s, and values for the dissolution rates of silicate and carbon are in the expected range.

• Research Organization: Universitaet Heidelberg, West Germany
• OSTI ID: 6376406
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 92:C3; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
DATA
DISSOLUTION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EQUATIONS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GENERAL CIRCULATION MODELS
INFORMATION
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
OCEANIC CIRCULATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
SEAS
SILICATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
TRACER TECHNIQUES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES