Water properties and bottom water patterns in hadal trench environments

• Published in: Ocean Science
• Main Authors: Kolbusz, Jessica, Zika, Jan, Pattiaratchi, Charitha, Jamieson, Alan
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Antarctic; Indian; Pacific; Southern Ocean; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-123-2024; https://os.copernicus.org/articles/20/123/2024/

We examine baseline water properties and bottom water patterns in hadal trench environments across the Southern Ocean, Indian Ocean, and western Pacific. Significant differences are identified in the South Fiji Basin and surrounding the Philippine Sea, primarily due to the movement of cold Lower Circumpolar Deep Water along topographic features, highlighting the importance of a trench's geospatial position. We present the first hydrographic profiles in the Java Trench, warranting further research. Salinity increases with increasing depth for profiles over 10 000 dbar, with potential causes including instrumentation error, internal mixing, and saline pore water expulsion. These hadopelagic variations are crucial for assessing climate change impacts, especially regarding Antarctic Bottom Water. The study underscores the importance of incorporating these adiabatic conditions to gain insights into ecological biodiversity, alongside the indispensable baseline conditions presented, which are crucial for future oceanographic research across multiple disciplines.