Double-diffusive interleaving of Lower Circumpolar Deep Water in the subpolar region off East Antarctica ...

• Main Author: Ijichi, Takashi
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences 2023
• Subjects: Antarctic; Southern Ocean; The Antarctic; East Antarctica; Vincennes Bay; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.57757/iugg23-2152; https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5018683

<!--!introduction!--> The subpolar Southern Ocean is characterized by the strong thermohaline gradient separating the onshore-upwelling warm/salty Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW) and the offshore-descending cold/fresh Dense Shelf Water (DSW). Although mixing of these distinct water masses is thought to play a significant role in transforming water masses ultimately into the Antarctic Bottom Water, it remains unclear what mixing processes are actually involved in this region. As one potential process of lateral mixing, here I will present anomalous double-diffusive interleaving observed off Vincennes Bay, the moderate DSW formation site in East Antarctica. Vertical CTD profiles obtained in the subpolar region exhibit O (100)-m thick density-compensated inversions below 2000-m depth such that warm/salty LCDW-like water intrudes into ambient cold/fresh DSW-like water. Behavior of the density stability ratio as well as microstructure data suggests that diffusive and salt-finger instabilities are quite ... : The 28th IUGG General Assembly (IUGG2023) (Berlin 2023) ...