Satellite ocean color studies of Antarctic ice edges in summer and autumn
Large areas of elevated phytoplanton pigment concentration were observed using CZCS satellite data in the Weddell Sea marginal ice zone and adjacent regions during the austral summer-autumn transition. Pigment values higher in the south than in the north indicate that, besides the irradiance, there...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Other/Unknown Material |
| Language: | unknown |
| Published: |
1990
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19900053173 |
| Summary: | Large areas of elevated phytoplanton pigment concentration were observed using CZCS satellite data in the Weddell Sea marginal ice zone and adjacent regions during the austral summer-autumn transition. Pigment values higher in the south than in the north indicate that, besides the irradiance, there are other factors controlling spatial distributions of the phytoplankton pigment concentrations at this time. Low pigment concentrations (as in observations near the Greenwich meridian) may result from turbulent oceanic and atmospheric forcings during the early stage of sea ice development. The data indicate that the phytoplankton blooms are not only characteristic of the spring/summer period, but also extend into the austral autumn and may contribute significantly to regional productivity. |
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