Modification of NO, PO, and NO/PO During Flow Across the Bering and Chukchi Shelves: Implications for Use as Arctic Water Mass Tracers
The NO and PO tracers (9[NO3-] + 02 and 135[PO4-] + 02, respectively,) and their derivative NO/PO have found increasing use in Arctic water mass analyses for identifying the specific basin or shelf areas from which surface waters originate, based upon assumed differences in Pacific- and Atlantic-der...
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ftolddominionuni:oai:digitalcommons.odu.edu:ccpo_pubs-1283 2023-05-15T14:44:27+02:00 Modification of NO, PO, and NO/PO During Flow Across the Bering and Chukchi Shelves: Implications for Use as Arctic Water Mass Tracers Cooper, Lee W. Cota, Glenn F. Pomeroy, Lawrence R. Grebmeier, Jacqueline M. Whitledge, Terry E. 1999-01-01T08:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/ccpo_pubs/279 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1283&context=ccpo_pubs unknown ODU Digital Commons https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/ccpo_pubs/279 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1283&context=ccpo_pubs CCPO Publications Bering shelf Chukchi shelf Mass tracers Circulation Sediments Oceanography article 1999 ftolddominionuni 2021-03-02T18:17:40Z The NO and PO tracers (9[NO3-] + 02 and 135[PO4-] + 02, respectively,) and their derivative NO/PO have found increasing use in Arctic water mass analyses for identifying the specific basin or shelf areas from which surface waters originate, based upon assumed differences in Pacific- and Atlantic-derived content and basin-to-basin differences within the Arctic. Following shipboard sampling in June-September 1993 and May-June 1994, both north and south of Bering Strait, we have found evidence that Pacific-derived waters flowing north to Bering Strait do not necessarily have any unique NO, PO, or NO/PO identity that would permit unequivocal use as a water mass tracer. In particular, NO/PO ratios in the Bering Sea continental shelf (<150 m) waters varied from 0.7 to 1.1, which encompasses ratios previously reported for Arctic continental shelf and Atlantic origin waters in the Arctic Ocean. The highest NO/PO ratios (~ 1) in the Bering Sea were observed to the southwest of St. Lawrence Island, close to where high nutrient waters are first upwelled onto the shelf, and seasonally early in the biological production cycle. By contrast, later in the summer, north of Bering Strait, at the depth of the Arctic Ocean nutrient maximum, the highest concentrations of silica (~60 μM) were associated with low NO/PO ratios (-0.7). Apparent increases in the proportions of sea ice melt in these waters, inferred from 180 and salinity regressions, were associated with lower NO/PO ratios. This pattern, the potential for sea-air exchange, and a significant relationship between decreases in nitrate/phosphate ratios and both NO/PO ratios and silica concentrations indicate that biological and physical processes north and south of Bering Strait affect the fidelity of these nutrient-based tracers. These results indicate the need for consideration of shelf-based processes before NO/PO ratios and other nutrient-based tracers can be successfully applied as Arctic circulation tracers. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Ocean Bering Sea Bering Strait Chukchi Sea ice St Lawrence Island Old Dominion University: ODU Digital Commons Arctic Arctic Ocean Bering Sea Bering Shelf ENVELOPE(-170.783,-170.783,60.128,60.128) Bering Strait Chukchi Shelf ENVELOPE(-169.167,-169.167,70.550,70.550) Lawrence Island ENVELOPE(-103.718,-103.718,56.967,56.967) Pacific |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Old Dominion University: ODU Digital Commons |
op_collection_id |
ftolddominionuni |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Bering shelf Chukchi shelf Mass tracers Circulation Sediments Oceanography |
spellingShingle |
Bering shelf Chukchi shelf Mass tracers Circulation Sediments Oceanography Cooper, Lee W. Cota, Glenn F. Pomeroy, Lawrence R. Grebmeier, Jacqueline M. Whitledge, Terry E. Modification of NO, PO, and NO/PO During Flow Across the Bering and Chukchi Shelves: Implications for Use as Arctic Water Mass Tracers |
topic_facet |
Bering shelf Chukchi shelf Mass tracers Circulation Sediments Oceanography |
description |
The NO and PO tracers (9[NO3-] + 02 and 135[PO4-] + 02, respectively,) and their derivative NO/PO have found increasing use in Arctic water mass analyses for identifying the specific basin or shelf areas from which surface waters originate, based upon assumed differences in Pacific- and Atlantic-derived content and basin-to-basin differences within the Arctic. Following shipboard sampling in June-September 1993 and May-June 1994, both north and south of Bering Strait, we have found evidence that Pacific-derived waters flowing north to Bering Strait do not necessarily have any unique NO, PO, or NO/PO identity that would permit unequivocal use as a water mass tracer. In particular, NO/PO ratios in the Bering Sea continental shelf (<150 m) waters varied from 0.7 to 1.1, which encompasses ratios previously reported for Arctic continental shelf and Atlantic origin waters in the Arctic Ocean. The highest NO/PO ratios (~ 1) in the Bering Sea were observed to the southwest of St. Lawrence Island, close to where high nutrient waters are first upwelled onto the shelf, and seasonally early in the biological production cycle. By contrast, later in the summer, north of Bering Strait, at the depth of the Arctic Ocean nutrient maximum, the highest concentrations of silica (~60 μM) were associated with low NO/PO ratios (-0.7). Apparent increases in the proportions of sea ice melt in these waters, inferred from 180 and salinity regressions, were associated with lower NO/PO ratios. This pattern, the potential for sea-air exchange, and a significant relationship between decreases in nitrate/phosphate ratios and both NO/PO ratios and silica concentrations indicate that biological and physical processes north and south of Bering Strait affect the fidelity of these nutrient-based tracers. These results indicate the need for consideration of shelf-based processes before NO/PO ratios and other nutrient-based tracers can be successfully applied as Arctic circulation tracers. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Cooper, Lee W. Cota, Glenn F. Pomeroy, Lawrence R. Grebmeier, Jacqueline M. Whitledge, Terry E. |
author_facet |
Cooper, Lee W. Cota, Glenn F. Pomeroy, Lawrence R. Grebmeier, Jacqueline M. Whitledge, Terry E. |
author_sort |
Cooper, Lee W. |
title |
Modification of NO, PO, and NO/PO During Flow Across the Bering and Chukchi Shelves: Implications for Use as Arctic Water Mass Tracers |
title_short |
Modification of NO, PO, and NO/PO During Flow Across the Bering and Chukchi Shelves: Implications for Use as Arctic Water Mass Tracers |
title_full |
Modification of NO, PO, and NO/PO During Flow Across the Bering and Chukchi Shelves: Implications for Use as Arctic Water Mass Tracers |
title_fullStr |
Modification of NO, PO, and NO/PO During Flow Across the Bering and Chukchi Shelves: Implications for Use as Arctic Water Mass Tracers |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modification of NO, PO, and NO/PO During Flow Across the Bering and Chukchi Shelves: Implications for Use as Arctic Water Mass Tracers |
title_sort |
modification of no, po, and no/po during flow across the bering and chukchi shelves: implications for use as arctic water mass tracers |
publisher |
ODU Digital Commons |
publishDate |
1999 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/ccpo_pubs/279 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1283&context=ccpo_pubs |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-170.783,-170.783,60.128,60.128) ENVELOPE(-169.167,-169.167,70.550,70.550) ENVELOPE(-103.718,-103.718,56.967,56.967) |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Bering Sea Bering Shelf Bering Strait Chukchi Shelf Lawrence Island Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Bering Sea Bering Shelf Bering Strait Chukchi Shelf Lawrence Island Pacific |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Bering Sea Bering Strait Chukchi Sea ice St Lawrence Island |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Bering Sea Bering Strait Chukchi Sea ice St Lawrence Island |
op_source |
CCPO Publications |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/ccpo_pubs/279 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1283&context=ccpo_pubs |
_version_ |
1766315944565538816 |