Keywords:
Hochschulschrift
Description / Table of Contents:
Circulation, variability, water mass formation, Labrador Sea Water, spreading, CFC, tracer, inventory, time series, Labrador Sea, LSW, ULSW, NADW. - This study focuses on estimating the variability in the formation of Upper and classical Labrador Sea Water (ULSW and LSW). Both are formed by winterly convection and spread into the world ocean as part of the cold limb of the thermohaline circulation. Analyses are based on a large-scale hydrography/tracer data set from the years 1997, 1999, and 2001. Horizontal fields of water mass layer thickness and mean concentrations of chlorofluorcarbon (CFC) have been constructed to determine the CFC inventory of each water mass and to infer water mass formation rates. The years 1997-2001 showed a significant increase in the CFC inventory of ULSW, while the inventory of classical LSW reduced. During 1997-1999 formation of ULSW was strong (6.9-9.2 Sv). From 1999 to 2001 the ULSW formation rate reduced to 3.7-4.0 Sv. LSW formation was absent during these four years. Historical hydrographic data from the Labrador Sea have been used to compare water mass properties of ULSW and LSW on longer time scales. Time series indicate strong variability and a significant anti-correlation of ULSW and LSW formation. Coinciding with weakening convection the density surface that separates ULSW from classical LSW shifted to greater depths. Water layer ...
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
Pages:
147 p. = 16299 KB, text and images
URL:
http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:gbv:46-diss000012084
Language:
English
Note:
Bremen, Univ., Diss., 2005
