Description: Seismic oceanography comprises a new field within Geophysics where reflections within the water column are investigated. It was shown that those reflections correspond to thin layers with strong vertical temperature gradients. Those reflections hence represent a chance to trace those temperature gradients over large distances.Weak seismic reflections within the water column south of South Africa gave rise to the question whether here traces of the Agulhas Current or Agulhas Retroflection can be observed. A careful reprocessing of the data led to the imaging of fields of reflections pointing towards a 135 km broad and about 1000 m deep reaching well stratified area with strong reflection amplitudes and several weaker reflections extending down to at least 1500 m water depth over the whole area of investigation.To image both the boundaries between the water masses as reflections and the different properties of the long wavelength velocity variations in depth special imaging technigues like prestack depth migration analysis were performed. Further, the temperature gradients from the short wavelength properties as velocity and density contrasts were determind by a two step inversion of acoustic amplitude versus angle analysis to better quantify the variations of the water masses of the Agulhas Current.

Description: The gateway south of South Africa allows the exchange of water masses between the Indian/Pacific Oceans (warm surface water masses) and the Atlantic (cold deep and bottom water masses). This heat transfers maintains the global conveyor belt. Hence the South African continental margin represents an important gateway, whose detailed evolution is not yet fully understood. A compilation of the evolution of the oceanic circulation within the South African gateway since the Early Eocene on the basis of seismic reflection data is put forward and discussed. The effect of a proto-AABW can be found in the southern Cape Basin and south of South Africa as early as Early Eocene-Early Oligocene. In the period Early Oligocene-Middle Miocene a current equivalent to AAIW/Agulhas Retroflection leaves its oldest traces identifiable on the eastern Agulhas Plateau. Indications for the Benguela Current can be found in the Cape Basin in Middle Miocene times. With the onset of NADW in the period Middle Miocene-Early Pliocene the branch of AABW flowing through the Agulhas Passage is weakened and finally deflected to the south in Early Pliocene-Holocene times.

Description: With the publication of Holbrook et al. (2003) the field of seismic oceanography experienced a major momentum. Several authors since then (Nandi et al., 2004; Holbrook and Fer, 2005; Paramo and Holbrook, 2005) could show that those reflections within the water column correspond to thin layers with strong vertical temperature gradients. Those reflections hence represent a chance to trace those temperature gradients over large distances.Weak seismic reflections within the water column south of South Africa gave rise to the question whether here traces of the Agulhas Current or Agulhas Retroflection can be observed. A careful reprocessing of the data led to the imaging of fields of reflections pointing towards a 135 km broad and about 1000 m deep reaching well stratified area with strong reflection amplitudes and several weaker reflections extending down to at least 1500 m water depth over the whole area of investigation.To image both the boundaries between the water masses as reflections and the different properties of the long wavelength velocity variations in depth special imaging technigues like prestack depth migration analysis were performed. Further, the temperature gradients from the short wavelength properties as velocity and density contrasts were determind by a two step inversion of acoustic amplitude versus angle analysis to better quantify the variations of the water masses of the Agulhas Current. References:Holbrook, W.S., and I. Fer, Ocean internal wave spectra inferred from seismic reflection transects, 2005, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L15604, doi:10.1029/2005GL023733.Nandi, P., W.S. Holbrook, S. Pearse, P. Paramo, and R.W. Schmitt, 2004, Seismic reflection imaging of Norwegian Sea water mass boundaries, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L23311, doi:10.1029/2004GL021325.Páramo, P., and W. S. Holbrook, 2005, Temperature contrasts in the water column inferred from amplitude-versus-offset analysis of acoustic reflections, Geophys. Res. Lett., v. 32, L24611, doi:10.1029/2005GL024533.

Description: With the publication of Holbrook et al. (2003) the field of seismic oceanography experienced a major momentum. Several authors since then (Nandi et al., 2004; Holbrook and Fer, 2005; Paramo and Holbrook, 2005) could show that those reflections within the water column correspond to thin layers with strong vertical temperature gradients. Those reflections hence represent a chance to trace those temperature gradients over large distances.Weak seismic reflections within the water column south of South Africa gave rise to the question whether here traces of the Agulhas Current or Agulhas Retroflection can be observed. A careful reprocessing of the data led to the imaging of fields of reflections pointing towards a 135 km broad and about 1000 m deep reaching well stratified area with strong reflection amplitudes and several weaker reflections extending down to at least 1500 m water depth over the whole area of investigation.To image both the boundaries between the water masses as reflections and the different properties of the long wavelength velocity variations in depth special imaging technigues like prestack depth migration analysis were performed. Further, the temperature gradients from the short wavelength properties as velocity and density contrasts were determind by a two step inversion of acoustic amplitude versus angle analysis to better quantify the variations of the water masses of the Agulhas Current. References:Holbrook, W.S., and I. Fer, Ocean internal wave spectra inferred from seismic reflection transects, 2005, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L15604, doi:10.1029/2005GL023733.Nandi, P., W.S. Holbrook, S. Pearse, P. Paramo, and R.W. Schmitt, 2004, Seismic reflection imaging of Norwegian Sea water mass boundaries, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L23311, doi:10.1029/2004GL021325.Páramo, P., and W. S. Holbrook, 2005, Temperature contrasts in the water column inferred from amplitude-versus-offset analysis of acoustic reflections, Geophys. Res. Lett., v. 32, L24611, doi:10.1029/2005GL024533.

Description: With the publication of Holbrook et al. (2003) the field of seismic oceanography experienced a major momentum. Several authors since then (Nandi et al., 2004; Holbrook and Fer, 2005; Paramo and Holbrook, 2005) could show that those reflections within the water column correspond to thin layers with strong vertical temperature gradients. Those reflections hence represent a chance to trace those temperature gradients over large distances.Weak seismic reflections within the water column south of South Africa gave rise to the question whether here traces of the Agulhas Current or Agulhas Retroflection can be observed. A careful reprocessing of the data led to the imaging of fields of reflections pointing towards a 135 km broad and about 1000 m deep reaching well stratified area with strong reflection amplitudes and several weaker reflections extending down to at least 1500 m water depth over the whole area of investigation.To image both the boundaries between the water masses as reflections and the different properties of the long wavelength velocity variations in depth special imaging technigues like prestack depth migration analysis were performed. Further, the temperature gradients from the short wavelength properties as velocity and density contrasts were determind by a two step inversion of acoustic amplitude versus angle analysis to better quantify the variations of the water masses of the Agulhas Current.References:Holbrook, W.S., and I. Fer, Ocean internal wave spectra inferred from seismic reflection transects, 2005, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L15604, doi:10.1029/2005GL023733.Nandi, P., W.S. Holbrook, S. Pearse, P. Paramo, and R.W. Schmitt, 2004, Seismic reflection imaging of Norwegian Sea water mass boundaries, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L23311, doi:10.1029/2004GL021325.Páramo, P., and W. S. Holbrook, 2005, Temperature contrasts in the water column inferred from amplitude-versus-offset analysis of acoustic reflections, Geophys. Res. Lett., v. 32, L24611, doi:10.1029/2005GL024533.

Description: With the publication of Holbrook et al. (2003) the field of seismic oceanography experienced a major momentum. Several authors since then (Nandi et al., 2004; Holbrook and Fer, 2005; Paramo and Holbrook, 2005) could show that those reflections within the water column correspond to thin layers with strong vertical temperature gradients. Those reflections hence represent a chance to trace those temperature gradients over large distances.Weak seismic reflections within the water column south of South Africa gave rise to the question whether here traces of the Agulhas Current or Agulhas Retroflection can be observed. A careful reprocessing of the data led to the imaging of fields of reflections pointing towards a 135 km broad and about 1000 m deep reaching well stratified area with strong reflection amplitudes and several weaker reflections extending down to at least 1500 m water depth over the whole area of investigation.To image both the boundaries between the water masses as reflections and the different properties of the long wavelength velocity variations in depth special imaging technigues like prestack depth migration analysis were performed. Further, the temperature gradients from the short wavelength properties as velocity and density contrasts were determind by a two step inversion of acoustic amplitude versus angle analysis to better quantify the variations of the water masses of the Agulhas Current.References:Holbrook, W.S., and I. Fer, Ocean internal wave spectra inferred from seismic reflection transects, 2005, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L15604, doi:10.1029/2005GL023733.Nandi, P., W.S. Holbrook, S. Pearse, P. Paramo, and R.W. Schmitt, 2004, Seismic reflection imaging of Norwegian Sea water mass boundaries, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L23311, doi:10.1029/2004GL021325.Páramo, P., and W. S. Holbrook, 2005, Temperature contrasts in the water column inferred from amplitude-versus-offset analysis of acoustic reflections, Geophys. Res. Lett., v. 32, L24611, doi:10.1029/2005GL024533.

Description: Das Feld der seismischen Ozeanographie hat durch die Publikation von Holbrook et al. (2003) deutlich an Impuls gewonnen. Eine Reihe von Autoren (Nandi et al., 2004; Holbrook and Fer, 2005; Paramo and Holbrook, 2005) haben seither zeigen können, dass diese Reflexionen in der Wassersäule mit dünnen Schichten starker vertikaler Temperaturgradienten zusammenhängen. Die Reflexionen ermöglichen also eine Abbildung der Temperaturgradienten in der Wassersäule über große Distanzen.Schwache Reflexionen in der Wassersäule südlich Südafrikas führten zu der Überlegung, ob dort Spuren der Agulhas Strömung oder der Agulhas Retroflektion beobachtet werden können. Eine sorgfältige Bearbeitung der Daten ergab die Abbildung von Reflexionsfeldern, die ein 135 km breites und 1000 m tief reichendes geschichtetes Areal mit starken Reflexionsamplituden und einer Vielzahl schwächerer Reflexionen bis mindestens 1500 m Wassertiefe im Arbeitsgebiet aufzeigen.Um sowohl die Grenzen zwischen den Wassermassen als auch Reflexionen und die verschiedenen Eigenschaften der langwelligen Geschwindigkeitsvariationen im Tiefenbereich darzustellen, bedarf es spezieller Berabeitungsmethoden wie prestack-Tiefenmigration. Weiterhin wurden die Temperaturgradienten aus den kurzwelligen Eigenschaften wie Geschwindigkeits- und Dichteunterschieden über eine Zwei-Stufen-Inversion (amplitude versus angle) bestimmt, um die Variationen der Agulhas Strömung besser zu quantifizieren.References:Holbrook, W.S., and I. Fer, Ocean internal wave spectra inferred from seismic reflection transects, 2005, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L15604, doi:10.1029/2005GL023733.Nandi, P., W.S. Holbrook, S. Pearse, P. Paramo, and R.W. Schmitt, 2004, Seismic reflection imaging of Norwegian Sea water mass boundaries, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L23311, doi:10.1029/2004GL021325.Páramo, P., and W. S. Holbrook, 2005, Temperature contrasts in the water column inferred from amplitude-versus-offset analysis of acoustic reflections, Geophys. Res. Lett., v. 32, L24611, doi:10.1029/2005GL024533.

Description: With the publication of Holbrook et al. (2003) the field of seismic oceanography experienced a major momentum. Several authors since then (Nandi et al., 2004; Holbrook and Fer, 2005; Paramo and Holbrook, 2005) could show that those reflections within the water column correspond to thin layers with strong vertical temperature gradients. Those reflections hence represent a chance to trace those temperature gradients over large distances.Weak seismic reflections within the water column south of South Africa gave rise to the question whether here traces of the Agulhas Current or Agulhas Retroflection can be observed. A careful reprocessing of the data led to the imaging of fields of reflections pointing towards a 135 km broad and about 1000 m deep reaching well stratified area with strong reflection amplitudes and several weaker reflections extending down to at least 1500 m water depth over the whole area of investigation.To image both the boundaries between the water masses as reflections and the different properties of the long wavelength velocity variations in depth special imaging technigues like prestack depth migration analysis were performed. Further, the temperature gradients from the short wavelength properties as velocity and density contrasts were determind by a two step inversion of acoustic amplitude versus angle analysis to better quantify the variations of the water masses of the Agulhas Current.References:Holbrook, W.S., and I. Fer, Ocean internal wave spectra inferred from seismic reflection transects, 2005, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L15604, doi:10.1029/2005GL023733.Nandi, P., W.S. Holbrook, S. Pearse, P. Paramo, and R.W. Schmitt, 2004, Seismic reflection imaging of Norwegian Sea water mass boundaries, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L23311, doi:10.1029/2004GL021325.Páramo, P., and W. S. Holbrook, 2005, Temperature contrasts in the water column inferred from amplitude-versus-offset analysis of acoustic reflections, Geophys. Res. Lett., v. 32, L24611, doi:10.1029/2005GL024533.