EarthRef.org Reference Database (ERR)
Development and Maintenance by the EarthRef.org Database Team

Detailed Reference Information
Jenkins 1998
Jenkins, W.J. (1998). Studying subtropical thermocline ventilation and circulation using tritium and 3He. Journal of Geophysical Research 103: doi: 10.1029/98JC00141. issn: 0148-0227.

A 13-year time series of tritium and 3He in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda shows the downward penetration of the bomb tritium and excess 3He maxima into the main thermocline at a rate of about 17 m yr-1. A simple box-mixing model effectively mimics both the evolution of the tracer maxima and their thermocline inventories. The thermocline inventory of &zgr; (the sum of tritium and 3He) near Bermuda has halved over duration of the time series. This can be used to estimate a regional average nitrate efflux from the main thermocline of 0.7¿0.2 mol (N) m-2 yr-1. In the eastern subtropical North Atlantic I combine 3H-3He age with salinity, oxygen, and geostrophy to compute isopycnal diffusivities, oxygen consumption rates, and absolute velocities. The reference level velocities are determined almost solely by the 3H-3He age equations and to an accuracy of about 1 mm s-1. A classic absolute velocity spiral is seen. The depth variation of computed vertical velocities is consistent with vorticity conservation and extrapolates to within errors of surface Ekman pumping and local subduction rates. Isopycnal diffusivities are largely constrained by the salinity equations and are ~1200 m2 s-1 at a depth of 300 m, decreasing gradually downward. Diffusivities apparently decrease toward the surface, likely an artifact of unsteadiness in the salinity equations. The oxygen utilization rates (OURs) determined by the oxygen equations decrease exponentially with depth. Vertical integration of OUR yields a net water column oxygen demand of 4.1¿0.8 mol m-2 yr-1, which corresponds to an export production of 2.5¿0.5 mol m-2 yr-1 carbon. I present a simple scheme to show how to relate the vertical profiles of 3H-3He age to the subduction rate as a function of depth projected back to the surface outcrop. The shallowest horizon has a subduction rate indistinguishable from local climatological Ekman pumping rates but gradually exceeds the projected rates with depth. The difference may be attributed to the increasing importance of buoyancy-forced subduction at higher latitudes. ¿ 1998 American Geophysical Union

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Oceanography, Biological and Chemical, Chemical tracers
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009-1277
USA
1-202-462-6900
1-202-328-0566
service@agu.org
Click to clear formClick to return to previous pageClick to submit