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In a groundbreaking revelation, scientists have uncovered a massive, previously undetected water mass in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean. Stretching from the tip of Brazil to the Gulf of Guinea near West Africa, this colossal body of water, named the Atlantic Equatorial Water, was identified as ocean currents seamlessly blend distinct water masses along the equator, reported Live Science.
Published on October 28 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, this discovery marks the first recognition of equatorial water mixing in the Atlantic, complementing similar phenomena observed in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Viktor Zhurbas, a physicist and oceanologist at The Shirshov Institute of Oceanology in Moscow, emphasized the significance of this find in completing the understanding of fundamental water masses across the World Ocean.
Ocean water, far from uniform, constitutes a complex tapestry of interconnected masses and layers, shaped by currents, eddies, temperature fluctuations, and variations in salinity. Each water mass possesses unique characteristics, such as density and dissolved isotopes of oxygen, nitrate, and phosphate, and is distinguished by a shared geography and formation history.
Oceanographers utilize temperature-salinity charts to map the relationships between these vital variables, revealing distinct water masses. Equatorial waters were first identified in the Pacific and Indian oceans in 1942, characterized by temperature and salinity curves along lines of constant density resulting from the convergence of northern and southern waters. However, this distinctive pattern was conspicuously absent in the Atlantic.
To locate the elusive water mass, scientists delved into data collected by the Argo program—an international network of robotic, self-submerging floats dispersed throughout the world’s oceans. Through meticulous analysis, researchers identified a previously unnoticed temperature-salinity curve running parallel to the well-known North Atlantic and South Atlantic Central waters: the Atlantic Equatorial Water.
According to Zhurbas, distinguishing the Atlantic Equatorial Water from other masses required a dense network of vertical temperature and salinity profiles covering the entire Atlantic Ocean. Now that this water mass has been identified, it promises to enhance scientists’ understanding of the ocean’s intricate mixing processes, crucial for the global transport of heat, oxygen, and nutrients.
Published on October 28 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, this discovery marks the first recognition of equatorial water mixing in the Atlantic, complementing similar phenomena observed in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Viktor Zhurbas, a physicist and oceanologist at The Shirshov Institute of Oceanology in Moscow, emphasized the significance of this find in completing the understanding of fundamental water masses across the World Ocean.
Ocean water, far from uniform, constitutes a complex tapestry of interconnected masses and layers, shaped by currents, eddies, temperature fluctuations, and variations in salinity. Each water mass possesses unique characteristics, such as density and dissolved isotopes of oxygen, nitrate, and phosphate, and is distinguished by a shared geography and formation history.
Oceanographers utilize temperature-salinity charts to map the relationships between these vital variables, revealing distinct water masses. Equatorial waters were first identified in the Pacific and Indian oceans in 1942, characterized by temperature and salinity curves along lines of constant density resulting from the convergence of northern and southern waters. However, this distinctive pattern was conspicuously absent in the Atlantic.
To locate the elusive water mass, scientists delved into data collected by the Argo program—an international network of robotic, self-submerging floats dispersed throughout the world’s oceans. Through meticulous analysis, researchers identified a previously unnoticed temperature-salinity curve running parallel to the well-known North Atlantic and South Atlantic Central waters: the Atlantic Equatorial Water.
According to Zhurbas, distinguishing the Atlantic Equatorial Water from other masses required a dense network of vertical temperature and salinity profiles covering the entire Atlantic Ocean. Now that this water mass has been identified, it promises to enhance scientists’ understanding of the ocean’s intricate mixing processes, crucial for the global transport of heat, oxygen, and nutrients.
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