The western equatorial Pacific: A water mass crossroads
- 15 December 1994
- journal article
- Published by American Geophysical Union (AGU) in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
- Vol. 99 (C12) , 25063-25080
- https://doi.org/10.1029/94jc02277
Abstract
The western equatorial Pacific is a crossroads for thermocline and intermediate waters formed at higher latitudes. The role of the equatorward flowing, low‐latitude western boundary currents (LLWBCs) in advecting well‐ventilated (with respect to atmospheric gases), higher‐latitude waters varies with density. At densities θ the Mindanao Current (MC) (Wyrtki, 1961; Masuzawa, 1969) advects recently ventilated water observed as tracer maxima predominantly from the North Pacific subtropical gyre (tropical water is θ the MC advects predominantly North Pacific Intermediate Water (having a component that is θ, South Pacific water masses appear to be stronger, so that they are the major ventilation source for the western equatorial region, including the Celebes Sea. At 27.2 σθ the New Guinea Coastal Undercurrent advects Antarctic Intermediate Water (having a component that is θ) is mainly exported to the Indian Ocean via the Indonesian throughflow and cold water is imported.This publication has 40 references indexed in Scilit:
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