Water mass
In oceanography, the water mass is a clearly identifiable volume of water in the ocean . Water masses are characterized by their specific concentration of tracers . Examples are salinity , temperature , oxygen or CFC concentration. Tracking water masses is one of the most widely used methods in oceanography to indirectly study ocean currents : it tracks how water masses move, distribute, and mix in the oceans.
Subdivision of water masses
In oceanography, a multitude of water masses can be differentiated based on very small variations of the tracers, depending on the exact research area. In general, however, all water masses can be divided into the categories surface water (0 to 500 m), intermediate water (500 to 1500 m), deep water and bottom water (1500 m to the seabed). This describes their vertical position in the ocean. In addition, water masses are defined based on the basin in which they are located. So there is bottom water in the Atlantic as well as in the Pacific , the Indian Ocean , the Arctic Ocean and the Antarctic Ocean . Examples include the North Atlantic Deep Water (North Atlantic Deep Water - NADW), Antarctic Intermediate Water (Antarctic Intermediate Water - AIW) or the South Atlantic Central Water (South Atlantic Central Water - SACW).
Individual evidence
- ↑ WJ Emery: Water Types and Water Masses . In: Elsevier Science Ltd. (Ed.): Ocean Circulation . 2003, p. 1556-1567 .