Cape Verde Frontal Zone in summer 2017: lateral transports of mass, dissolved oxygen and inorganic nutrients

[摘要] The circulation patterns in the confluence of the North Atlantic subtropical and tropical gyres delimited by the Cape Verde Front (CVF) were examined during a field cruise in summer 2017. We collected hydrographic data, dissolved oxygen ( O 2 ) and inorganic nutrients along the perimeter of a closed box embracing the Cape Verde Frontal Zone (CVFZ). The detailed spatial (horizontal and vertical) distribution of water masses, O 2 and inorganic nutrients in the CVF was analyzed, allowing for the independent estimation of the transports of these properties in the subtropical and tropical domains down to 2000  m . Overall, at surface and central levels, a net westward transport of 3.76  Sv was observed, whereas at intermediate levels, a net 3  Sv transport northward was obtained. We observed O 2 and inorganic nutrient imbalances in the domain consistent with O 2 consumption and inorganic nutrient production by organic matter remineralization, resulting in a net transport of inorganic nutrients to the ocean interior by the circulation patterns.

[学科分类] 海洋学与技术