Scientists have discovered a new water body in the middle of the Atlantic, which goes against traditional assumptions about ocean movement. The results are presented in the journal Geophysical Research Letters and show that Atlantic Equatorial Water is a missing phenomenon found in the Pacific and Indian seas.
Unveiling Atlantic Equatorial Water
The previously unknown water mass called Atlantic Equatorial Water forms when ocean currents converge close to the equator. It was not happening in the Atlantic, causing many questions because it is similar to the mixing and circulation process that exists between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
Significance for Understanding Ocean Structure
Finding Atlantic Equatorial Water completes the profile for major types of “primary water” in the World Ocean. By examining temperature and salinity relationships, oceanographers can determine different water masses characterized by distinctive features. These include density as well as chemically related isotopic composition.
Methodology and Analysis
Researchers employed a sophisticated temperature-salinity profile that presented a unique signature for the Atlantic Equatorial Water (AEW). It was indeed important to figure out the nature of this water bulk, which necessitated an elaborate network composed of numerous vertically arranged temperature and salinity profiles covering the Atlantic Equatorial zone.
The newfound water body not only improves the understanding of oceanography but also illustrates the dynamics and linkage between various parts of the ocean.
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Source: marineinsight
