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The barrier layer in the western tropical Atlantic Ocean
Author(s) -
Pailler K.,
Bourlès B.,
Gouriou Y.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl900492
Subject(s) - halocline , pycnocline , oceanography , tropical atlantic , geology , argo , stratification (seeds) , salinity , tropical cyclone , mixed layer , climatology , environmental science , sea surface temperature , seed dormancy , botany , germination , dormancy , biology
In the tropical oceans, where the temperature is roughly homogenous in the upper layer, vertical variations of salinity may be responsible for significant density stratifications. In this study on the western Tropical Atlantic Ocean, it is shown that fresh surface waters of the Amazon River discharge may induce a strong halocline in the 3–30 m depth range. This halocline induces a pycnocline that acts as a barrier for mixing between the surface and the subsurface waters. The fresh surface waters are generally associated with positive anomalies of the sea surface temperature. These positive anomalies cover a large part of the basin in boreal summer–fall, following the maximum Amazon River discharge, which may have a significant importance for the ocean‐atmosphere exchanges.