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The shallow oxygen maximum in the tropical Atlantic Ocean (Guinea Dome Area): Physical or biological origin?
Author(s) -
Oudot Claude
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1029/gb003i002p00163
Subject(s) - thermocline , supersaturation , dome (geology) , oceanography , geology , nitrogen , atmospheric sciences , oxygen , argon , chemistry , paleontology , organic chemistry
The Guinea Dome area (12°N, 22°W) is characterized by a summertime O 2 maximum which lies at the top of the thermocline. The vertical distributions of molecular nitrogen and argon are used to discuss the physical and biological contributions to oxygen supersaturation in that region. Whereas this subsurface O 2 maximum is as sharp as those encountered elsewhere in the ocean, it is not at a high supersaturation level (maximum 4.4% on average). Thus the O 2 maximum does not seem to be mainly due to photosynthesis and hence Reid's [1962] physical hypothesis appears to be like the major explanation.