![]() Their equilibrium concentrations in seawater are determined by their atmospheric concentrations and solubility at the surface. Although the regions in which each AABW type is produced and their transport pathways are roughly known, the timescale of AABW transport is not clearly understood.Īnthropogenic gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6) have been used as transient tracers to detect newly ventilated water masses and to quantitatively understand water mass spreading pathways and their timescales. From the west, AABW produced in the Weddell Sea (Weddell Sea Deep Water WSDW) is transported into the region by the Weddell Gyre 16, 17. From the east, warmer and more saline AABW (a mixture of Ross Sea Bottom Water and Adélie Land Bottom Water) flows into the region through the Princess Elizabeth Trough (PET) 3, 15. In addition to the CDBW, two other types of AABW are present in the region off CD. The CDBW mainly descends the canyons in a northwestward direction 10, 12, 14. The main source of this AABW (Cape Darnley Bottom Water CDBW) is DSW that formed in CD polynya 10, 12, with a contribution of DSW outflow from Prydz Bay 13. 10 found that AABW production off Cape Darnley (CD) occurs due to intense sea ice production 11. The Weddell and Ross Seas, and the Adélie Land coast are known as the three major regions of AABW production 6, 7, 8, 9. ![]() Thus, a quantitative assessment of the production and spread of AABW is critical for understanding global ocean circulation and climate. The production of AABW drives global thermohaline circulation, delivering oxygen and carbon to the global abyssal ocean (e.g., refs. AABW continues to mix with overlying and adjacent waters as it is advected. With strong buoyancy loss, the DSW flows down the continental slope and mixes with ambient Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) to produce Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) 1. On the Antarctic continental shelf, cold Dense Shelf Water (DSW) forms through cooling and brine rejection during ice formation in coastal polynyas.
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