Water Masses and the Thermohaline Circulation at the Entrance to the Gulf of California
Abstract
CTD data obtained during the period 28 December 1992 to 08 January 1993 are used to examine the hydrography and water mass distributions at the entrance to the Gulf of California. Data were collected for one across- and one along-gulf transection that intersected near the Gulf's mouth. The circulation at the Gulfs entrance was generally cyclonic. In the upper 200 m, a narrow, high-salinity core of strong baroclinic outflow (max speed 72 cm/sec) traversed the western sector of the region. The high-salinity (S >/-34.9) component of the core correlates to Gulf Water that originates in the inner-Gulf. Partitioned at the mid-basin Alarcon Seamount, the mouth's eastern sector was characterized by numerous bands of reverse flow, including inflowing cores of fresher (S </- 34. 6) water from the Pacific. The estimated net transport across this section was a 1.9 Sv inflow, with the majority of the flow occurring below 500 m. Comparison with data from an April 1992 cruise along the same across-gulf transection revealed greater transport and the notable absence of Gulf Water. The April circulation may represent simple recirculation of waters resident across the region.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA275703
Entities
People
- Monty G. Spearman
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School