Circulation within Monterey Submarine Canyon
Abstract
This project studied the circulation and transport of material in Monterey Submarine Canyon. Five subsurface moorings supporting twelve current meters with temperature sensors (six also measured conductivity and light transmission) and six sediment traps were deployed. Numerous CTD casts were made during four cruises. As expected, tidal frequencies dominated the energy spectra, and mean currents were very weak. Surprisingly, a three-day oscillation was found at all the measurement sites within the canyon. Two sediment traps deployed in the narrower region of the canyon recorded dramatically different flux regimes, with the 780 m trap collecting 2-4 g m(-2) d(-1), and the 1360 m trap collecting 22-60 g m(-2) d(-1). The predominantly lithogenic composition of the material in the deeper trap is evidence that canyon wall resuspension events dominate the flux regime there, whereas the lower concentrations of lithogenic material in the shallower trap, together with the seasonal pattern in the opal flux, indicate the influence of seasonal phytoplankton blooms. The mass fluxes measured in the wider part of the canyon were only 0.2-1.7 g m(-2)d(-1).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA331875
Entities
People
- Leslie Rosenfeld
Organizations
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute