On the mechanisms behind salinity anomaly signals of the northern North Atlantic

Hydrographic time series from the northern North Atlantic throughout the 20th century show oscillations in temperature and salinity at more or less regular intervals. The Great Salinity Anomalies described during the 1970s [Dickson, R.R., Meincke, J., Malmberg, S.-A., Lee, A.J., 1988. The “Great Salinity Anomaly” in the North Atlantic, 1968-1982. Progress in Oceanography 20, 103-151.], during the 1980s [Belkin, I.M., Levitus, S., Antonov, J., Malmberg, S.-A., 1998. “Great Salinity Anomalies” in the North Atlantic. Progress in Oceanography 41, 1-68.], and during the 1990s [Belkin, I.M., 2004. Propagation of the “Great Salinity Anomaly” of the 1990s around the northern North Atlantic. Geophysical Research Letters 31(8), L08306, doi:10.1029/2003GL019334.] have distinct amplitudes, and all three of them were interpreted as low salinity anomalies propagating downstream through the anti-clockwise circulation system of the northern North Atlantic Ocean. Further inspection of time series from the Northeast Atlantic and the Northwest Atlantic over the past century shows, however, several other distinct negative anomalies of lesser amplitudes. Additionally, a number of high salinity anomalies can be identified. The present paper analyses further the propagation of the negative and positive anomalies and links them together. It is shown that they have varying speeds of propagation, and that the varying speeds are correlated across the North Atlantic. We propose that varying volume fluxes in and out of the Arctic Basin is the causal mechanism behind the anomaly signals, and that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) partly has influence on the flux variations described. Periods of large decadal-scale amplitudes of the NAO coincide with periods of large decadal-scale oscillation in the marine climate.     

Climate teleconnections at monthly time scales in the Ligurian Sea inferred from satellite data

The existence and spatial distribution of possible teleconnections between the South Pacific and North Atlantic oceans and the Ligurian Sea (North-western Mediterranean) are investigated in the present paper. Teleconnections are searched by cross-correlating monthly spatio-temporal time series of 1.1 km resolution sea surface temperature (SST), and a 22.2 km resolution sea level anomaly (SLA), measured from satellite from March 1993 to August 1999, with two indices characterising the South Pacific and the North Atlantic variability: the Southern Oscillation (SO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices, respectively. Concerning the variability induced by the North Atlantic Ocean, it is shown that it mostly influences the SLA field in the Ligurian Sea. Specifically, relevant anti-correlations between SLA and North Atlantic variability have been found in all the Ligurian sub-basin. As expected by geographical proximity, the effects of North Atlantic on the SLA field in the Ligurian Sea are instantaneous at monthly time scales. Instead, correlations between SST and NAO Index are found at time lag τ = 1 month in the southern part of the basin highlighting the memory of the ocean related to their heat capacity. Significant anti-correlations between SO Index and the SST field in the Ligurian Sea, were obtained at time lag τ = 4 months in the coastal areas of the sub-basin. Results also indicate that the impact of teleconnections in the area studied is not geographically uniform.     

Variability and propagation of Labrador Sea Water in the southern subpolar North Atlantic

The variability of two modes of Labrador Sea Water (LSW) (upper and deep Labrador Sea Water) and their respective spreading in the interior North Atlantic Ocean are investigated by means of repeated ship surveys carried out along the zonal WOCE line A2/AR19 located at 43–48°N (1993–2007) and along the GOOS line at about 48–51°N (1997–2002). Hydrographic section data are complemented by temperature, salinity, and velocity time series recorded by two moorings. They have been deployed at the western flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) in the Newfoundland Basin during 1996–2004. The analysis of hydrographic anomalies at various longitudes points to a gradual eastward propagation of LSW-related signals, which happens on time scales of 3–6 years from the formation region towards the MAR. Interactions of the North Atlantic Current (NAC) with the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) close to Flemish Cap point to the NAC being the main distributor of the different types of LSW into the interior of the Newfoundland Basin. Comparisons between the ship data and the mooring records revealed that the mooring sites are located in a region affected by highly variable flow. The mooring time series demonstrate an elevated level of variability with eddy activity and variability associated with the NAC considerably influencing the LSW signals in this region. Hydrographic data taken from Argo profiles from the vicinity of the mooring sites turned out to mimic quite well the temporal evolution captured by the moorings. There is some indication of occasional southward flow in the LSW layer near the MAR. If this can be considered as a hint to an interior LSW-route, it is at least of minor importance in comparison to the DWBC. It acts as an important supplier for the interior North Atlantic, distributing older and recently formed LSW modes southward along the MAR.     

Trans-Atlantic responses of Calanus finmarchicus populations to basin-scale forcing associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation

Populations of the copepod species Calanus finmarchicus often dominate the springtime biomass and secondary production of shelf ecosystems throughout the North Atlantic Ocean. Recently, it has been hypothesised that interannual to interdecadal fluctuations observed in such populations are driven primarily by climate-associated changes in ocean circulation. Here, we compare evidence from the North Sea and Gulf of Maine/Western Scotian Shelf (GoM/WSS) linking fluctuations in C. finmarchicus abundance to changes in ocean circulation associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). A particularly striking contrast emerges from this Trans-Atlantic comparison: whereas the North Sea C. finmarchicus population exhibits a negative correlation with the NAO index, the GoM/WSS population exhibits a more complex, positive association with the index. The physical processes underlying these contrasting population responses are discussed in the context of regional- to basin-scale circulation changes associated with the NAO.     

Air pressure fluctuations in the North Atlantic and their relationship with El Niño-southern oscillations

Seasonal and interannual variability of the pressure field and indices of the North Atlantic atmosphere zonal circulation are analysed using historical (1894–1988) observations. It is shown that fluctuations of the index of North Atlantic oscillations (NAO) and that of the eastward transport give evidence of the interannual fluctuations with the typical time scale being 2–7 years. It is shown that the magnitude of interannual NAO index variability exceeds the typical magnitude of seasonal variations, particularly in winter. The time scale of NAO index variations and eastward transport coincides with the typicalEl Niño-southern oscillations (ENSO) temporal scale. The amplitudes of the annual, semi-annual harmonics, and high-frequency fluctuations of the NAO index increase during a typical ENSO event at least by a factor of 2.Translated by V. Puchkin.     

The regime shift of the 1920s and 1930s in the North Atlantic

During the 1920s and 1930s, there was a dramatic warming of the northern North Atlantic Ocean. Warmer-than-normal sea temperatures, reduced sea ice conditions and enhanced Atlantic inflow in northern regions continued through to the 1950s and 1960s, with the timing of the decline to colder temperatures varying with location. Ecosystem changes associated with the warm period included a general northward movement of fish. Boreal species of fish such as cod, haddock and herring expanded farther north while colder-water species such as capelin and polar cod retreated northward. The maximum recorded movement involved cod, which spread approximately 1200 km northward along West Greenland. Migration patterns of “warmer water” species also changed with earlier arrivals and later departures. New spawning sites were observed farther north for several species or stocks while for others the relative contribution from northern spawning sites increased. Some southern species of fish that were unknown in northern areas prior to the warming event became occasional, and in some cases, frequent visitors. Higher recruitment and growth led to increased biomass of important commercial species such as cod and herring in many regions of the northern North Atlantic. Benthos associated with Atlantic waters spread northward off Western Svalbard and eastward into the eastern Barents Sea. Based on increased phytoplankton and zooplankton production in several areas, it is argued that bottom-up processes were the primary cause of these changes. The warming in the 1920s and 1930s is considered to constitute the most significant regime shift experienced in the North Atlantic in the 20th century.     

Climate variability and marine ecosystem impacts: a North Atlantic perspective

In recent decades it has been recognized that in the North Atlantic climatic variability has been largely driven by atmospheric forcing related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO index began a pronounced decline around 1950 to a low in the 1960s. From 1970 onward the NAO index increased to its most extreme and persistent positive phase during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Changes in the pattern of the NAO have differential impacts on the opposite sides of the North Atlantic and differential impacts in the north and south. The changes in climate resulting from changes in the NAO appear to have had substantial impacts on marine ecosystems, in particular, on fish productivity, with the effects varying from region to region. An examination of several species and stocks, e.g. gadoids, herring and plankton in the Northeast Atlantic and cod and shellfish in the Northwest Atlantic, indicates that there is a link between long-term trends in the NAO and the productivity of various components of the marine ecosystem. While broad trends are evident, the mechanisms are poorly understood. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of how this climate variability affects the productivity of various components of the North Atlantic marine ecosystem.     

On the Statistical Structure of Hydrometeorological Fields in the North Atlantic

We study the possibility of detection of statistically significant trends as a characteristic of low-frequency variability of hydrometeorological fields in the North Atlantic on the basis of relatively short time series. We use the monthly data of the Russian Hydrometeorological Center for 1957–1990 and analyze their statistical structure. It is shown that significant linear and quadratic trends can be detected in the fields of most hydrometeorological characteristics of the North Atlantic. The residual signal is approximated by using the first-order autoregressive model. Typical values of the coefficient of autoregression vary within the range 0.3–0.6 (for different hydrometeorological characteristics of the North Atlantic). The maximum correlation is observed for the fields of sea-surface temperature and humidity, whereas the minimum correlation is typical of the fields of wind velocity and the difference between the temperatures of water and air.     

基于PMIP2气候模式模拟的中全新世北大西洋涛动

根据PMIP2中的4个海气耦合模式对中全新世气候的模拟结果,利用现代和中全新世两个时间段的冬季海平面气压场(SLP),分析了北大西洋海平面气压的变化情况并计算了这两个时间段的北大西洋涛动(NAO)指数。结果表明,中全新世亚速尔高压加强,冰岛低压加深,南北气压差增加,NAO强度显著增强。对中全新世北大西洋地区SLP进行经验正交函数(EOF)分析显示,4个模式均能捕捉到了NAO的主要结构。中全新世NAO处于正位相的时间较现代提高了10%~30%,其中MIROC3.2提高了29.3%;虽然NAO指数振幅变化不大,但还是能显示中全新世NAO显著强于现代,这与地质资料恢复的结果相一致。对NAO指数的多窗谱分析显示,现代NAO指数存在3~5 a的准周期变化,中全新世NAO指数存在3 a的准周期变化。NAO对中全新世亚洲地区冬季增温有重要影响。北大西洋地区中纬度海面温度(SST)的增温可能是导致中全新世NAO强度增强的一个重要因素。     

Response of the Gulf Stream transport to characteristic high and low phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation

We investigate an ambiguity in the current understanding of the Gulf Stream (GS) transport in response to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). While some investigations (discussed herein) suggest enhanced transport during low NAO phases, other studies suggest enhanced transport in high NAO phases. NAO-induced variability in the western North Atlantic is studied by using a 1/6°-resolution basin-scale Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) model. Results indicate that the western boundary current limb of the GS, upstream of Cape Hatteras, exhibit enhanced transport during low-NAO phases. However, further downstream of Cape Hatteras, after the GS separates from the coast, diminished GS transport is seen during low-NAO phases. The converse is true for high NAO phases for both segments of the GS system. Model results show the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC), the northern recirculation gyre and the southern recirculation gyre intensify (weaken) during the high (low) NAO periods.     

Decadal water mass variations along 20°W in the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean

Water mass variations in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean along 20°W are analyzed with pentadal resolution over the past 15 years using data from four repeat occupations of a meridional hydrographic section running south from Iceland. The section was sampled in 1988, 1993, 1998, and 2003. The results are interpreted in the context of changes in air–sea forcing, ocean circulation, and water properties associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO index oscillated around zero from 1984 to 1988, was strongly positive from 1989 to 1995, after which it shifted to lower positive, and occasionally negative values from 1996 to 2003. Previously published studies suggest that after the 1995–1996 shift of the NAO, the subpolar gyre largely retreated to the northwest in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, resulting in an increasingly southeastern character of local water masses with time. Water property changes extending from the SubPolar Mode Water (SPMW) just below the seasonal pycnocline through the density range shared by Mediterranean Outflow Water and SubArctic Intermediate Water (SAIW) along 20°W are consistent with changes in wind-driven ocean circulation and air–sea heat flux associated with shifts in the NAO, especially after accounting for ocean memory. After periods of lower NAO index the SPMW is warmer, saltier, and lighter. At these same times, large increases of apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) and potential vorticity are found at the SPMW base, consistent with SPMW ventilation to lighter densities during lower NAO index periods. Deeper and denser in the water column, the cold, fresh, and dense SAIW signature within the permanent pycnocline that was most strongly present in 1993, near the culmination of a period of high NAO index, is much reduced in 1988 and 1998. In 2003, after a prolonged period of lower NAO index, increasing influence of warmer, saltier subtropical waters is clear within the permanent pycnocline. The deep penetration of the changes implies that they are caused primarily by circulation changes resulting from NAO-associated wind shifts, but changes in air–sea heat flux could also have played a role.     

春季北大西洋涛动与夏季西北太平洋热带气旋生成频数关系的年代际变化

The present study reveals the fact that the relationship between the spring(April–May) North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) and the following summer(June–September) tropical cyclone(TC) genesis frequency over the western North Pacific(WNP) during the period of 1950–2018 was not stationary. It is shown that the relationship between the two has experienced a pronounced interdecadal shift, being weak and insignificant before yet strong and statistically significant after the early 1980 s. Next we compare the spring NAO associated dynamic and thermodynamic conditions, sea surface temperature(SST) anomalies, and atmospheric circulation processes between the two subperiods of 1954–1976 and 1996–2018, so as to illucidate the possible mechanism for this interdecadal variation in the NAO-TC connection. During the latter epoch, when the spring NAO was positive,enhanced low-level vorticity, reduced vertical zonal wind shear, intensified vertical velocity and increased middle-level relative humidity were present over the WNP in the summer, which is conducive to the genesis of WNP TCs. When the spring NAO is negative, the dynamic and thermodynamic factors are disadvantageous for the summertime TC formation and development over the WNP. The results of further analysis indicate that the persistence of North Atlantic tri-pole SST anomalies from spring to the subsequent summer induced by the spring NAO plays a fundamental role in the linkage between the spring NAO and summer atmospheric circulation.During the period of 1996–2018, a remarkable eastward propagating wave-train occurred across the northern Eurasian continent, forced by the anomalous SST tri-pole in the North Atlantic. The East Asian jet flow became greatly intensified, and the deep convection in the tropics was further enhanced via the changes of the local Hadley circulation, corresponding to a positive spring NAO. During the former epoch, the spring NAO-induced tri-pole SST anomalies in the North Atlantic were non-existent, and the related atmospheric circulation anomalies were extremely weak, thereby leading to the linkage between spring NAO and WNP TC genesis frequency in the following summer being insignificant.     

On the correlation between oscillations of the Caspian Sea level and the North Atlantic climate

Correlations between the changes in the climate of the Caspian Sea region and in its level and the variations in the North Atlantic climate are studied. The indices of North Atlantic oscillation (NAO), Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), the intensity of Atlantic thermohaline circulation (ATHC), and the air humidity above the North Atlantic are used as basic indicators of climatic variations that influence the Caspian Sea. Results of an experiment for reproducing the World Ocean circulation and the parameterization of cyclic climate peculiarities made it possible to reveal their impact on the formation of Eurasian climatic variability and on the level regime of the Caspian Sea. This impact is studied through the variability of ATHC, the NAO index, and a composite index of moisture transport (CIMT) that is proposed as a result of the studies.     

Responses of marine phytoplankton in iron enrichment experiments in the northern North Sea and northeast Atlantic Ocean

Short-term iron enrichment experiments were carried out with samples collected in areas with different phytoplankton activity in the northern North Sea and northeast Atlantic Ocean in the summer of 1993. The research area was dominated by high numbers of pico-phytoplankton, up to 70,000 ml⁻¹. Maximum chlorophyll a concentrations varied from about 1.0 μg l⁻¹ in a high-reflectance zone (caused by loose coccoliths, remnants from a bloom of Emiliania huxleyi) and about 3.5 μg l⁻¹ in a zone in which the phytoplankton were growing, to about 0.5 μg l⁻¹ in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. From the high-reflectance zone to the northeast Atlantic Ocean, nitrate concentrations increased from 0.5 μM to 6.0 μM. Concentrations of reactive iron in surface water showed an opposite trend and decreased from about 2.6 nM in the high-reflectance zone to <1.0 nM in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. In the research area, no signs of true iron deficiency were found, but iron enrichments in the high-reflectance zone, numerically dominated by Synechococcus sp., resulted in increased nitrate uptake. Ammonium uptake was hardly affected. Strong support for the effect of Fe on cell physiology is given by the increase in the f-ratio. Net growth rates of the phytoplankton (changes in cell numbers over 24 h) were almost unchanged. Phytoplankton collected from the northeast Atlantic Ocean, did not show changes in the nitrogen metabolism upon addition of iron. Net growth rates in these incubations were low or negative, with only slightly higher values with additional iron.     

The behaviour of dissolved Cd, Co, Zn, and Pb in North Atlantic near-surface waters (30°N/60°W–60°N/2°W)

In September 1993 (M26) and June/July 1996 (M36), a total of 239 surface samples (7 m depth) were collected on two transects across the open Atlantic Ocean (224 samples) and northwest European shelf edge area. We present an overview of the horizontal variability of dissolved Cd, Co, Zn, and Pb in between the northwest and northeast Atlantic Ocean in relation to salinity and the nutrients. Our data show a preferential incorporation of Cd relative to P in the particulate material of the surface ocean when related to previously published parallel measurements on suspended particulate matter from the same cruise. There is a good agreement with results recently estimated from a model by Elderfield and Rickaby (Nature 405 (2000) 305), who predict for the North Atlantic Ocean a best fit for α_Cd/P=[Cd/P]_POM/[Cd/P]_SW of 2.5, whereas the approach of our transect shows a α_Cd/P value of 2.6. The Co concentrations of our transects varied from <5 to 131 pmol kg⁻¹, with the lowest values in the subtropical gyre. There were pronounced elevations in the low-salinity ranges of the northwest Atlantic and towards the European shelf. The Co data are decoupled from the Mn distribution and support the hypothesis of marginal inputs as the dominant source. Zinc varied from a minimum of <0.07 nmol kg⁻¹ to a maximum of 1.2 and 4.8 nmol kg⁻¹ in regions influenced by Labrador shelf or European coastal waters, respectively. In subtropical and northeast Atlantic waters, the average Zn concentration was 0.16 nmol kg⁻¹. Zinc concentrations at nearly three quarters of the stations between 40°N and 60°N were <0.1 nmol kg⁻¹. This suggests that biological factors control Zn concentrations in large areas of the North Atlantic surface waters. The Pb data indicated that significant differences in concentration between the northwest and northeast Atlantic surface waters presently (1996) do not exist for this metal. The transects in 1993 and 1996 exhibited Pb concentrations in the northeast Atlantic surface waters of 30 to 40 pmol kg⁻¹, about a fifth to a quarter of the concentrations observed in 1981. This decline is supported by our particle flux measurements in deep waters of the same region.     

Reactive mercury in the eastern North Atlantic and southeast Atlantic

The vertical distribution of reactive mercury has been measured at two stations in the eastern North Atlantic and one station in the southeast Atlantic in conjunction with the IOC Open Ocean Baseline Survey. The average concentrations of reactive Hg in vertical profiles ranged from 0.70 to 1.07 pM with the highest values found at the northeast Atlantic stations and the lowest at the southeast station. No significant concentration gradients were found below the surface mixed layer at the two stations in the eastern North Atlantic. At station 7, in the southeast Atlantic, an increase in reactive Hg was noted in the water adjacent to the mixed layer (35–200 m) which was coincident with an oxygen depletion, down to 20% saturation at 200 m. The concentration of reactive Hg in the North Atlantic Deep Water (0.48–1.34 pM), the Antarctic Intermediate Water (0.47 pM), the Antarctic Bottom Water (0.67–1.25 pM), and the Mediterranean Outflow Water (0.83–1.06 pM) were noted. The trends in Hg concentration in the water masses between stations showed the concentration decreasing with distance from the water mass source except for Hg in the Antarctic Bottom Water. The increase noted in this water mass was attributed to mixing with North Atlantic Deep Water and or release from bottom sediments.     

盛夏北极边缘海冰与来年冬季NAO之联系

许多研究认为,只有北大西洋涛动(NAO)是一种具有物理意义的模态,而北极涛动(AO)则是EOF分解得到的一种统计假象模态。为了从一个新的角度进一步探讨二者的差别,我们运用附条件的最大协方差分析(CMCA)统计了前期北极边缘海冰密集度(MSCI)与来年冬季NAO之间的跨季节遥相关关系,其中的ENSO信号和线性趋势已经在分析之前被去除。统计显著性结果表明:冬季负位相的NAO信号可以追溯到6个月前自盛夏开始至早冬季节北极MSCI异常的逐步演变。然而根据先前的研究,北极海冰异常仅可以超前冬季AO 大概4个月表现出显著信号。这表明盛夏北极MSCI的持续异常对来年冬季NAO的影响比对AO更强,同时也从另一个角度证实了AO与NAO确实存在差异。进一步分析还表明,前期MSCI异常的逐步演变主要与海表面热通量及气温异常有关。此外,我们还重新审视了负位相的NAO对北半球冬季气候异常的影响以及可能的物理机制。     

Nutrient irrigation of the North Atlantic

The North Atlantic, as all major oceans, has a remarkable duality in primary production, manifested by the existence of well-defined high and low mean primary production regions. The largest region is the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre (NASTG), an anticyclone characterized by bowl shaped isopycnals and low production. The NASTG is surrounded at its margins by smaller cyclonic high-production regions, where these isopycnals approach the sea surface. The most extensive cyclonic regions are those at the latitudinal extremes, i.e. the subpolar and tropical oceans, though smaller ones do occur at the zonal boundaries. In this article we review historical data and present new analyses of climatological data and a selected number of hydrographic cruises in the western/northwestern and eastern/southeastern boundaries of the NASTG, with the objective of investigating the importance of upward epipycnal advection of nutrient-rich subsurface layers (irrigation) in maintaining high primary production in the euphotic layers. In the North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre (NASPG) irrigation implies intergyre exchange caused by the outcropping extension of the Gulf Stream (GS), following the formation of the deep winter mixed-layer. In the eastern boundary of the NASTG irrigation is attained through a permanent upwelling cell, which feeds the Canary Upwelling Current (CUC). In the southeastern corner irrigation occurs in fall, when the Guinea Dome (GD) is reinforced, and in winter, when the CUC reaches its southernmost extension. Other characteristics of the north/south extension of the GS/CUC are the seasonal nutrient replenishing of subsurface layers (spring restratification of NASPG and winter relaxation of the GD) and the maintenance of high levels of diapycnal mixing during the last phase of nutrient transfer to the euphotic layers. Off the Mid-Atlantic Bight the GS transports a total of about 700 kmol s⁻¹ of nitrate, with almost 100 kmol s⁻¹ carried in the surface (σ_θ < 26.8) layers and some 350 kmol s⁻¹ in the intermediate (26.8 < σ_θ < 27.5) layers. A box model suggests that north of Cape Hatteras most surface and upper-thermocline nitrates are used to sustain the high levels of primary production in the NASPG. Off Cape Blanc there is winter along-shore convergence of order 10 kmol s⁻¹ of nitrate in the near-surface layers (possibly larger in summer), with only a small fraction used to sustain local primary production in the coastal upwelling band and the remainder carried to the interior ocean. Nutrients and biomass exported from these cyclonic regions may account for the concentration levels observed within the NASTG.     

The oxygen isotope composition of water masses in the northern North Atlantic

The ratio of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 (expressed as per mille deviations from Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water, δ¹⁸O) is reported for seawater samples collected from seven full-depth CTD casts in the northern North Atlantic between 20° and 41°W, 52° and 60°N. Water masses in the study region are distinguished by their δ¹⁸O composition, as are the processes involved in their formation. The isotopically heaviest surface waters occur in the eastern region where values of δ¹⁸O and salinity (S) lie on an evaporation–precipitation line with slope of 0.6 in δ¹⁸O–S space. Surface isotopic values become progressively lighter to the west of the region due to the addition of ¹⁸O-depleted precipitation. This appears to be mainly the meteoric water outflow from the Arctic rather than local precipitation. Surface samples near the southwest of the survey area (close to the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone) show a deviation in δ¹⁸O–S space from the precipitation mixing line due to the influence of sea ice meltwater. We speculate that this is the effect of the sea ice meltwater efflux from the Labrador Sea. Subpolar Mode Water (SPMW) is modified en route to the Labrador Sea where it forms Labrador Sea Water (LSW). LSW lies to the right (saline) side of the precipitation mixing line, indicating that there is a positive net sea ice formation from its source waters. We estimate that a sea ice deficit of ≈250 km³ is incorporated annually into LSW. This ice forms further north from the Labrador Sea, but its effect is transferred to the Labrador Sea via, e.g. the East Greenland Current. East Greenland Current waters are relatively fresh due to dilution with a large amount of meteoric water, but also contain waters that have had a significant amount of sea ice formed from them. The Northeast Atlantic Deep Water (NEADW, δ¹⁸O=0.22‰) and Northwest Atlantic Bottom Waters (NWABW, δ¹⁸O=0.13‰) are isotopically distinct reflecting different formation and mixing processes. NEADW lies on the North Atlantic precipitation mixing line in δ¹⁸O–salinity space, whereas NWABW lies between NEADW and LSW on δ¹⁸O–salinity plots. The offset of NWABW relative to the North Atlantic precipitation mixing line is partially due to entrainment of LSW by the Denmark Strait overflow water during its overflow of the Denmark Strait sill. In the eastern basin, lower deep water (LDW, modified Antarctic bottom water) is identified as far north as 55°N. This LDW has δ¹⁸O of 0.13‰, making it quite distinct from NEADW. It is also warmer than NWABW, despite having a similar isotopic composition to this latter water mass.     

Zinc speciation in the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean

Measurements of zinc and zinc complexation by natural organic ligands in the northeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean were made using cathodic stripping voltammetry with ligand competition. Total zinc concentrations ranged from 0.3 nM in surface waters to 2 nM at 2000 m for open-ocean waters, whilst nearer the English coast, zinc concentrations reached 1.5 nM in the upper water column. In open-ocean waters zinc speciation was dominated by complexation to a natural organic ligand with conditional stability constant (log K_ZnL′) ranging between 10.0 and 10.5 and with ligand concentrations ranging between 0.4 and 2.5 nM. The ligand was found to be uniformly distributed throughout the water column even though zinc concentrations increased with depth. Organic ligand concentrations measured in this study are similar to those published for the North Pacific. However the log K_ZnL′ values for the North Atlantic are almost and order of magnitude lower than those reported by Bruland [Bruland, K.W., 1989. Complexation of zinc by natural organic-ligands in the central North Pacific. Limnol. Oceanogr., 34, 269–285.] using anodic stripping voltammetry for the North Pacific. Free zinc ion concentrations were low in open-ocean waters (6–20 pM) but are not low enough to limit growth of a typical oceanic species of phytoplankton.