Tasman Outflow

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The Tasman Outflow is a water pathway connecting water from the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The existence of the outflow was published by scientists of the Australian CSIRO's Division of Marine and Atmospheric Research team in August 2007, interpreting salinity and temperature data captured from 1950 to 2002.[1] The Tasman Outflow is seen as the missing link in the supergyre of the Southern Hemisphere and an important part of the thermohaline circulation.

Features

Antarctic circumpolar current, due to the strong eastward Antarctic Circumpolar Current to the south of Tasmania
.

Role in the thermohaline circulation

Before the discovery of the Tasman Outflow, research on the

North Atlantic. Furthermore, the Tasman Outflow functions as the second gateway for Pacific waters to reach the Indian Ocean, besides the Indonesian Throughflow
.

At the equatorial Atlantic the Tasman Outflow's contribution is even comparable to that of the other two better known routes with a volume transport of approximately 3 Sv. The Tasman Outflow is seen as a third route since the water flow does not come into contact with the other two routes as it underrides both of them in depth.[5] It is colder, less saline and denser than the other two routes, which is caused by the fresh input from the Antarctic Intermediate Water in the South Pacific. The waterflow to which the Tasman Outflow contributes, is almost entirely situated below a depth of 300 meter. Influences from outside stay limited because of its situation well below the mixed layer, causing its salinity and temperature to vary little.[6]

Role in the Southern Hemisphere supergyre

South Atlantic Ocean, closing the circle of the supergyre.[9]

Role in the climate system

The

North Atlantic where it comes to the surface. It thus functions as a stable and constant supply of fresh water, which could work to counteract the changing heat transport in the thermohaline circulation.[10]

The wind also seems to play an important role in the size of the contribution of the Tasman Outflow. Before being injected into the

Subtropical Front shifts towards the north. However, no evidence of any seasonality has been found. Although measurements show large variations in the size of the outflow, from 1 Sv to more than 25 Sv on both sub-weekly and inter-annual scales, no long-term trends were found over the period of 1983 to 1997.[11]

References

  1. S2CID 128655722
    .
  2. S2CID 20016530
    .
  3. hdl:10261/90093
    .
  4. doi:10.1029/2012GL051004
    .
  5. ^
    doi:10.1029/2001GL014586
    .
  6. doi:10.1002/2013JC009525
    .
  7. S2CID 13464732
    .
  8. doi:10.1029/2007GL031583
    .
  9. doi:10.1029/2001GL014586
    .
  10. S2CID 128655722
    .
  11. doi:10.1002/2013JC009525
    .
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