TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of the large-scale Arctic Ocean circulation in the transport of contaminants
AU - Schlosser, Peter
AU - Swift, James H.
AU - Lewis, Diana
AU - Pfirman, Stephanie L.
N1 - Funding Information:
AcknowledgementsThis work was supported by the G&e of Naval Research (grant nos NOO014-90-J-1362, N00014-93-I-0830, NOOO14-94-I-0507, NOOO14-94-l-0852, NOO014-94-1-0988, NOOO14-95-1-1241) and the National Science Foundation (grant no. DPP90-22890). L-DE0 contribution no. 5430.
PY - 1995
Y1 - 1995
N2 - The key features of the large-scale circulation of the Arctic Ocean are reviewed based on distributions of hydrographic parameters and natural and anthropogenic trace substances. Salinity and mass balances, as well as a combination of the tracers tritium and δ18O, suggest a mean residence time of the shelf waters in the Siberian seas of about 3 years. Potential pathways of pollutants released to the Siberian shelf seas from the dumpsites or from river runoff are inferred from the distributions of δ18O and salinity. Transit times needed for dissolved contaminants to cross the central Arctic basins (several years to one or two decades in near-surface waters) and mean residence times of contaminants in the intermediate (several decades) and deep waters (several centuries) are estimated from the distribution of transient tracers (tritium and its radioactive decay product, 3He) and "steady-state" tracers (14C and 39Ar).
AB - The key features of the large-scale circulation of the Arctic Ocean are reviewed based on distributions of hydrographic parameters and natural and anthropogenic trace substances. Salinity and mass balances, as well as a combination of the tracers tritium and δ18O, suggest a mean residence time of the shelf waters in the Siberian seas of about 3 years. Potential pathways of pollutants released to the Siberian shelf seas from the dumpsites or from river runoff are inferred from the distributions of δ18O and salinity. Transit times needed for dissolved contaminants to cross the central Arctic basins (several years to one or two decades in near-surface waters) and mean residence times of contaminants in the intermediate (several decades) and deep waters (several centuries) are estimated from the distribution of transient tracers (tritium and its radioactive decay product, 3He) and "steady-state" tracers (14C and 39Ar).
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U2 - 10.1016/0967-0645(95)00045-3
DO - 10.1016/0967-0645(95)00045-3
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0029538610
SN - 0967-0645
VL - 42
SP - 1341
EP - 1367
JO - Deep-Sea Research Part II
JF - Deep-Sea Research Part II
IS - 6
ER -