Observed property changes in eastern South Pacific Antarctic Intermediate Water

Abstract

We compared potential temperature and salinity of Antarctic Intermediate Water along 32°30′S, from the coast of Chile to the central South Pacific Ocean between 2003 and 1992, based on two vertically and horizontally high resolution repeat-sections each being 6795 km long. The temperature of Antarctic Intermediate Water, considering the entire body of the Water Mass along the section, increased by 0.048°C, and salinity by 0.002. The increase in salinity could be explained by a slight shift in the evaporation/precipitation balance of the South Pacific Ocean. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.