Aplicação do diagrama T-S estatístico - volumétrico à análise das massas de água da plataforma continental do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

SYNOPSIS The general characteristics of the seasonal variation of the thermohaline properties of the continental shelf water off Rio Gran-de do Sul, under non-conservative and quasi-synoptic conditions were analysed. The method applied-volumetric statistical T-S analysis-allows the computation of the water masses budget from the knowledge of their temperature and salinity ranges. The data of 194 hydro-graphic stations from six oceanographic cruises between April 1968 and March 1969, were used. Water of Tropical and Subtropical origin (47,5% and 64% of the total volume during the winter and summer, respectively) was always present during the observation period. Sub-antarctic water has its maximum and minimum influences during the winter (15%) and summer «3%), respectively. The average minimum and maximum temperature and salini ty values of the water masses in the investigated region were observed in June (16,85°C and 34,72 % 0), De-cember (35,58%0) and March (20,82°C).