Water Mass Structure and Mixing Fractions in the Deepwater Region of the Gulf of Mexico

Valencia-Gasti, José A.; Camacho-Ibar, Víctor F.; Herguera, Juan Carlos

doi:10.1029/2021jc017705

Cited by 2 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 82 publications

(148 reference statements)

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“…The high variability shown by Ni profiles in the first 1000 m of the GoM could be closely related to the physical mesoscale dynamics that characterize the Gulf (Elliott, 1982;Biggs et al, 1996;Meunier et al, 2018) as has been reported for other physical (Valencia-Gasti et al, 2022), chemical (Hernańdez-Candelario et al, 2019Lee-Sańchez et al, 2022;Velaśquez-Aristizabal et al, 2022), andbiological (e.g., Salas-de-Leoń et al, 2004;Linacre et al, 2015;Durań-Campos et al, 2017) properties. Particularly, mesoscale eddies can sink or raise water masses depending on their spin direction: cyclonic eddies produce an upward flux of subsurface waters towards the euphotic zone, while anticyclonic eddies do the opposite (McGillicuddy, 2016).…”

Section: Influence Of Mesoscale Dynamics On the Distribution Of Disso...supporting

confidence: 61%

“…However, the high horizontal variability exhibited by the Ni profiles during the XIXIMI-6 cruise distinguishes the deep-water region of the Gulf from other regions (Figures 4A-C of variation (CV = standard deviation * 100/average) for each depth horizon in the GoM. Figure 4D shows that the Ni levels in the first 600 m of the water column were significantly (p < 0.05) more variable (CV < 17%) than those of deeper water (CV < 10%), which indicates that the greatest amount of horizontal variability was concentrated in the upper portion of the water column that is usually affected by mesoscale eddies (Meunier et al, 2018;Sosa-Gutieŕrez et al, 2020;Valencia-Gasti et al, 2022). In the following sections, we will discuss: 1) the behavior of Ni in the GoM compared to that of the Atlantic Ocean; 2) the influence of mesoscale eddies on the vertical distribution of Ni in the Gulf; 3) the Ni relationship with macronutrients; and 4) the impact of mesoscale eddies on the stock of Ni in the surface layer of the GoM and its biogeochemical implications.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The GoM is considered an evaporative basin, as evaporation exceeds precipitation by more than 1 m yr -1 , which results in net heat gain (Tomczak and Godfrey, 2003). This marginal sea is occupied by water masses of tropical-subtropical origin at the surface and by water masses of polar-subpolar origin at greater depths (Portela et al, 2018;Valencia-Gasti et al, 2022). Before entering the GoM, these water masses pass through the Caribbean Sea, a deep marginal sea that communicates with the Atlantic Ocean through three narrow and deep passages (~1500 m).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Upon entering the Gulf, the LC generates large anticyclonic mesoscale eddies with diameters measuring hundreds of kilometers and lifetimes spanning up to 17 months (Oey et al, 2005, and references therein;Meunier et al, 2018). These eddies can travel across the Gulf from east to west over the course of a few months and influence the vertical distributions of most water masses present in the GoM (Meunier et al, 2018;Sosa-Gutieŕrez et al, 2020;Valencia-Gasti et al, 2022). The biogeochemical characteristics of macro and micronutrient concentrations (e.g., Ni) of the water masses within the GoM differ, with Caribbean Surface Water (CSW) generally considered to be the poorest (Pinedo-Gonzalez et al, 2015) and the deep-water masses of polar and subpolar origins generally considered to be the richest (Bowie et al, 2002;Middag et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial variability of dissolved nickel is enhanced by mesoscale dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico

et al. 2023

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The Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is one of the most dynamic marginal seas in the world owing to the intrusion of the Loop Current and the shedding of anticyclonic eddies (LCE) that travel westward across the Gulf. However, the impacts of these mesoscale dynamics on the supply and removal of bioessential trace metals in surface waters remain unclear. We study the impact of mesoscale eddies on the distribution of dissolved nickel (Ni), a biologically active element scarcely studied in the region. The vertical distribution of Ni was determined in the deep-water region of the GoM during summer of 2017, when two anticyclonic LCE (Quantum and Poseidon) were present. Nutrient-like profiles of Ni in the GoM resemble those from the Atlantic Ocean, but they showed high spatial variability within the first 1000 m, which was associated with the impact of mesoscale eddies. Similarly to subtropical gyres, macronutrients were almost depleted in surface waters, while Ni never fell below 1.51 nmol kg-1, suggesting low Ni lability or alternatively, slow biological uptake compared to that of macronutrients. In particular, lowest levels of Ni and macronutrients (PO4 and NO3) were recorded in surface waters of the anticyclonic eddies and the Loop Current area. Anticyclonic LCEs deepened these Ni-poor waters pushing the Ni-rich core of Tropical Atlantic Central Water up to 600 m, whereas its shallowest position (up to 200 m) was recorded under cyclonic conditions in Campeche Bay. This eddy-induced vertical displacement of water masses also affected the integrated Ni and macronutrient concentrations in the upper 350 m but without modifying their stoichiometries. We suggest that a significant decrease in surface inventories of Ni and macronutrient in areas impacted by LCEs is a consequence of the trapping of the water within eddies, the biological uptake of Ni and macronutrients combined with their limited replenishment from below, which likely affects autotrophic groups. In conclusion, the mesoscale dynamic permanently present in the GoM play an important role in modifying the vertical distribution of Ni and macronutrients as well as their availability in the upper water column of this marginal sea.

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Section: Influence Of Mesoscale Dynamics On the Distribution Of Disso...supporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Spatial variability of dissolved nickel is enhanced by mesoscale dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico

et al. 2023

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“…Samples collected during these cruises and their analysis in CIGoM laboratories enabled us to establish the spatial and temporal patterns of the physical and geochemical variables (Damien et al, 2018;Portela et al, 2018;Medina-Goḿez et al, 2020;Ochoa et al, 2021;Cervantes-Díaz et al, 2022;Hernández-Sánchez et al, 2022;Lee-Sańchez et al, 2022;Valencia-Gasti et al, 2022;Velásquez-Aristizábal et al, 2022;Romero-Arteaga et al, 2022a;Romero-Arteaga et al, 2022b) related to the carbon cycle (as well as hydrocarbons (García-Bautista et al, 2022) metals and pollutants concentrations in the water column (Arenas-Islas et al, 2019;Hernańdez-Candelario et al, 2019;Árcega-Cabrera et al, 2021;Dotor-Almazań et al, 2021a;Dótor-Almazán et al, 2021b;Dotor-Almazań et al, 2021b;Árcega-Cabrera F. et al, 2022;Dotor-Almazań et al, 2022a;Do ́tor-Almaza ́n et al, 2022b), sediments, as well as in tissues of selected organisms.…”

Section: Baseline Studies and Environmental Variabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ocean monitoring, observation network and modelling of the Gulf of Mexico by CIGOM

et al. 2023

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The tragic accident of the Macondo platform operated by British Petroleum (BP) unleashed in 2010 one of the largest oil spills in history, lasting over three months, spilling nearly 500 million liters of oil in one of the most biodiverse ocean regions. This accident revealed the technological deficiencies for the control of a spill in deep waters of the hydrocarbon industry. Simultaneously it showed important gaps in knowledge to predict the propagation and fate of the large volumes of hydrocarbons at depth and on the surface ocean and, more importantly, on their impact on the great ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico. The necessity to understand and predict the transport, fate and ecosystem-level impacts of large oil spills in the southern Gulf of Mexico, a key region for oil exploration and extraction, led policymakers, scientists, and industry representatives from PEMEX (the Mexican oil company) to jointly launch an ocean observation project (2015-22) aimed to provide a multi-layered environmental baseline, develop a modern monitoring and computational modeling capacity and promote scientific understanding of the marine environment throughout the Mexican Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The initiative, led by the Research Consortium for the Gulf of Mexico (CIGoM), brought together more than 300 multidisciplinary researchers from more than a two dozen institutions in Mexico and abroad, including the Centre for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE) as the leading institution, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Centre for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV) in Mérida, the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), and the Centre for Engineering and Industrial Development (CIDESI). Financial support was provided by the National Council for Science and Technology and the Ministry of Energy Hydrocarbon Fund.

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Water Mass Structure and Mixing Fractions in the Deepwater Region of the Gulf of Mexico

Cited by 2 publications

References 82 publications

Spatial variability of dissolved nickel is enhanced by mesoscale dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico

Spatial variability of dissolved nickel is enhanced by mesoscale dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico

Ocean monitoring, observation network and modelling of the Gulf of Mexico by CIGOM

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