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Characteristics and formation of Eastern South Pacific Intermediate Water

2003; American Geophysical Union; Volume: 30; Issue: 11 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1029/2003gl017086

1944-8007

Wolfgang Schneider, Rosalino Fuenzalida, Efraín Rodríguez Rubio, José Garcés‐Vargas, Luis Bravo,

Marine and coastal ecosystems

Newly gathered hydrographic data from the Eastern South Pacific is combined with other high‐quality data (mainly WOCE) to reassess the properties and boundaries of the Eastern South Pacific Intermediate Water (ESPIW); to date the ESPIW has been only poorly described. The ESPIW core is found off central and northern Chile, between the coast and 90°W and 20–38°S. Located at 50–400 m of depth, its temperature varies between 11–13°C, salinity ranges from 34.1–34.3, and its sigma‐t lies between 25.75–26.25 kgm −3 . ESPIW spreads with the subtropical gyre circulation and can be traced to at least 150°W. Formed through the process of subduction southeastward of the wind‐driven gyre circulation, the ESPIW communicates surface properties of the waters off central Chile to tropical latitudes.