The Okhotsk-Pacific seawater exchange in the viewpoint of vertical profiles of radiocarbon around the Bussol' Strait

Aramaki, Takafumi; Watanabe, Shuichi*; Kuji, Tomoyuki*; Wakatsuchi, Masaaki*

Geophysical Research Letters, 28(20), p.3971 - 3974, 2001/10

https://doi.org/10.1029/2001GL013227

Vertical profiles for radiocarbon were described around the Bussol' Strait for the first time. The uniformity of radiocarbon concentration at 0-400 m depth in the Bussol' Strait was observed, and expected that diapycnal mixing occurs by tide between the sub-surface water around the Bussol' Strait and the surface water in the Bussol' Strait. The Okhotsk-Pacific cross-sections through the Bussol' Strait of radiocarbon concentration and density suggested the intermediate water in the Sea of Okhotsk has the role of the Okhotsk-Pacific water exchange, and the deep water between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean is mixed well rapidly through the Bussol' Strait. Using estimation of bomb produced C-14 inventories in each water column, it was suggested the quantities of the Okhotsk-Pacific water exchange may be essentially small.