Water Masses and the Conservation of T,S

Atlantic Water Masses and the Conservation of T and S

For the questions and exercises below, you'll use the following three hydrocasts, which were taken at different latitudes along 30.5W in the Atlantic Ocean.

Station 1

Station 2

Station 3

You'll need this T-S chart:

And you'll need the following information:

Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), which is formed around 50S at the Antarctic Polar Front, has a salinity of 34.25 psu and a potential temperature of 3.5C. AAIW is defined as the salinity minimum layer below the thermocline.
North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) has a salinity of 34.95 psu and a potential temperature of 3C, and is formed around 60N in the Labrador and Greenland seas. NADW is defined as the salinity maximum layer below AAIW.
Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is formed at about 65S near the Antarctic Continent. It has a salinity of 34.65 psu and a potential temperature of -0.25C. AABW is defined as the temperature minimum layer below NADW.
As a water mass travels further from its source it will mix isopycnally, meaning along a surface of constant density, and to a lesser extent with water masses above and below it; the further it travels from its source the more its unique T-S values will erode and become indistinct.

Questions and Exercises for Part I

Please plot the three stations in T-S space on the T-S chart above. Be sure to identify which station is which.
Please plot the core T-S values of AABW, NADW, and AAIW on the same graph.
Using the water mass information, which station comes from the furthest south? How do you know?
Which station comes from the furthest north? How do you know?
At approximately what pressure is the core of each water mass found?
Where would the water masses from the Gulf of Maine be located in T-S space in relation to the water masses and casts you plotted here? See Homework problem 12 if you don't remember the T-S characteristics of water masses in the Gulf of Maine.