Suspended Matter and its Composition from the Data on Light Scattering at the Large-Scale Polygon in the Northern Part of the Tropical Atlantic Ocean

V. I. Man’kovsky✉, D. V. Grinchenko

Marine Hydrophysical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Sevastopol, Russian Federation

✉ e-mail: emankovskaya@mail.ru

Abstract

The results of defining the mass and numerical concentration both of total suspended matter and its organic and mineral fractions at the large-scale polygon in the northern part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean in summer, 1986 are represented. The samples were taken from the 3 m depth. To determine concentration and composition of the suspended matter, the method of converting the light scattering functions measured at the polygon was used. Distribution of concentrations of the suspended matter different fractions was compared with the water dynamics. The maximum values of the suspended matter concentration are observed in the regions of the current divergence and their cyclonic vorticity. The source of the mineral suspended matter in the ocean regions remote from the continents are the aerosols as well as the phytoplankton species containing mineral particles on their shells, namely the silicon oxides (diatoms) and the carbonates (coccolithophorides). The data of biological investigations testify that both the mass development of diatoms at the polygon and maximum concentrations of the mineral suspended matter are observed in the equatorial region and in the area of the Countercurrent divergence. The mineral suspension relative content in the total mass concentration varies within 4 – 19%. As for quantity, the overwhelming majority of the total suspended matter (94 – 96%) consists of mineral particles. The average particle sizes are determined for the organic and mineral suspensions. Their distribution at the polygon correlates with the distribution of the mass concentration: in the regions with the low suspended matter concentration, the mean radius of the organic particles is high, whereas that of the mineral ones is small. Having been compared, the mean sizes of the organic particles calculated using the light scattering function and those of the phytoplankton cells defined due to a microscope demonstrate their nearly complete similarity.

Keywords

light scattering function, organic and mineral suspended matter, sizes and number of particles

Acknowledgements

The present study was carried out in FSBSI MHI within the framework of the State Order No. 0827-2014-0010.

Original russian text

Original Russian Text © V. I. Man’kovsky, D. V. Grinchenko, 2018, published in MORSKOY GIDROFIZICHESKIY ZHURNAL, Vol. 34, Iss. 3, pp. 254–266 (2018)

For citation

Man’kovsky, V.I. and Grinchenko, D.V., 2018. Suspended Matter and its Composition from the Data on Light Scattering at the Large-Scale Polygon in the Northern Part of the Tropical Atlantic Ocean. Physical Oceanography, [e-journal] 25(3), pp. 235-246. doi: 10.22449/1573-160X-2018-3-235-246

DOI

10.22449/1573-160X-2018-3-235-246

References

  1. Klyuvitkin, A.A., Zernova, V.V. and Kravchishina, M.D., 2008. Raspredelenie Fitoplanktona i Vzvesi v Atlanticheskom Okeane v Oktyabre – Noyabre 2002 g. [Distribution of Phytoplankton and Suspended Matter in the Atlantic Ocean in October - November, 2002]. In: M.V. Flint ed., 2008. Kompleksnye Issledovaniya Mirovogo Okeana: Proekt «Meridian». Ch. 1, Atlanticheskiy Okean [Complex Research of the World Ocean: "Meridian" Project. Pt. 1, the Atlantic Ocean]. Moscow: Nauka, pp. 270-294 (in Russian).
  2. Burenkov, V.I., Klyuvitkin, A.A. and Sheberstov, S.V., 2007. Suspended Matter Concentration in Surface Layers of the Atlantic Ocean Derived from Data of Ocean Color Scanner MODIS. In: IAP, 2007. Proceedings of IV International Conference “Current problems in Optics of Natural Waters” (ONW'2007). Nizhny Novgorod, September 11–15, 2007. Nizhny Novgorod: Institute of Applied Physics, pp. 154-156.
  3. Shifrin, K.S., 1988. Physical Optics of Ocean Water. Chapter 6, Inverse problems. New York: American Institute of Physics, pp. 211-271.
  4. Man’kovskii, V.I. and Solov’ev, M.V., 2005. Indicatrices of Scattering of Light and the Composition of Suspension in the Black Sea. Physical Oceanography, [e-journal] 15(1), pp. 55-70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11110-005-0030-5
  5. Man’kovsky, V.I., 2011. The Structure of Suspended Matter in Lake Baikal According to the Data of Measurements of Light Scattering Functions. Physical Oceanography, [e-journal] 21(3), pp. 163-181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11110-011-9113-7
  6. Man'kovskiy, V.I., 1981. Morskoy Impul'snyy Nefelometr [Marine Pulse Turbidimeter]. In: B.N. Malinovskiy and V.T. Cherepin eds., 1981. Pribory dlya Nauchnykh Issledovaniy i Sistemy Avtomatizatsii v AN USSR [Tools for Scientific Research and Automation Systems in AS USSR]. Kiev: Naukova Dumka, pp. 87-89 (in Russian).
  7. Kopelevich, O.V., Mashtakov, Yu.A. and Burenkov, V.I., 1975. Issledovanie Vertikal'noy Stratifikatsii Rasseivayushchikh Svoystv Morskoy Vody [Vertical Stratification of the Scattering Properties of Sea Water and Its Study, Using an Underwater Narrow-Angle Scatterance Meter]. In: L.M. Brekhovskikh and K.S. Shifrin eds., 1975. Gidrofizicheskie i Gidroopticheskie Issledovaniya v Indiyskom Okeane: Po Resultatam Issledovaniy v 10-om Reise NIS “Dmitriy Mendeleev” [Hydrophysical and Hydrooptical Research in the Indian Ocean: According to the Research Results in the 10th Cruise of R/V Dmitriy Mendeleyev. Moscow: Nauka, pp. 54-60 (in Russian).
  8. Oshhepkov, S.L. and Sorokina, E.A., 1988. Approximate Procedure for Determination of Marine Suspension Dispersivity and Concentration from Measurements of Diffusion Indicatrix. Oceanology, 28(1), pp. 157-161 (in Russian).
  9. Vityuk, D.M., 1983. Vzveshennoye Veshchestvo i Ego Biogennye Komponenty [Suspended Matter and Its Biogenic Components]. Kiev: Naukova Dumka, 210 p.
  10. Raymont, J. E.G., 1980. Plankton and Productivity in the Oceans. Vol. 1, Phytoplankton. Oxford; New York: Pergamon Press, 660 p. 11 Balch, W.M., Holligan, P.M., Ackleson, S.G. and Voss, K.J., 1991. Biological and Optical Properties of Mesoscale Coccolithophore Blooms in the Gulf of Maine. Limnology and Oceanography, [e-journal] 36(4), pp. 629-643. https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1991.36.4.0629
  11. Khanaychenko, N.K., 1974. Sistema Ekvatorial'nykh Protivotecheniy v Okeane [The System of Equatorial Countercurrents in the Ocean]. Leningrad: Gidrometeoizdat, pp. 131-132 (in Russian).

Download the article (PDF)