Thermohaline characteristics of coastal waters in the southern Caribbean of Costa Rica
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15359/revmar.7.2Keywords:
Water masses, Gandoca, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, hydrographyAbstract
In August and November 2012, two hydrographic surveys were conducted in the coastal region of the Southern Caribbean of Costa Rica, between the Port of Limon and Gandoca Lagoon. A CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth profiler) was used at 43 stations to determine temperature, salinity and chlorophyll-a. It was determined that spatial and temporary variations of surface temperature were small, with values ranging between 28.6°C and 30°C. In addition, surface salinity ranged between 33.3 and 35.2 PSU and the average spatial distribution of chlorophyll-a concentration in surface waters was 0.64 mg m-3, with maximum and minimum values of 1.1 mg m-3 and 0.19 mg m-3, respectively. The vertical temperature field was characterized by a warm mixed layer (T ~ 29°C), which extended to 60 m deep in November and less than 10 m deep in August. During the two sampled months, from the vertical structure of the isotherms, we found a cyclonic motion (from the surface to 15 m deep) in the region adjacent to Cahuita, and an anticyclonic motion at 20 m in August and 40 m in November. We identified water masses present in the water column to the depths sampled: CSW, 0-80 m and SSW, > 80 m.References
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