AABW
AntArctic Bottom Water | ||||
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AABW Definition from Encyclopedia Dictionaries & Glossaries
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Antarctic Bottom Water
The Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is a type of water mass in the seas surrounding Antarctica with temperatures ranging from 0 to -0.8◦ C, salinities from 34.6 to 34.7, and a density near 27.88.
AABW is formed in the Weddell and Ross Seas from surface water cooling in polynyas and below the ice shelf. Surface water is enriched in salt from sea ice formation. Due to its increased density, the water is flowing down the Antarctic continental margin and on the bottom further north. It is the densest water in the free ocean and is overlain by Antarctic Circumpolar Water (AACW) at a depth of 1000 to 2000 m and overlies Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) in some locations.
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