What Are the Different Types of Water Masses? What Is

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• There are five types of water masses in tropical and temperate waters. They are named for their relative position in the water column. There are surface waters, central waters, intermediate waters, deep waters and bottom water.
• The most distinctive water mass is the Antarctic Bottom Water. It has a salinity of 34.65% , a temperature of -0.5º Celsius, and a density of 1.0279 grams per cubic centimeter. This extremely dense water is mostly produced along the coasts of Antarctica, specifically near South America in winter. It migrates north along the bottom of the seafloor.
• It is created when salt pockets become trapped between crystals of pure water. As the water freezes, the salt is squeezed out. This creates extremely cold brine. The high density causes it to sink towards the continental shelf. It then mixes with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
• The Antarctic Bottom Water circulates throughout the world ocean very slowly.
Information can be found in the section Thermohaline Circulation Affects All the Ocean's Water.

What Are the Different Types of Water Masses? What Is

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What Are the Different Types of Water Masses? What Is

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