Seasonal Variability of Salt and Heat Diffusion off North Eastern Egyptian Continental Slope

摘要

The vertical diffusion of salt and heat throughout the water column at two stations along the northern Egyptian continental slope has been investigated. Seasonal profiles of the vertical transport salt showed that generally a downward salt flux occurred throughout the water column; however, upward salt fluxes intermittently occurred in the sub surface layer at depths between 75 m - 150 m. Seasonal averages of salt flux ranged from a minimum of -1.7 X 10sup-11/sup kg msup-2/supssup-1/sup directed downwards during autumn to a maximum of 1.6 X 10sup-8/sup kg msup-2/supssup-1/sup directed upwards during winter. Vertical diffusion of heat for the four seasons has been found to be directed downwards throughout the whole water column. Estimates of seasonally averages of heat flux varied from a minimum of -1.6 X 10sup-5/sup msup-2/supssup-1/sup attained during spring to a maximum of -1.1 X 10sup-2/sup msup-2/supssup-1/sup attained during summer.