Extreme Transport Velocities of Antarctic Bottom Water in the Deep-Water Vema Channel

Abstract

In April 2017 and October 2018, a Russian expedition on the R/V Akademik Sergei Vavilov in the Southwest Atlantic carried out measurements of the temperature, salinity, and velocity over a standard section across the deep Vema Channel at 31°12′ S. Extremely high and extremely low velocities and transports of Antarctic Bottom Water for the entire history of our observations over this section were found. In 2017, the maximum speed over the section reached 55 cm/s, and in 2018, it did not exceed 30 cm/s. In 2018, no core of high velocities in the bottom layers of the channel characteristic of the Antarctic Bottom Water flow was found.