Transformation of salt composition of sea water in process of differential-diffusive convection (natural and laboratory researches)

Hydrophysical and hydrochemical investigations of the World Ocean allowed to detect both horizontal and vertical heterogeneities of the main salt composition of sea water (Fabricand et al, 1966; Soifer, Bichkov, Ilyichev, 1982; Kobilyansky et al, 1985; Domanov, 1992; Domanov and Vodaynaya, 1987). The interrelation between the processes of differential-diffusive convection in the thin thermolialine structure and observed variability of the main salt composition was shown in Kobilyansky et al. (1985) and Domanov (1992) for the case of generation of heterogeneities of the main salt composition of sea water in interlayers of thin thermohaline structure. For a detailed study of this phenomenon the natural and laboratory investigations of variability of the main salt composition during the processes of differential-diffusive convection were carried out. Heterogeneities of salt composition in a pack of thin thermohaline structure interlayers were studied in the Atlantic Ocean at a station with following coordinates 4/spl deg/17'N. 44/spl deg/03'W. The greatest deviation in ratio Mg/Na was 9.4% and in ratio Ca/Na-9.1%. Laboratory studies in conditions of differential-diffusion convection confirm the change of element ratios. Variations of salt composition obtained experimentally are similar to that observed in natural conditions.