PHENOMENA CONTRIBUTING TO THE PERIODIC ENRICHMENT OF CARIBBEAN WATERS

Composition changes occurring in superficial waters of the Caribbean S ea have been attributed to annual flow variations of the Orinoco and A mazon rivers, efficient geochemical processes occurring between the mo uths of these rivers and the Caribbean, and upwelling processes occurr ing near the coast of Venezuela towards 64 degrees W longitude. Apart from the importance of the mentioned phenomena, there exist additional factors that contribute significantly to the enrichment process. East of 63 degrees W longitude there occurs an important upwelling process close to the shore and the sinking of water masses that cause a reacc ommodation of the superficial layers to a depth of 100 meters. This is not a continual process however. Rather it alternates with the presen ce of continental waters. The merging of the two phenomena contributes significantly to the enrichment of superficial water masses. These ar e not continuous processes however, but occur intermittently throughou t the year in a pulse-like fashion.