MECHANISMS OF WATER INTRUSION LAYERING IN THE AZORE FRONTAL ZONE

Functional relationships between intrusion layering parameters and ave rage hydrologic characteristics are constructed for the Azore frontal zone (AFZ) by a new method for processing fine-structure CTD-data. An analysis of the relationships allows one to confirm and refine the mos t realistic conclusion related to possible mechanisms of the intrusion layering that has been drawn previously in [1]. To be precise, it is inferred that (a) the main source that maintained the intrusion layeri ng in the AFZ was convection of the salt finger type and (b) baroclini city played the role of bath a structure-forming and a structure-destr oying factor. In a number of observations, the intrusion layering of a large vertical scale was likely to be due to the baroclinic instabili ty; however, typical situations were characterized by a decrease in th e intensity of intrusion layering that was accompanied by an increase of the inclination of isopycnic surfaces to the horizontal.