TRITIUM AND CFC INPUT FUNCTIONS FOR THE WEDDELL SEA

On the basis of the International Atomic Energy Agency/World Meteorolo gical Organization (IAEA\WMO) data set of the monthly tritium concentr ation in precipitation, the temporal and spatial pattern of the tritiu m concentration in marine precipitation of the southern hemisphere has been reconstructed. A numerical model that couples the tritium concen trations in the atmosphere and in the Weddell Sea's surface layer by p arameterizing the relevant flux and exchange mechanisms, as well as th e surface layer dynamics, has been used to calculate the time history of tritium in near-surface waters of the Weddell Sea, The model also s imulates the gas transfer of the chlorofluorocarbons CFC 11 and CFC 12 and of helium across the ocean-atmosphere interface. The model accoun ts for the pronounced seasonality of the climatological and oceanograp hic conditions of the Weddell Sea. The calculated input functions of t ritium, CFC 11 and CFC 12 provide the surface boundary conditions for numerical studies of the distributions of these transient tracers in t he sub-surface water masses of the Weddell Sea.