Water mass processes on Arctic shelves as revealed from δ18O of H2O

The water masses of the Arctic Ocean shelf regions are significantly influenced by river water and sea-ice processes. Since river water is highly depleted in 6 180 relative to marine waters as well as to sea-ice, the 6 180 composition and salinity of a water sample can be used to separate the different water sources. In this paper the freshwater distribution on the Kara, Laptev and the Beaufort shelves are discussed based on 6 180 and salinity data. Depending on the average depth the observed fields of salinity and delta O-18 values are different for each region. But comparing the overall delta O-18 and salinity correlations reveals a remarkable similarity for these three Arctic shelf regions. On all discussed Arctic shelves bottom water masses are formed by sea-ice processes. And remnants of these bottom water masses are found on all shelves during summer at a similar salinity of about 30. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.