Radiocarbon Measurements in South Pacific Ocean Waters in the Vicinity of the Subtropical Convergence Zone

Abstract

Distribution profiles of radiocarbon in dissolved inorganic carbonate have been measured along two transects in the southern Pacific, east of New Zealand. Use of accelerator mass spectrometry, with its small-sample-size capability, made it possible to sample near-surface waters with a depth resolution of a few tens of meters. Sampling of deeper water was guided by salinity and temperature data transmitted by a conductivity-temperature-depth probe. The measurements, taken over the Chatham Rise, show highly structured profiles that can be correlated with known circulation patterns in this region.