RT journal article
T1 Trace metals distribution between the surface waters of the Gulf of Cadiz and the Alboran Sea
A1 Orihuela García, Mª Andrea
A1 Bolado Penagos, Marina
A1 Sala, Iria
A1 Tovar Sánchez, Antonio
A1 García Jiménez, Carlos Manuel
A1 Bruno Mejías, Miguel
A1 Echevarría Navas, Fidel María
A1 Laiz Alonso, Irene María
A2 Biología
A2 Física Aplicada
K1 Alboran Sea
K1 Easterly wind
K1 Gulf of Cadiz
K1 Strait of Gibraltar
K1 Surface current
K1 Trace metals
AB This study was conducted to address the changes in the surface distribution of trace metals (cobalt, copper, iron, cadmium, nickel, zinc, lead and molybdenum) as they are advected from the Gulf of Cadiz to the Alboran Sea, through the Strait of Gibraltar (south Iberian Peninsula), regions of great ecosystemic importance. Trace metals concentrations were measured in samples collected during two oceanographic cruises, together with the main factors affecting their spatial distribution and temporal variability (i.e., wind and surface currents). Several rivers, the main source of trace metals in this region, flow into the Gulf of Cadiz which is connected with the Alboran Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar by the general circulation pattern. The surface circulation pattern leads to an offshore-eastward gradient that is highly influenced by wind variability. An increase in vertical turbulence induced by the winds or the tidal cycle causes the dilution of trace metals' concentration by mixing rich-metal superficial waters with poor-metal subsurface waters. Additionally, along the eastward displacement of surface waters, several water retention zones have been described (Trafalgar, Camarinal, the Coastal Cyclonic Gyre) that imply an increase in trace metals concentration close to the coast. In addition, our results suggest that the coastal edges of the Strait of Gibraltar also act as a source of certain metals to the Alboran Sea, probably due to the industries in the proximity areas
PB Elsevier
SN 0048-9697
YR 2022
FD 2022-10-24
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/29570
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/29570
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 12-nov-2026