The distribution of dissolved Al in the Channel along the English coast shows the existence of a strong gradient of this element extending over a distance of several hundred nautical miles. These profiles suggest that wind-driven export from the North Sea to the Channel is seasonally important. These findings confirm the predictions of the recent circulation models of Salomon and Breton (1991). A gross mass balance of dissolved Al in the Channel indicates that the input of the river Seine is insignificant and that the contribution of other minor fresh water sources cannot account for the observed values. The input of dissolved Al from the North Sea seems thus to be the most likely largest source of this element in the Channel. This could also be the case for other trace metals exhibiting similar gradients across the Dover Strait.
All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy
