The German Bight is characterised by mean residence times of 33 days in the inner Bight and of 67 days in the larger German Bight area. The shallow Bight (mostly < 40 m depth) receives large amounts of nutrients from the rivers Elbe, Weser and Ems, from transboundary transports along with the coastal current and from the atmosphere. Nutrient river loads, reached annual means of 280 % for TN and of 450 % for TP of the natural background concentrations in the period 1990 – 1997 . The main discharge occurs during winter / spring, mostly leaving the area before the growing season starts. Especially phosphate discharges were reduced significantly since the early 1990s, causing phosphate decreases in the total German Bight and within all salinity regimes during winter.
Series
Texte | 48/2003
Number of pages
256
Year of publication
Author(s)
U. Brockmann, et. al.
Abstract
Language
English
Project No. (FKZ)
298 25 233
Publisher
Umweltbundesamt
File size
8419 KB
Price
0,00 €
Print version
not available
rated as helpful
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