Decadal Comparisons of Particulate Matter in Repeat Transects in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean Basins Geophysical Research Letters

Basin-wide sections of beam cp(proxy for particle concentration) in ocean basins collected during numerous oceanographic programs over the last four decades record variable concentrations in euphotic surface waters, very low concentrations through most of the water column, and very low to very high concentrations near the sea floor. Sections resampled at decadal intervals show that intense benthic nepheloid layers (BNLs) recur in the same general locations in these repeat sections, most often where eddy kinetic energy (EKE: cm2s/C02) is high in overlying waters. Areas beneath regions of low surface EKE consistently have weak to no BNLs. The decadal persistence of the close connection between surface andbenthic EKE and presence or absence of BNLs is clear. Understanding the location and causes of intense