Suboxic and anoxic conditions in the Gdansk basins’ deep water (the Baltic sea)

Abstract

Variability of oxygen and hydrogen sulphide concentrations in the Gdansk basins deep water of the Baltic Sea for the last 25 years was analyzed. It was shown that suboxic and anoxic conditions in deep water were mainly determined by Baltic inflow frequency and intensity. Oxygen concentration in the bottom layer of the Gdansk basins increased strongly in 13 months after Major Baltic Inflow events (MBI). There were three periods of strong increasing of dissolve oxygen concentration in deep water since 1992 till 2018 after MBI in 1993, in 2003 and 20142016. It was shown that at the bottom of the Gdansk basins hydrogen sulphide was detected during 79 months till 22.5 years after MBI. Quality evaluation of dissolved oxygen distribution reanalysis was also conducted in this work. It can be noted good reproduction of field data by the reanalysis in its quality part; however, in most cases the observable maximum concentrations in dissolved oxygen distribution are understated, sometimes even several times.