Abstract
The observed temperature structure of the Red Sea brines, which occur as well-mixed layers separated by sharp interfaces, is compared with other natural examples of layering and also with laboratory experiments designed to study the phenomenon. The existence of such layers is characteristic of liquids which are stabilized with salt but are made unstable by heating from below. Various possible mechanisms for their formation and maintenance are evaluated from a physical point of view. The available evidence supports the idea that the source of the brines is in the Atlantis II Deep, which overflowed into the other holes in recent times.
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Turner, J.S. (1969). A Physical Interpretation of the Observations of Hot Brine Layers in the Red Sea. In: Degens, E.T., Ross, D.A. (eds) Hot Brines and Recent Heavy Metal Deposits in the Red Sea. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-28603-6_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-28603-6_18
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