The World Ocean Circulation Experiment Indian Ocean helium isotope data are mapped and features of intermediate and deep circulation are inferred and discussed. The He-3 added to the deep Indian Ocean originates from (1) a strong source on the mid-ocean ridge at about 19degreesS/65degreesE, (2) a source located in the Gulf of Aden in the northwestern Indian Ocean, ( 3) sources located in the convergent margins in the northeastern Indian Ocean, and ( 4) water imported from the Indonesian Seas. The main circulation features inferred from the He-3 distribution include (1) deep (2000-3000 m) eastward flow in the central Indian Ocean, which overflows into the West Australian Basin through saddles in the Ninetyeast Ridge, (2) a deep (2000-3000 m) southwestward flow in the western Indian Ocean, and (3) influx of Banda Sea Intermediate Waters associated with the deep core (1000-1500 m) of the through flow from the Pacific Ocean. The large-scale He-3 distribution is consonant with the known pathways of deep and bottom water circulation in the Indian Ocean.
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