bottom water The water mass that lies at the deepest part of the water column in the ocean. It is relatively dense and cold, e.g. the North Atlantic bottom water has a temperature of 1–2°C. Bottom-water circulation is slow-moving, is greatly influenced by sea-bed topography, and is driven by differences in water density (thermohaline circulation).

bottom water The water mass that lies at the deepest part of the water column in the ocean. It is relatively dense and cold (e.g. the North Atlantic bottom water has a temperature of 1–2°C. Bottom-water circulation is slow-moving, greatly influenced by sea-bed topography, and driven by differences in water density (thermohaline circulation).