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The Ocean General Circulation near 1000-m Depth

The Ocean General Circulation near 1000-m Depth The mean ocean circulation near 1000-m depth is estimated with 100-km resolution from the Argo float displacements collected before 1 January 2010. After a thorough validation, the 400 000 or so displacements found in the 950–1150 dbar layer and with parking times between 4 and 17 days allow the currents to be mapped at intermediate depths with unprecedented details. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is the most prominent feature, but western boundary currents (and their recirculations) and alternating zonal jets in the tropical Atlantic and Pacific are also well defined. Eddy kinetic energy (EKE) gives the mesoscale variability (on the order of 10 cm 2 s −2 in the interior), which is compared to the surface geostrophic altimetric EKE showing e -folding depths greater than 700 m in the ACC and northern subpolar regions. Assuming planetary geostrophy, the geopotential height of the 1000-dbar isobar is estimated to obtain an absolute and deep reference level worldwide. This is done by solving numerically the Poisson equation that results from taking the divergence of the geostrophic equations on the sphere, assuming Neumann boundary conditions. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Physical Oceanography American Meteorological Society

The Ocean General Circulation near 1000-m Depth

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Publisher
American Meteorological Society
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 American Meteorological Society
ISSN
0022-3670
eISSN
1520-0485
DOI
10.1175/JPO-D-13-030.1
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The mean ocean circulation near 1000-m depth is estimated with 100-km resolution from the Argo float displacements collected before 1 January 2010. After a thorough validation, the 400 000 or so displacements found in the 950–1150 dbar layer and with parking times between 4 and 17 days allow the currents to be mapped at intermediate depths with unprecedented details. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is the most prominent feature, but western boundary currents (and their recirculations) and alternating zonal jets in the tropical Atlantic and Pacific are also well defined. Eddy kinetic energy (EKE) gives the mesoscale variability (on the order of 10 cm 2 s −2 in the interior), which is compared to the surface geostrophic altimetric EKE showing e -folding depths greater than 700 m in the ACC and northern subpolar regions. Assuming planetary geostrophy, the geopotential height of the 1000-dbar isobar is estimated to obtain an absolute and deep reference level worldwide. This is done by solving numerically the Poisson equation that results from taking the divergence of the geostrophic equations on the sphere, assuming Neumann boundary conditions.

Journal

Journal of Physical Oceanography – American Meteorological Society

Published: Feb 6, 2013

References

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    Arhan
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    Boebel
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    Boebel
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    Bower
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    Bretherton
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    Clarke
  • Intermediate zonal jets in the tropical Pacific Ocean observed by Argo floats
    Cravatte
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    Davis
  • Intermediate-depth circulation of the Indian and South Pacific Oceans measured by autonomous floats
    Davis